Warning

This tool is outdated.
Please use VitaTools by SKGleba instead.

Github

How to Create and Install Your Own Boot Animation for Your PlayStation Vita

Hi, and welcome to my brief tutorial about installing your very own PlayStation Vita boot animation or image.

First of all, here's a list of the requirements you'll need for the whole process:

Download cbanim

Using cbanim.exe

Now, we are going to use Windows' Command Prompt (cmd) to instruct cbanim.exe what to do. You can also use PowerShell, but for simplicity, we are going to use cmd.

Tip

This tool does not require Administrator rights. Using an elevated command prompt is not required.

I would recommend to put all the files in a fresh folder, to avoid clutter. cbanim.exe will use this folder for its operations.

So, with your files ready, start a command prompt window in your folder. You can find the option in the File menu in the top-left corner of the File Explorer window, or by typing "cmd" on the address bar. It should look something like this:

Windows Command Processor

F:\fhtgames\cbanim>_

This is an example of a directory path. Yours might be different depending on where you saved your files.

The syntax for the tool is:

cbanim -imagetype filename[%d] [optional flags]

The command is composed of:

Tip

You can call cbanim without its .exe extension. Command Prompt will automatically detect the .exe extension and execute it from the current directory.

Here's the explanation for the options and arguments that cbanim requires and accepts:

-imagetype Required

This option specifies the format of your base image.

The possible options are:

  • -r: RAW files.
  • -g: GIF files, either animated or still images.
  • -p: PNG and JPEG files.

You can also append an s to the option. When used, cbanim will resize the output image to the screen resolution of the PlayStation Vita (960×544 pixels). If you want the output resized to 960×128 pixels instead, use l.

Do not use both at the same time, as cbanim will not recognize the option.

These resizing options do not preserve the original image's aspect ratio, so the image may appear stretched or compressed. It is recommended to first create your base image with the correct dimensions using an image editor such as Photoshop.

For animated GIF files, cbanim will automatically extract each frame and place them in the current directory.

In all cases, your original base image will remain unchanged.

filename[%d] Required

This positional argument specifies the file name of your base image.

If all files are located in the same folder as cbanim.exe, you only need to provide the file name. If the image is located elsewhere on your PC, you must specify its full path. For example:

"C:\Users\Pictures\Vita\Boot.png"

Using quotes is recommended to avoid errors, especially when the path contains spaces.

If your animation frames are stored as separate image files, you can use %d in the file name pattern to instruct cbanim to load multiple frames.

All frames must share the same base name followed by a sequential number. For example:

boot-animation_%d.png

This pattern will cause cbanim to look for files such as:

  • boot-animation_01.png
  • boot-animation_02.png
  • boot-animation_03.png

The tool will continue loading frames until no additional files are found.

If you are using an animated GIF, the %d pattern is not required because frame extraction is handled automatically.

Optional Flags

These flags are not required, but they enable additional behavior when generating the boot animation.

-noloop Creates an animation that plays only once instead of looping continuously.

-nocompress Disables compression for the generated animation.

This option is not recommended for complex animations, as the PSVita may struggle to play large uncompressed animations smoothly.

-nopreload Prevents the animation from being preloaded into the PSVita's RAM during boot. Instead, it will be read directly from internal storage.

-slowmode Slows the animation playback. This may improve visual quality by reducing compression artifacts between frames.

Here's an example of a valid command line:

Windows Command Processor

F:\fhtgames\cbanim>cbanim -g boot-animation.gif -noloop -slowmode_

In this case, the application will create an animated boot image from boot-animation.gif, that plays once, and slows the animation to improve frame quality.

If everything is done correctly, the tool will begin to convert the file, compress it, and create boot_animation.img that CBS-Manager will use to install the boot animation to your PSVita.

Your finished cbanim window should look similar to this:

Windows Command Processor

F:\fhtgames\cbanim>cbanim -g boot-animation.gif -noloop -slowmode
extracting...
wait ( boot-animation.gif )
...done
converting...
converting frame-0.png
converting frame-1.png
converting frame-2.png
converting frame-3.png
converting frame-4.png
converting frame-5.png
converting frame-6.png
converting frame-7.png
converting frame-8.png
converting frame-9.png
converting frame-10.png
converting frame-11.png
converting frame-12.png
converting frame-13.png
converting frame-14.png
converting frame-15.png
converting frame-16.png
converting frame-17.png
converting frame-18.png
converting frame-19.png
converting frame-20.png
converting frame-21.png
converting frame-22.png
converting frame-23.png
converting frame-24.png
converting frame-25.png
converting frame-26.png
converting frame-27.png
converting frame-28.png
converting frame-29.png
converting frame-30.png
...done
compressing...
compressing frame_0.rgba
compressing frame_1.rgba
compressing frame_2.rgba
compressing frame_3.rgba
compressing frame_4.rgba
compressing frame_5.rgba
compressing frame_6.rgba
compressing frame_7.rgba
compressing frame_8.rgba
compressing frame_9.rgba
compressing frame_10.rgba
compressing frame_11.rgba
compressing frame_12.rgba
compressing frame_13.rgba
compressing frame_14.rgba
compressing frame_15.rgba
compressing frame_16.rgba
compressing frame_17.rgba
compressing frame_18.rgba
compressing frame_19.rgba
compressing frame_20.rgba
compressing frame_21.rgba
compressing frame_22.rgba
compressing frame_23.rgba
compressing frame_24.rgba
compressing frame_25.rgba
compressing frame_26.rgba
compressing frame_27.rgba
compressing frame_28.rgba
compressing frame_29.rgba
compressing frame_30.rgba
...done
creating output file [boot_animation.img]
combining [boot_animation.img]...
adding frame_0.rgba.gz
adding frame_1.rgba.gz
adding frame_2.rgba.gz
adding frame_3.rgba.gz
adding frame_4.rgba.gz
adding frame_5.rgba.gz
adding frame_6.rgba.gz
adding frame_7.rgba.gz
adding frame_8.rgba.gz
adding frame_9.rgba.gz
adding frame_10.rgba.gz
adding frame_11.rgba.gz
adding frame_12.rgba.gz
adding frame_13.rgba.gz
adding frame_14.rgba.gz
adding frame_15.rgba.gz
adding frame_16.rgba.gz
adding frame_17.rgba.gz
adding frame_18.rgba.gz
adding frame_19.rgba.gz
adding frame_20.rgba.gz
adding frame_21.rgba.gz
adding frame_22.rgba.gz
adding frame_23.rgba.gz
adding frame_24.rgba.gz
adding frame_25.rgba.gz
adding frame_26.rgba.gz
adding frame_27.rgba.gz
adding frame_28.rgba.gz
adding frame_29.rgba.gz
adding frame_30.rgba.gz
...done [boot_animation.img]

F:\fhtgames\cbanim>_

And you're done! You can find boot_animation.img in your folder, ready to be installed in your PSVita.

Installing the Custom Boot Animation to Your PSVita

With boot_animation.img ready, now you need to copy the file to your PSVita. You can use VitaShell via USB or FTP to transfer it to the following location in your PSVita's internal storage:

ur0:tai/boot_animation.img

Now, open CBS-Manager in your PSVita and follow the process of installation. You can add a delay of 5, 10 or 15 seconds to the boot if you want to further test your boot image.

Finally, reboot your PSVita, and enjoy your new custom boot!

Changelog

Special Thanks

SKGleba — for the creation of PSP2-CBAnim.
u/MrAnvil935 — for the hotfix in the initial release of the cbanim application.
And to everyone in the r/vitahacks subreddit!