So I purchased a Blackfin as soon as it was available somewhere other than Taobao.
Spent about 3 hours trying to set it up accordingly to ensure I know what I can do with it without tampering with it.
For the sake of making things easier I'll be calling things specific names - Card Emulator: CardEMU, Blackfin Dongle: Fin, Bluetooth Dongle: BTDongle
I'm trying to locate a Vita with 3.57 or below FW to be able to actually test more things.
As a reminder, piracy is bad, and this is not a guide to pirate Vita games. If you want that then discuss it somewhere else.
Here's a list of important notes
-FW 3.57 or lower is required, I cannot stress this enough (Until it supports 3.60, STAY ON 3.57 OR LOWER)
-PSTVs will not work with this
-the Slim Vita game card cover will not stay closed, as it will eject the CardEMU due to the shape being too big for the rectangular slot on the bottom side of the cover (fat lacks this issue)
-software side can be a bit finnicky with communication (software and manual are on their site)
-make sure you don't use USB3.0 ports (unless it's a laptop then you're fine - my desktop had issues with it, so that's why I say this)
-make sure it's updated in firmware (as of now I have not found out how to update the card emulator, only the fin itself)
-bluetooth dongle is nice but ensure it's also not using a USB3.0
-authentication of carts is picky, but it's simple. Just be sure you have the blackfin server running (local is fine)
-don't use special characters in filenames or it will not be able to write to the CardEMU
So what is the blackfin and what is it not?
The blackfin is
-a Vita card emulator
-a P2P tool that relies on actual carts being purchased and used to operate accordingly - thus throwing away the concept of piracy due to it being very limited
-a way of making backups for PS Vita game cards (encryption is still there but the way it handles it is strange - will look into it)
The blackfin is not
-an all in once solution to pirate
-does not allow pirating since it still requires game cards to work (unless a surplus of them are available)
-perfect
So how does it work?
The CardEMU is the main focus here for the Vita communications. When inserted it will allow the BTDongle to communicate with certain data, then transmits said data to the Fin. The main thing it looks for is Authentication data for the game cards.
Once a card has been authenticated via the CardEMU and BTDongle communication, you then have the ability to dump the card to an iso using the Fin. Once you have what you need dumped, you take the CardEMU and insert a MicroSD card (preferably 4gb at minimum) into it. Once done, insert the CardEMU into the Fin and you will have the choice to format it (which is needed before writing to it). Once formatted accordingly you can write your game iso to it, and multiple if you decide to.
Once written you then take it out of the Fin and power on your Vita, you can move over to the CardEMU tab of the blackfin software. Hit connect and it will start trying to use the BTDongle to connect to the CardEMU. At this time while it's scanning, insert the card into the Vita (yes, it should not be in before scanning). Once in, it will connect and show a list of available games on the CardEMU and what game cards are available on the server you're connected to (there are multiple, local, and even custom).
Once your list is completely loaded you can pick one you wish to launch, and it will launch on the Vita (presumably with using the appropriate license from the card on the server, hence why real game cards are still required). The software is simple, but is not the most visually pleasing. I expect it to improve over time.
I'm sorry I can't actually show it working, but I don't have a system that can actually boot a game as it should (Testkits cant play retail games, and my other systems are on 3.60)
My verdict as of right now - Updated as of July 23, 2016 at 5:40am
Presentation - 8/10 (it does this well admittedly)
Ease of use - 4/10 (software is trash but it works if you're very careful with a very particular setup. Works most of the time)
Functionality (hardware) - 3/10 (must use the usb cable that came with it. power draw is important and length can make the software crash due to lack of power. CardEMU can effectively become useless and break from normal use)
Functionality (software) - 5/10 (it is quite picky it crashes and can reset authentication - luckily if it doesn't crash you don't have to reauthenticate when you re-open the software)
Build quality - 2/10 (the plastic feels cheap and flexible, but that's to be expected if you ask me. Just don't abuse it and you'll be fine. You can miss the card reader port if you don't angle your card properly, so watch out. The CardEMU feels flimsy and cheap, so be careful if you have nails. Points also deducted for the CardEMU being an issue on the Slim Vita with the game card cover)
Servers - ?/10 (I have read that the server stuff works)
Overall (for now - not counting server) - 4.8/10 (Please do not buy this til they fix the quality)
Anyway, here's some pics and a (poorly done) video.
Advertising