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How to Patch LittleBigPlanet PS3 for Project Lighthouse!

Updated: Mar 15


LBP Union and Project Lighthouse are not affiliated with Sony Interactive Entertainment or their subsidiaries. Project Lighthouse is a clean room reverse engineering project of now defunct PlayStation 3 and Vita LittleBigPlanet online features. No proprietary code is distributed. Under no circumstances will we endorse or support piracy. You must have your own copy of the game in order to use the custom features once they become available. When using these features, you release Sony Interactive Entertainment (Sony) as well as any employees or agents of Sony, from any and all liability, corporate, or personal loss caused to you or others by the use of Lighthouse custom servers for LittleBigPlanet.

Written by m88youngling and indo2042


After the 2021 server attacks, the LittleBigPlanet servers on PlayStation 3 were sadly sunset in September that year. After September 13th, LittleBigPlanet’s online features on PS3 and Vita were permanently discontinued. However, there is a way to play community levels with your friends once again! In this guide, we’ll show you how to patch LittleBigPlanet PS3 for Project Lighthouse, a custom LBP server!


Table of Contents

Getting Started

Get CFW or HFW For Your PlayStation 3

Patching Your LBP EBOOT

Connecting to Beacon


Getting Started

Patching LittleBigPlanet 1, 2 and 3 on PS3 to connect to a custom server isn’t as hard as you might think! To get started, you’ll need a few things. We’ll show you how to get each of them!

  • A CFW or HFW PlayStation 3

  • Patched LBP1, 2, or 3 EBOOT file.

  • A PC, or Linux computer.

  • A flash drive.

Acquire Hardware

If you need a PlayStation 3 or a flash drive, don’t despair. They are easy to get! We suggest grabbing a PS3 earlier than the latest model, such as a fat or a normal slim. The super slim can still play on LittleBigPlanet Project Lighthouse servers, but it can only use hybrid firmware and not custom firmware. More on that later!


Photo by Nikita Kostrykin on Unsplash

You can find a PS3 on Amazon! They are relatively inexpensive. When shopping for a flash drive for your PS3, make sure that your USB stick is FAT32 compatible! If not, you’ll need to format it to FAT32.

a few things to remember:

  • It’s not that difficult!

  • Jailbreaking your PlayStation 3 is reversible if you ever want to go back to normal.

  • Running homebrew utilities can actually extend the life of your console. For example, normal PS3s have a fan speed cap somewhere around 30%. Homebrew can make the fan spin faster to keep your PS3 cooler.

  • The risk of being banned is low.

1. Get CFW or HFW For Your PlayStation 3

Let's talk about how to unlock the potential of your PlayStation 3 with CFW or HFW. Don't worry, it's not as hard as it sounds, and all changes are completely reversible!


Is it Legal?

Yes, it is legal to jailbreak your PlayStation 3 and modify your copy of the game. However, it may be against PlayStation Network’s Terms of Service. This means that they may be able to terminate your access to the service at any time. However, none of our beta testers from 2021 to the present have been banned by PSN for using LittleBigPlanet custom servers.


Ps3 boot up screen with Evilnat logo
Modified PS3 boot up screen with Evilnat CFW.

Why Do I Need to Jailbreak my PS3 to Play LittleBigPlanet Online?

Many have suggested that a DNS redirect could be used to play LittleBigPlanet online on PS3 without jailbreaking your console. This would be a lot easier and faster but unfortunately, it’s just not possible due to the way the game was created. The game’s files point directly to Sony’s now defunct game server, and without Sony’s SSL certificate, a DNS redirect would never work.


Should I Use Custom Firmware or Hybrid Firmware to Play LBP Online?