The PS3 is the friendliest PlayStation to mod Borderlands 2 on — and the reason is one free tool called Bruteforce Save Data. No jailbreak, no paid Save Wizard, no borrowing anyone's console. Plug a USB stick in, decrypt, edit, re-encrypt, done. The only step people actually trip on is the re-encrypt, so I'll make sure you nail it.
- Bruteforce Save Data (free, no jailbreak) decrypts and re-signs retail PS3 saves over USB.
- Edit in Gibbed with the platform set to PS3.
- Re-encrypt before copying back: Update PFD (Full) → Encrypt PFD → Encrypt All Files. Skip it and the save won't load.
The good news
Like the Xbox 360 with Horizon, the PS3 doesn't need a hacked console. Bruteforce Save Data is a free PC program that can decrypt and re-sign a retail PS3 save straight off a USB drive. That's what makes PS3 dramatically easier than PS4 — no paywall, no firmware exploit. Gibbed does the editing in the middle exactly like on PC; Bruteforce just handles the lock on either side.
What you need
- Bruteforce Save Data — the latest version. It may need a couple of Microsoft runtime files installed first (install those as administrator).
- A USB drive to shuttle the save between PS3 and PC.
- Gibbed, the same editor as everywhere else.
The full flow
Copy the save off the PS3
On the PS3, open the Save Data Utility, pick your Borderlands 2 character, press Triangle, and copy it to a USB drive. Plug the drive into your PC.
Decrypt in Bruteforce
Open Bruteforce Save Data, point it at the save on the USB, and decrypt it. Now Gibbed can read it.
Edit in Gibbed (platform = PS3)
Open the decrypted save and set the platform dropdown to PS3 — not PC, not Xbox. Edit your gear and stats, then save.
Re-encrypt in Bruteforce
Back in Bruteforce: Update PFD (Full), then Encrypt PFD, then Encrypt All Files. (Details below — don't skip this.)
Copy back to the PS3
Put the re-encrypted save back on the USB drive and copy it onto the console.
The PFD re-encrypt step (the one everyone forgets)
PS3 saves are guarded by a PFD — a Protected File Database that proves the save hasn't been tampered with. After editing, you must rebuild it in Bruteforce with those three actions, in that order, or the PS3 sees a mismatch and refuses (or corrupts) the save. This is the PS3 version of Xbox's "Rehash and Resign." Copy the raw decrypted file back without doing this and you've got a dead save.
A note on versions
Generally, use the latest Bruteforce. But if a save stubbornly won't decrypt, a version mismatch between the tools can be the culprit — there are known-good pairings out there (one documented combo was an older Bruteforce with an older Gibbed). If the current versions fight you, that's a thread worth pulling.
Common snags
- invalid SHA1 hash in Gibbed. You either didn't decrypt the save in Bruteforce first, or the platform dropdown isn't on PS3. See the SHA1 guide.
- Save corrupts on the PS3. Almost always the PFD re-encrypt was skipped, or the raw decrypted file got copied back. Re-do Update PFD (Full) → Encrypt PFD → Encrypt All Files.
- Bruteforce won't launch. Install its Microsoft runtime dependencies first, as administrator.
Quick answers
Do I need a jailbroken PS3?
Why won't my decrypted save load back on the PS3?
Can I get banned?
MentalMars' Gibbed guide, the Se7enSins "All In One" tutorial (the exact PFD re-encrypt steps), and the DemonAsylum PS3 walkthrough for the Bruteforce setup. Checked June 2026.