If you are playing on original hardware running PS3HEN or older Custom Firmware, this patch signs the EBOOT executable with older encryption keys. This allows the game to run on configurations that do not support the official 4.31+ firmware requirement. How to Install the God of War Ascension EBOOT Patch

The EBOOT.BIN file is the main executable file for PlayStation 3 games. It contains the core code that tells the console or emulator how to boot and run the software.

In the context of PC emulation, "patches" are managed through the emulator itself rather than manual file replacement. These modifications (sometimes called EBOOT patches) are essential for performance, such as disabling

Thus, the for native HDD play on actual PS3 hardware.

This allows you to revert if something goes wrong.