[TUTORIAL] PSP themes in 2026: installing CTF themes with CXMB on ARK (6.60 and 6.61)

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[TUTORIAL] PSP themes in 2026: installing CTF themes with CXMB on ARK (6.60 and 6.61)

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Automatically translated from French.

[TUTO] Thèmes PSP en 2026 : installer des thèmes CTF avec CXMB sur ARK (6.60 et 6.61)

CTF themes change the PSP menu: icons, fonts, sounds. Here is how to install them in 2026 with CXMB on ARK, without touching the flash memory.


PTF or CTF: what's the difference
  • PTF: Sony's official format, since firmware 3.70. It only changes the wallpaper, the icons and the colors, and installs without any hack: copy the file into PSP/THEME, then Settings > Theme Settings > Theme.
  • CTF: the community format, which can replace almost the entire menu (fonts, layout, sounds). It requires a custom firmware and the CXMB.

What you need

A PSP running ARK, on official firmware 6.60 or 6.61: see our ARK-5 tutorial. ARK-4 has been archived since May 2026; ARK-5 is installed with FasterARK. The ARK wiki itself recommends CXMB for community themes.


1. Installing CXMB
  1. Copy cxmb.prx exactly into ms0:/SEPLUGINS/cxmb/cxmb.prx (ef0: on PSP Go). Anywhere else, CXMB refuses to work under ARK: old guides that placed it in ms0:/cxmb/ are outdated.
  2. Enable it for the menu (VSH) only. The easiest way: in ARK's Custom Launcher, Triangle > Files > SEPLUGINS, choose cxmb.prx, then VSH (not “Always”).
  3. Or manually, in the file SEPLUGINS/PLUGINS.TXT, add the line:
    vsh, ms0:/seplugins/cxmb/cxmb.prx, on
  4. Restart the PSP. Plugins can then be enabled or disabled from the menu's plugin manager, or the Recovery Menu.
The old vsh.txt and game.txt files from the PRO and ME firmwares are no longer used: ARK can import them from its advanced menu.


2. Installing a CTF theme
  1. First switch back to the original theme.
  2. Copy the .ctf file directly into ms0:/PSP/THEME/, without a subfolder.
  3. Select it in Settings > Theme Settings > Theme: the PSP restarts.
Each CTF is tied to a firmware version: pick themes made for 6.60 or 6.61. When CXMB is active, official PTF themes no longer appear in the list.


The risks, and how to avoid them

CXMB does not modify the flash memory: it redirects the menu files at boot. The real danger comes from old themes and tools that overwrite flash0 files (.rco,.prx, fonts) with a “flasher”: never use them. If the PSP no longer boots, ARK lets you repair it with the New cIPL and DC10 (by holding L at boot), or a Pandora battery.


The most common errors
  • The theme does not appear: CXMB is not in the right place, or not enabled for VSH.
  • Broken fonts or empty menu: the active theme was deleted, or the memory card removed. Put the file back, or disable CXMB from the Recovery Menu.
  • The menu crashes at boot: theme made for another firmware. Disable CXMB from the Recovery Menu, then change theme.
  • The Custom Launcher does not change: it has its own themes (THEME.ARK), independent of CXMB.
Find your themes on recognized sources (the Wololo forum, GameBrew) and beware of dubious “pack” sites. To go further, see the best PSP homebrew.


Sources and official guides: ARK-4: plugins · ARK-4: recommended plugins · ARK-5 · CXMB (GameBrew)

Tgames provides no games, BIOS or keys: only use backups of your own games and your own console. Got a question? Reply to this topic.
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