Regional notes
Regional Notes
The PSP was sold worldwide, and while the hardware is largely the same everywhere, a few regional details are worth understanding before you mod. The good news is that custom firmware itself is region-neutral.
The PSP is region-free for games
Unlike some consoles, PSP UMD games are not region-locked, so a disc from one country generally plays on a system from another. Once you install ARK-4 or another CFW, region considerations for game backups effectively disappear.
What does vary by region
- Power adapters — the AC charger plug and voltage differ by country. Always use a charger appropriate for your region to power the PSP safely during firmware updates.
- Bundled firmware — units sold in different markets shipped with different firmware versions, but all of them update to the same final 6.61.
- Model availability — some models, such as the Street (E1000), were more common in certain regions than others, but their CFW support is identical everywhere.
One firmware, one toolset
No matter where your PSP was purchased, the path is the same: reach official 6.61, then install ARK-4 and optionally 6.61 Infinity. The same tools work on every region's hardware.
Movie UMDs (video, not games) can be region-locked, unlike game UMDs. This does not affect CFW installation but is worth knowing if you collect PSP video discs.
In short, region matters little for modding. Focus on your model and firmware, and the regional differences will not stand in your way.