[PS Vita] h-encore² tutorial for Vitas on 3.65 – 3.73 (finalhe)

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h-encore² is the fourth public jailbreak for the PS Vita which supports the newest firmwares: 3.65 through 3.73. This is great news because even more PS Vita’s are now compatible with homebrew and custom firmware. This h-encore 2 tutorial will help you install this exploit if your Vita is on any of these firmwares.

What you need

  1. Windows PC
  2. The latest release of finalhe
  3. USB driver for PS Vita (Windows)

How to install h-encore 2 on your PS Vita

This tutorial requires a Windows PC because installation will require the use of Windows applications.

Part 1. Install and run finalhe

  1. For Windows users, install the USB driver for PS Vita
  2. Extract the finalhe .zip archive somewhere on your computer
  3. Start the finalhe .exe application on your computer
    • If prompted, allow network connections for finalhe
  4. On your PS Vita, launch the Content Manager app
  5. Next select “Copy Content” and then “PC”
  6. Choose the method you want to use to connect to finalhe
    • Log in to PSN if prompted
    • If you do not have a PSN account, create one
  7. Select/Register your computer if prompted
    • If a message appears asking you to update your PS Vita: do not update, reboot your Vita, and try part 1 again
    • If the message persists, enable Airplane Mode on your Vita and try again
    • If the above two tips did not work proceed to block updates on your PS Vita using this guide
  8. Proceed to Part 2 for installing h-encore 2

Part 2: Install h-encore 2 on your PS Vita

  1. Select “Trim h-encore to ~7MB”
  2. Click the “Let’s GO!” and wait patiently
    • The exploit files will be automatically downloaded and prepared
    • This process will take some time
  3. Select “PC” > “PS Vita System” on your PS Vita
  4. Select “Applications” > “PS Vita” > “h-encore” > “Copy” > “OK”
    • The h-encore exploit will be copied to your device
    • This will take some time
  5. Close the Content Manager app on your PS Vita and exit finalhe on your computer

Part 3: Configure h-encore 2

  1. Launch the h-encore application while holding the R button
    • If you get a prompt about trophies, continue to hold R and select “Yes”
  2. If the exploit was successful, you will now see the h-encore bootstrap menu
    • If the exploit is stuck on a white screen, close the application (which will cause a crash and reboot your device) and try again
    • If it’s still stuck, hold the power button down for over 30 seconds to force a reboot, and try again
  3. Next, select “Install HENkaku”
    • This will install the HENkaku exploit and enable homebrew access until the next reboot
  4. Select “Download VitaShell”
    • This will install the VitaShell homebrew application for managing your device’s filesystem
    • VitaShell (and all homebrew applications) will remain installed after a reboot, but will give an error on launch if the HENkaku exploit is not active
  5. Select “Exit”
  6. Success! Proceed to configure HENkaku settings in part 4.

Part 4: Configure HENkaku settings

  1. On your PS Vita, launch the Settings app
  2. Navigate to “HENkaku Settings”
    • If HENkaku Settings is missing, select the “Reset taiHEN config.txt” in the h-encore bootstrap menu, then try again
  3. Check “Enable Unsafe Homebrew”
  4. Return to HENkaku Settings menu
  5. Close the Settings application
  6. Enjoy. Note that you have to relaunch the exploit every time you reboot or shutdown your PS  Vita. If you put your device into standby/sleep mode, you don’t need to relaunch the exploit.

h-encore tutorial

Next Steps

h-encore is not a permanent hack. You will need to relaunch the exploit each time your PS Vita reboots. For a more permanent hack, continue to downgrade your PS Vita to firmware 3.60 in order to be able to install HENkaku Enso.

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