My 2 cents on the PSP

Alright. I may seem unwilling. But if you wanna get the PSP… don’t just step into a shop and buy it. Because seriously… you really got to think about what this baby can do, else regrets may wash up your shore when you find out more facts.

Well, obviously the first question you’d probably ask is… How much? Then again… for people who’re more thrifty would think “do I need it?”… k such pple can read other things besides this entry cos you might just “need” it after you find out what it can do. Anyway… the last time I checked, the original PSP from Sony Gallery comes up to about S$300+ I think. Well… if you’re gonna get that, u basically get 1 PSP with a charger and a 1 year warranty from Sony. Other local retail outlets sell this a lot cheaper. As low as $270… any lower probably need some lobang. But, retail outlets don’t normally hand out the warranty cards (explains the low price).

Alright. Here’s what you can do with a PSP.

1) Play PSP UMD games (duh) ; they cost about S$70 per game

2) Listen to MP3s

3) Watch MP4s, (videos basically) ; you’ll need some software to do convert VCDs/DVDs to MP4 format

4) Personalize and customize <— this one’s the key attraction

5) Surf the Net (its got WIFI)

6) Game sharing. (play with your fren who also has one)

7) Sell it if you get sick of it.

Use it as bait for thieves.

Ok seriously, u don’t really use it for 5) or 8).

Tips when buying:

a) don’t expect a memory card+usb cable+screen protector+protective case for less than 300 bucks. Unless its a real cheap 2nd hand buy.

b) If you are not gonna use the PSP for homebrew (custom firmware; i.e. modified to play downloaded games) or movies/mp3s, don’t bother getting a memory card.

c) If you are gonna use it for homebrew, mp3/videos… get no less than a 2 GB high speed memory stick pro duo. Sandisks are faster and more expensive. If your memory stick isn’t “High Speed”, your ISO games (the game files you downloaded) will load at a much slower rate, AND THE GAME MAY LAG.

d) don’t expect Sony to repair your PSP if you modified it to play homebrew. Its as good as a brick if its spoilt. If that happens, u have no choice but to bring it to a local shop that knows how to repair it. Yes they will charge you for repair.

e) Screen protectors cost above 10 bucks. (Yes that damn piece of plastic is specially engineered)

f) Modified PSPs (versions 3.03 OE and above) are sold at a higher price.

g) the PSP has to be a 1.5 version before its able to run custom firmware, which is able to run homebrew (ps1 games, iso games, emulators)

h) if you have old PS1 game cds you can convert them to ISO files to play on your PSP. You need to use a software called “Autopopstation” to convert the CD into an ISO file to play it on the PSP.

i) if you want everything modified and ready to play, expect to spend up to 400 bucks. 500 to be on the safe side.

j) Be VERY CAREFUL if you are modifying the PSP on your own. Read up more on the hardware compatibility before you do anything stupid like bricking your $300 PSP. I doubt the ones bought from Sony Gallery are modifiable.

k) The USB cable doesn’t come with the PSP. Unless you already have one, you got to buy it seperately unless you have a Memory Stick card reader.

l) This one’s pretty important/obvious. You must install custom firmware to run PS1 games/emulators, else you have to get a PS3 to buy the games online from sony and upload to your PSP through your PS3. To run custom firmware, you need to have a 1.5 version, which Sony doesn’t produce anymore. You gotta get them from local shops.

For a much more detailed and informative guide go to this website.

http://pspupdates.qj.net/

*Disclaimer: The writer is not liable for any loss incurred by the reader who relied on this article. Interested parties are strongly recommended to read more reliable sources before attempting his/her purchase. As this entry is dated in Apr 2007, it is likely that new information would come out later so please do your own research before buying.