Themes & customization
Themes and Customization
Custom firmware lets you reshape the look of the PSP's home menu, the XMB. From simple color swaps to fully custom interfaces, the system can be made to feel entirely your own.
Official Themes (PTF)
Sony built a theme format, PTF, that changes colors, icons, and wallpapers within the limits the firmware allows. These are safe, easy to apply, and switchable from the settings menu.
Custom Themes (CTF)
CTF themes go much further. They can replace fonts, sounds, the wave background, and system graphics that official themes cannot touch, producing dramatic visual overhauls.
CTF Needs a Loader
Because CTF themes modify protected parts of the interface, they require a theme manager or plugin to load them rather than the standard settings menu.
| Format | Scope |
|---|---|
| PTF | Colors, icons, wallpaper |
| CTF | Deep XMB overhaul |
Other Touches
- Custom boot logos and shutdown screens.
- Replacement system sounds.
- Animated or static wave backgrounds.
Deep customizations touch system files. Use a theme manager that can cleanly revert changes, and avoid flashing graphics permanently into firmware unless you know how to undo it.
Start with PTF themes, then explore CTF once you are comfortable.