Well isn't this another big surprise? Earlier today we reported on the 3.40 OE reverse engineering development spearheaded by Team Wildcard. The goal of the project was to reverse engineer 3.10 and 3.40 OE, building a base for Team Wildcards future expansion of Dark Alex's Open Edition custom firmware which ended up getting leaked prematurely.

Due to this leak, Team Wildcard decided to made an official release of their source code. Which is now being followed up by a official build of their new PSP custom firmware, titled 3.40 LE (LE standing for Leaked Edition).

This release, which is an expansion originally based upon the reverse engineering of the 3.40 OE PSP custom firmware, brings all new features to the stalemate which Open Edition firmware was facing after Dark Alex decided to drop his PSP projects and development.
recovery menu - Image 1
In addition to all the features previously offered by the 3.40 OE-A custom firmware, Team Wildcard brings us some great new features, such as:

* Everything you know and love from 3.40 OE-A
* A sexy new SCEP-style recovery menu
* In-XMB configuration menu
* Auto-detection of the kernel needed for homebrew - no need for GAME150 and GAME340; just put it all in GAME

It's also interesting to note that Team Wildcard mentions, "We were also working on a 3.52 custom firmware with even more features which luckily was not leaked. But after recent events, we can no longer be sure if it will ever see the light of day."

3.40 LE - Installation Guide
The installation overview should look very similar to the original OE firmware installation guide, thus installation should be a breeze for anyone who is currently on custom firmware.

1. Look inside the ZIP file for the folder that corresponds to your current firmware - either Custom Firmware or Firmware 1.50. To install 3.40*, you have to be on one of these. If you're not already on one of them, what are you waiting for? Downgrade!
2. Copy the *CONTENTS* of the MS_ROOT folder onto the *ROOT* of your memory stick. This means the place where the 'PSP' folder is. It'll probably tell you that it has to overwrite the PSP folder. This is OK; just click Yes.
3. Download the 1.50 and 3.40 firmware EBOOTs (search dl.qj.net for them). ( author note: included below ;) )
4. Rename the 1.50 EBOOT to 150.PBP.
5. Rename the 3.40 EBOOT to 340.PBP
6. Put both of them *in* the folder "X:PSPGAMEWildcard All-in-one Flasher", alongside the EBOOT.PBP file. (X: is your PSP's Windows drive letter.)
7. Go into the PSP's Game menu, under Memory Stick, and run "3.40* All-In-One Updater". The installer will build the 3.40* DATA.DXAR file, then launch the flasher to install it. Follow the instructions on the screen TO THE LETTER and you'll be safe.

Warning: You take complete responsibility for flashing your PSP's firmware. Be warned that an incorrect flash can damage your PSP or even render it useless (bricked). Make sure you read all information available (README) and follow directions to make sure you understand the risks and new features completely before flashing. Yada yada ;) So without further ado, download the 3.40 LE PSP custom firmware. Feel free to discuss or ask questions about Team Wildcard's latest release in their thread, located in our PSP Development forums.