Activation AFV

Only used by Nonretail, Kit Activation expires after 90 days, reducing several development functions of a TestKit/DevKit. The AFV file is a generated on request by Sony and tied to console internal serial. An up-to-date console-tied AFV file must be sent to the PS4 using Neighborhood or USB to activate the console for up to 90 days. Once the PS4 has access to the AFV file, the user has to trigger activation by going to the Debug Settings. The PS4 OS then converts the AFV to an Activation ACF and writes that ACF token to the Serial Flash Non Volatile Storage.

See also PS Vita AFV and Activation ACF.

Location

(USB:)\ps4_activation.afv

The AFV file is downloaded from DevNet to a PC allowed to connect to such servers.

It can be sent to the console through a USB storage device or using Neighborhood and an ethernet cable between the console and the host PC.

Description

Neighborhood for PS4, does not require any activation but an unactivated PS4 Dev/Test Kit cannot run fSELF applications. If the Kit Activation is expired, the PS4 shows the following message on the Main Menu: "This Development Kit is Expired. See DEVKIT_Activation-Users_Guide." On later System Software versions, the message was changed to say "This DevKit/TestKit is Expired. See Activation Guide on DevNet".

Format

The Activation Key is a xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx string (where x = hexadecimal).

The AFV format for PS4 is almost the same as the one for PS Vita.

Activation File Verification

AFV are activation files used for/by development unit, they follow this format

# PS/ActivationCode
# format_ver=1
# format_minor_ver=2
# platform_id=2
# code_num=179
# code_size=199
# extra_data_size=593
###
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, 1493575358, 1403391357,          6, long_hexadecimal_sequence_1
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb, 1493575358, 1403391357,          5, long_hexadecimal_sequence_2
etc.

Syntax of the header is as follows:

Value	Description
# PS/ActivationCode	Magic
# format_ver=1	AFV format major version (1 on PS4)
# format_minor_ver=2	AFV format minor version (2 on PS4)
# platform_id=2	Platform ID (2 on PS4). Usage unknown.
# code_num=179	Number of activation codes, can be incremented to add multiple devices per activation file
# code_size=199	Number of characters per code + 1
# extra_data_size=593	Present in activation files using signatures (PS4 and PS Vita 2.10+)

# PS/ActivationCode
# format_ver=1
# format_minor_ver=2
# platform_id=2
# code_num=179
# code_size=199
# extra_data_size=593
###
derived_from_open_psid, start_date(epoch decimal), end_date(epoch decimal)‬, issue_no, encrypted_activation_token

Gallery

• 

  Screenshot from the Activation AFV File

• Ps4 activation 32284750110266.png

  Screenshot from another Activation AFV File

• 

  Activation File Context Menu Integration