About PlayStation Home

The virtual world that defined social gaming on PlayStation 3 is back

History of PlayStation Home

PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3.

Timeline

  • March 2007 - First announced by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference
  • December 2008 - Launched as an open beta
  • 2008-2015 - Continuous updates and new content
  • March 2015 - Service officially discontinued
  • 2025 - Home Laboratory successfully revives PlayStation Home with open-source software

PlayStation Home allowed users to create a custom avatar, own a virtual apartment ("HomeSpace"), and interact with other users in public spaces. It was designed as a hub for community-based gaming, featuring mini-games, dedicated game spaces, and special events.

Home was free to use but featured a microtransaction model for purchasing virtual items, clothing, and additional living spaces. Many of these items were themed around popular games or brands.

The Revival Project

Home Laboratory has successfully restored PlayStation Home to an operational state for the first time on open-source software.

Key Achievements

  • Open-Source Server Implementation - We've recreated the server infrastructure needed to run PlayStation Home
  • XMB Integration - PlayStation Home icon is back on the XMB with 4.92 HEN/CFW
  • Custom Content - Support for user-created content deployed online for multiplayer
  • Extensive Documentation - Comprehensive documentation of PlayStation Home's systems
  • Developer Environment - A semi-recreated development environment mirroring Sony's original tools

Our project represents years of research and development, making PlayStation Home accessible again to both PS3 users and PC users via RPCS3 emulation.

Key Features

Personal Spaces

Users can customize their personal apartments with furniture, decorations, and media. Additional themed spaces are available.

Public Venues

Common areas like the Central Plaza, Mall, and Game Spaces allow users to meet, socialize, and participate in activities together.

Game Integration

Special spaces for popular PlayStation games provide exclusive content, mini-games, and rewards that can be earned and displayed.

Real-Time Management

Our unique web-based systems for inventory management and remote control offer powerful tools for advanced users.

Technical Details

Home Laboratory has developed sophisticated open-source server software that implements all necessary services to run PlayStation Home. This includes networking components like Horizon (Medius, DME, Muis), custom APIs, and specialized services to handle the complex requirements of PlayStation Home.

Our Nautilus toolkit includes utilities to unpack and repack all PlayStation Home file types, providing full access to the game's data. The entire PlayStation Home data archive is approximately 100GB in size, containing thousands of spaces, items, and assets.

PlayStation Home can now be accessed on actual PS3 consoles running 4.92 HFW with the latest HEN or Evilnat 4.92 CFW. PC users can also join using the RPCS3 emulator with our specialized package. No DNS modifications or whitelists are required.

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Experience PlayStation Home again with hundreds of active users across our servers

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