HEN-only models
Which Models Are HEN-Only
For consoles that cannot accept custom firmware, the community developed PS3HEN, short for Homebrew ENabler. It is an exploit that runs on top of official or hybrid firmware and unlocks much of the same functionality as CFW without modifying the console's core firmware. Several hardware revisions are restricted to this path.
The HEN-Only Models
- CECH-3000 Slim — the later Slim revision that dropped CFW compatibility.
- CECH-4000 Super Slim — every unit in the final hardware generation.
These consoles must first be placed on Hybrid Firmware (HFW), a lightly modified version of Sony's official firmware that opens the door for the HEN exploit to load.
| Model | Base | Method |
|---|---|---|
| CECH-3000 | HFW | PS3HEN |
| CECH-4000 | HFW | PS3HEN |
Living With HEN
The biggest practical difference from CFW is persistence. HEN is not always active; you launch it after each cold boot through an on-screen entry point. Once enabled it stays running until the console is fully powered down again.
Plenty of Capability
HEN supports homebrew applications, game backups, and most everyday modding tasks. For the majority of users the experience is very close to CFW.
If you own a HEN-only console, embrace HFW plus PS3HEN as your intended setup rather than chasing CFW that the hardware cannot run.