The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a
handheld game console
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
developed and marketed by
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
. It was first released in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
on December 12, 2004, in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
on March 24, 2005, and in
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...
s on September 1, 2005, and is the first handheld installment in the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
line of consoles. As a
seventh generation console, the PSP competed with the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
.
Development of the PSP was announced during
E3 2003
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
, and the console was unveiled at a Sony press conference on May 11, 2004. The system was the most powerful portable console when it was introduced, and was the first real competitor of Nintendo's handheld consoles after many challengers such as
Nokia
Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporatio ...
's
N-Gage had failed. The PSP's advanced graphics capabilities made it a popular mobile entertainment device, which could connect to the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, any computer with a USB interface, other PSP systems, and the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. The PSP also had a vast array of multimedia features such as video playback, audio playback, and has been considered a
portable media player
A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...
as well. The PSP is the only handheld console to use an optical disc format—in this case,
Universal Media Disc
The Universal Media Disc (UMD) is a discontinued optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on its PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform. It can hold up to 1.8 gigabytes of data and is capable of storing video games, f ...
(UMD)—as its primary storage medium; both games and movies have been released on the format.
The PSP was received positively by critics, and sold over 80 million units during its ten-year lifetime. Several models of the console were released, before the PSP line was succeeded by the
PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
, released in Japan in 2011 and worldwide a year later. The Vita has
backward compatibility
Backward compatibility (sometimes known as backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with input designed for such a system, especially i ...
with PSP games that were released on the
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
through the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
, which became the main method of purchasing PSP games after Sony shut down access to the store from the PSP on July 2, 2021. Hardware shipments of the PSP ended worldwide in 2014; production of UMDs ended when the last Japanese factory producing them closed in late 2016.
History
Sony Computer Entertainment first announced development of the PlayStation Portable at a press conference preceding
E3 2003
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
.
Although samples were not presented,
Sony released extensive technical details. CEO Ken Kutaragi called the device the "
Walkman
Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term for ...
of the 21st century", a reference to the console's multimedia capabilities. Several gaming websites were impressed with the handheld's computing capabilities, and looked forward to its potential as a gaming platform.
In the 1990s, Nintendo had dominated the handheld market since launching its
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
in 1989, experiencing close competition only from
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
's
WonderSwan
The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released i ...
(1999–2003) in Japan and Sega's
Game Gear
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...
(1990-2001). In January 1999, Sony had released the briefly successful
PocketStation
The PocketStation is a memory card peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. Categorized by Sony as a combination of a Memory Card and a miniature personal digital assistant, the device features a monoc ...
in Japan as its first foray into the handheld gaming market. The SNK Neo Geo Pocket and Nokia's N-Gage also failed to cut into Nintendo's share. According to an
IDC analyst in 2004, the PSP was the "first legitimate competitor to Nintendo's dominance in the handheld market".
The first concept images of the PSP appeared at a Sony corporate strategy meeting in November 2003, and featured a model with flat buttons and no analog joystick. Although some reviewers expressed concern about the lack of an analog stick, these fears were allayed when the PSP was officially unveiled at the Sony press conference during E3 2004.
Sony released a list of 99 developer companies that pledged support for the new handheld. Several game demos such as
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
's ''
Metal Gear Acid
''Metal Gear Acid'', stylized as ''METAL GEAR AC!D'', is a turn-based collectible card tactical RPG video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan for the PlayStation Portable. The game was first unveiled at E3 in May 2004, and wa ...
'' and
Studio Liverpool
Psygnosis Limited (known as SCE Studio Liverpool or simply Studio Liverpool from 1999) was a British video game developer and publisher headquartered at Wavertree Technology Park in Liverpool. Founded in 1984 by Ian Hetherington, Jonathan Elli ...
's ''
Wipeout Pure
''Wipeout Pure'' (stylised as ''wipE′out pu″rE'') is a futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in 2005 on 24 March for North Americ ...
'' were also shown at the conference.
Launch
On October 17, 2004, Sony announced that the PSP base model would be launched in Japan on December 12 that year for ¥19,800 (about US$181 in 2004) while the Value System would launch for ¥24,800 (about US$226).
The launch was a success, with over 200,000 units sold on the first day of sales. Color variations were sold in bundle packs that cost around $200. On February 3, 2005, Sony announced that the PSP would be released in North America on March 24 in one configuration for an
MSRP
The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...
of US$249/CA$299. Some commentators expressed concern over the high price, which was almost US$20 higher than that of the Japanese model and over $100 higher than the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
. Despite these concerns, the PSP's North American launch was a success; Sony said 500,000 units were sold in the first two days of sales, though it was also reported that this figure was below expectations.
The PSP was originally intended to have a simultaneous
PAL
Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analogue television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...
and North American launch,
but on March 15, 2005, Sony announced that the PAL launch would be delayed due to high demand for the console in Japan and North America. The next month, Sony announced that the PSP would be launched in the PAL region on September 1, 2005, for €249/£179. Sony defended the high price by saying North American consumers had to pay local
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
es and that the
Value Added Tax
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end ...
(sales tax) was higher in the UK than the US. Despite the high price, the PSP's PAL launch was a success, with the console selling over 185,000 units in the UK. All stock of the PSP in the UK sold out within three hours of its launch, more than doubling the previous first-day sales record of 87,000 units set by the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
. The system also enjoyed great success in other areas of the PAL region; over 25,000 units were pre-ordered in Australia and nearly one million units were sold across Europe in the system's first week of sales.
Hardware
![Psp-1000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Psp-1000.jpg)
The PlayStation Portable uses the common "
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
" form factor. The original model measures approximately and weighs . The front of the console is dominated by the system's
LCD screen, which is capable of 480 × 272 pixel display resolution with
24-bit color
In computer architecture, 4-bit integers, or other data units are those that are 4 bits wide. Also, 4-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers, or data buses of that siz ...
, outperforming the Nintendo DS. Also on the unit's front are the four iconic PlayStation face buttons (
![PlayStationTriangle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/PlayStationTriangle.svg)
,
![PlayStationCircle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/PlayStationCircle.svg)
,
![PlayStationCross](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/PlayStationCross.svg)
,
![PlayStationSquare](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/PlayStationSquare.svg)
); the directional pad, the analog "nub", and several other buttons. The system also has two shoulder buttons, a
USB 2.0 mini-B port on the top of the console, and a
wireless LAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes.
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and bus ...
switch and power cable input on the bottom. The back of the PSP features a read-only Universal Media Disc (UMD) drive for access to movies and games, and a reader compatible with Sony's
Memory Stick PRO Duo
The Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, originally launched by Sony in late 1998. In addition to the original Memory Stick, this family includes the Memory Stick PRO, a revision that allows greater maximum storage capacity an ...
flash cards is located on the left of the system. Other features include an
IrDA
The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is an industry-driven interest group that was founded in 1994 by around 50 companies. IrDA provides specifications for a complete set of protocols for wireless infrared communications, and the name "IrDA" also ...
-compatible infrared port (this was discontinued in PSP-2000 and later) and a two-pin docking connector; built-in stereo speakers and headphone port; and
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11b-1999 or 802.11b is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking specification that extends throughput up to 11 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band. A related amendment was incorporated into the IEEE 802.11-2007 standard. ...
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
for access to the Internet, free online multiplayer gaming via
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
, the ability to purchase games from
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
(now discontinued), and data transfer.
The PSP uses two 333
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
MIPS32
MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelined Stages) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures (ISA)Price, Charles (September 1995). ''MIPS IV Instruction Set'' (Revision 3.2), MIPS Technologies, ...
R4000 R4k-based
CPUs, as a main CPU and Media Engine, a
GPU
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobi ...
running at 166 MHz, and includes 32 MB main
RAM
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
(64MB on PSP-2000 and later models), and 4 MB embedded
DRAM
Dynamic random-access memory (dynamic RAM or DRAM) is a type of random-access semiconductor memory that stores each bit of data in a memory cell, usually consisting of a tiny capacitor and a transistor, both typically based on metal-oxid ...
split between the aforementioned GPU and Media Engine.
The hardware was originally forced to run more slowly than it was capable of; most games ran at 222 MHz. With firmware update 3.50 on May 31, 2007, however, Sony removed this limit and allowed new games to run at 333 MHz.
The PSP is powered by an 1800 mAh battery (1200 mAh on the 2000 and 3000 models) that provides between about three and six hours of gameplay, between four and five hours of video playback, or between eight and eleven hours of audio playback.
![Psp-battery-types](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Psp-battery-types.jpg)
To make the unit slimmer, the capacity of the PSP's battery was reduced from 1800
mAh to 1200 mAh in the PSP-2000 and 3000 models. Due to more efficient power use, however, the expected playing time is the same as that of older models. The original high-capacity batteries work on the newer models, giving increased playing time, though the battery cover does not fit. The batteries take about 1.5 hours to charge and last for between four-and-a-half and seven hours depending on factors such as screen brightness settings, the use of
WLAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office buildin ...
, and volume levels. In March 2008, Sony released the Extended Life Battery Kit in Japan, which included a bulkier 2200 mAh battery with a fitting cover. In Japan, the kit was sold with a specific-colored cover matching the many PSP variations available. The North American kit released in December 2008 was supplied with two new covers; one black and one silver.
Revisions
PSP-2000
![PSP Slim MS Slot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/PSP_Slim_MS_Slot.JPG)
The PSP-2000, marketed in PAL countries as the "PSP Slim", is the first redesign of the PlayStation Portable. The PSP-2000 system is slimmer and lighter than the original PSP, reduced from and from .
At
E3 2007, Sony released information about a slimmer and lighter version for the device,
which was first released in Hong Kong on August 30, 2007, in Europe on , in North America on , in South Korea on , and in Australia on . The UK release for the PSP-2000 was 14 September.
The serial port was modified to accommodate a new video-out feature, making it incompatible with older PSP remote controls. On the PSP-2000, games only output to external monitors and televisions in
progressive scan
Progressive scanning (alternatively referred to as noninterlaced scanning) is a format of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to interlaced video used ...
mode. Non-game video outputs work in either progressive or
interlaced
Interlaced video (also known as interlaced scan) is a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display without consuming extra bandwidth. The interlaced signal contains two fields of a video frame captured consecutively. This ...
mode. USB charging was introduced and the D-Pad was raised in response to complaints of poor performance and the responsiveness of the buttons was improved.
Other changes include improved
WLAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office buildin ...
modules and
micro-controller
A microcontroller (MCU for ''microcontroller unit'', often also MC, UC, or μC) is a small computer on a single VLSI integrated circuit (IC) chip. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable ...
, and a thinner, brighter
LCD screen. To improve the poor loading times of UMD games on the original PSP, the internal memory (
RAM
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* ...
and
Flash ROM
Flash memory is an electronic non-volatile computer memory storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. The two main types of flash memory, NOR flash and NAND flash, are named for the NOR and NAND logic gates. Both use ...
) was doubled from 32 MB to 64 MB, part of which now acting as a cache, also improving the web browser's performance.
PSP-3000
In comparison with the PSP-2000, the 3000, marketed in PAL areas as "PSP Slim & Lite" or "PSP Brite", has an improved LCD screen with an increased color range, five times the contrast ratio, a halved
pixel response time
In technology, response time is the time a system or functional unit takes to react to a given input.
Computing
Response time is the total amount of time it takes to respond to a request for service. That service can be anything from a memory ...
, new sub-pixel structure, and anti-reflective technology to reduce outdoor glare. The disc tray, logos, and buttons were all redesigned, and a microphone was added. Games could now be output in either
component
Circuit Component may refer to:
•Are devices that perform functions when they are connected in a circuit.
In engineering, science, and technology Generic systems
* System components, an entity with discrete structure, such as an assem ...
or
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
video using the
video-out cable.
Some outlets called this model "a minor upgrade".
![PSP 3000 Español](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/PSP_3000_Espa%C3%B1ol.jpg)
The PSP-3000 was released in North America on October 14, 2008, in Japan on , in Europe on ,
and in Australia on . In its first four days on sale in Japan, the PSP-3000 sold over 141,270 units, according to ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
''; it sold 267,000 units during October.
On its release, a problem with interlacing when objects were in motion on the PSP-3000 screen was noticed. Sony announced this problem would not be fixed.
PSP Go (N1000)
![PSP Go logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/PSP_Go_logo.svg)
The PSP Go (model PSP-N1000)
was released on October 1, 2009, in North American and European territories,
and on November 1 in Japan. It was revealed prior to
E3 2009 through Sony's
Qore video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
service.
Its design is significantly different from other PSP models.
The unit is 43% lighter and 56% smaller than the original PSP-1000,
and 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000.
Its rechargeable battery is not intended to be removed by the user. It has a 480 × 272 pixel
LCD screen
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but i ...
,
which slides up to reveal the main controls. The overall shape and sliding mechanism are similar to those of Sony's
mylo COM-2 Internet device.
![PSP-Go-FL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/PSP-Go-FL.jpg)
The PSP Go features
802.11b
IEEE 802.11b-1999 or 802.11b is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking specification that extends throughput up to 11 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band. A related amendment was incorporated into the IEEE 802.11-2007 standard. ...
Wi-Fi like its predecessors, although the USB port was replaced with a proprietary connector. A compatible cable that connects to other devices' USB ports is included with the unit. The new multi-use connector allows video and sound output with the same connector using an optional
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
or
component
Circuit Component may refer to:
•Are devices that perform functions when they are connected in a circuit.
In engineering, science, and technology Generic systems
* System components, an entity with discrete structure, such as an assem ...
AV cable. As with previous models, Sony also offers a cradle (PSP-N340)
for charging, video out, and USB data transfer on the PSP Go. This model adds support for
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
connectivity, which enables the playing of games using a
Sixaxis
The Sixaxis (trademarked SIXAXIS) is a wireless gamepad produced by Sony for their PlayStation 3 video game console. It was introduced alongside the PlayStation 3 in 2006 and remained the console's official controller until 2008. The Sixaxis was s ...
or
DualShock 3
The DualShock (originally Dual Shock; trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK; with the PlayStation 5 version named DualSense) is a line of gamepads with vibration-feedback and analog controls developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the Pla ...
controller. The use of the cradle with the controller allow players to use the PSP Go as a portable device and as a console, although the output is not upscaled. PlayStation 1 games can be played in full screen using the AV/component cable
or the cradle.
The PSP Go lacks a UMD drive, and instead has 16 GB of internal flash memory,
which can be extended by up to 32 GB with the use of a
Memory Stick Micro (M2). Games must be downloaded from the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
. The removal of the UMD drive effectively region-locks the unit because it must be linked to a single, region-locked PlayStation Network account. While the PSP Go can download games to itself, users can also download and transfer games to the device from a PlayStation 3 console, or the
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
-based software
Media Go
Media Go is a discontinued free multimedia management application that runs on Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Entertainment Network. Media Go manages content on Sony family products including Sony Mobile phones, the PlayStation Portable, Pla ...
.
All downloadable PSP and PlayStation games available for older PSP models are compatible with the PSP Go. Sony confirmed that almost all UMD-based PSP games released after October 1, 2009, would be available to download and that most older UMD-only games would also be downloadable.
In February 2010, it was reported that Sony might re-launch the PSP Go due to the lack of consumer interest and poor sales. In June 2010, Sony began bundling the console with 10 free downloadable games; the same offer was made available in Australia in July. Three free games for the PSP Go were offered in America. In October that year, Sony announced it would reduce the price of the unit. On April 20, 2011, the manufacturer announced that the PSP Go would be discontinued outside of North America so it could concentrate on the
PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
.
PSP Street (E1000)
![PSP E1000 illustration](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/PSP_E1000_illustration.svg)
The PSP-E1000, which was announced at
Gamescom 2011, is a budget-focused model that was released across the
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...
on October 26 of that year.
The E1000 lacks Wi-Fi capability and has a matte finish similar to that of the slim PlayStation 3.
It has a monaural speaker instead of the previous models' stereo speakers and lacks a microphone. This model also lacked the physical brightness buttons from the front of the handheld, instead offering brightness controls in the System Software's 'Power Save Settings' menu.
An ice-white version was released in PAL territories on July 20, 2012.
Bundles and colors
The PSP was sold in four main configurations. The Base Pack, called the Core Pack in North America,
contained the console, a battery, and an AC adapter.
This version was available at launch in Japan
and was released later in North America and Europe.
Many limited editions of the PSP were bundled with accessories, games, or movies.
The first initial release of the Slims in North America on September 6, 2007, sold Daxter PSPs. Included with the bundle was an Ice Silver PSP with a Daxter UMD, the Family Guy : Freaking Sweet Collection, and a 1GB Memory Stick for usage.
Limited-edition models were first released in Japan on September 12, 2007;
North America and Europe on September 5; in Australia on September 12, and in the UK on October 26. The PSP-2000 was made available in piano black, ceramic white,
ice silver, mint green, felicia blue, lavender purple, deep red, matte bronze,
metallic blue, and rose pink as standard colors. Several special-edition consoles were colored and finished to sell with certain games, including ''
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core'' (ice silver engraved), ''
Star Ocean: First Departure'' (felicia blue engraved), ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
'' (red gloss/matte black), and ''
Monster Hunter Freedom
is an Action role-playing game, action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable. The first handheld installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise, the game is an enhanced port of ''Monster Hunter (v ...
'' (gold silkscreened) in Japan, ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' (Darth Vader silkscreened), and ''
God of War: Chains of Olympus'' (Kratos silkscreened) in North America, ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' (bright yellow with white buttons, analog and disc tray) in Australia and New Zealand,
and ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' (red gloss/matte black) in Europe.
The PSP-3000 was made available in piano black, pearl white, mystic silver, radiant red, vibrant blue, spirited green, blossom pink, turquoise green and lilac purple. The limited edition "Big Boss Pack" of ''
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'' had a camouflage pattern while the ''
God of War: Ghost of Sparta'' bundle pack included a black-and-red two-toned PSP. The ''
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
''Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy'' (pronounced as ) is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department and released in J ...
'' Cosmos & Chaos edition that was released on March 3, 2011, has an Amano artwork as the PSP's face plate.
Comparison
Below is a comparison of the different PlayStation Portable models:
Software
System software
The PSP runs a custom
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
referred to as the System Software, which can be updated over the Internet, or by loading an update from a Memory Stick or UMD.
Sony offers no method for downgrading such software.
While System Software updates can be used with consoles from any region, Sony recommends only downloading updates released for the model's region. System Software updates have added many features, including a web browser,
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash and FutureSplash) is a multimedia Computing platform, software platform used for production of Flash animation, animations, rich web applications, application software, desktop applications, mobile apps, mo ...
support, additional codecs for various media,
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
(PS3) connectivity, and patches against security exploits and the execution of
homebrew programs.
The most recent version, numbered 6.61, was released on January 15, 2015.
Apps and functionality
Web browser
![PSP Browser](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/PSP_Browser.jpg)
The PSP Internet Browser is a version of the
NetFront browser and came with the system via the 2.00 update. The browser supports most common web technologies, such as
HTTP cookie
HTTP cookies (also called web cookies, Internet cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small blocks of data created by a web server while a user is browsing a website and placed on the user's computer or other device by the user's w ...
s,
forms
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
* ...
,
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML (including XML dialects such as SVG, MathML or XHTML). CSS is a cornerstone techno ...
, and basic
JavaScript
JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of Website, websites use JavaScript on the Client (computing), client side ...
. It features basic
tabbed browsing
In interface design, a tab is a graphical user interface object that allows multiple documents or panels to be contained within a single window, using tabs as a navigational widget for switching between sets of documents. It is an interface ...
and has a maximum of three tabs.
Remote Play
Remote Play allows the PSP to access many of the features of the PlayStation 3 console from a remote location using the PS3's
WLAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office buildin ...
capabilities, a home network, or the Internet. Using Remote Play, users can view photographs, listen to music, and watch videos stored on the PS3 or connected USB devices.
Remote Play also allows the PS3 to be turned on and off remotely and lets the PSP control audio playback from the PS3 to a home theater system. Although most of the PS3's capabilities are accessible with Remote Play, playback of
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
s, Blu-ray Discs,
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
games,
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
games, most PS3 games, and copy-protected files stored on the hard drive are not supported.
VoIP access
Starting with System Software version 3.90, the PSP-2000, 3000, and Go could use the
Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...
service. Due to hardware constraints it was not possible to use the service on the PSP-1000. The service allowed Skype calls to be made over Wi-Fi and – on the Go – over the Bluetooth modem. Users had to purchase Skype credit to make telephone calls.
Skype for PlayStation®Portable was discontinued on June 22, 2016.
Room for PlayStation Portable
At
Tokyo Game Show
, commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The ...
2009, Sony announced that a service similar to
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social networking, social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on the PlayStation Network (PSN). It was accessible from the PS3's XrossMediaBar (XM ...
, the PS3's online community-based service, was being developed for the PSP. Named "Room" (stylized ''R∞M''), it was being
beta-tested in Japan from October 2009 to April 2010. It could be launched directly from the PlayStation Network section of the
XMB
The XrossMediaBar (pronounced "cross-media bar" and officially abbreviated as XMB) is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation mov ...
. As in Home, PSP owners would have been able to invite other PSP owners into their rooms to "enjoy real time communication". Development of Room halted on , 2010, due to feedback from the community.
SensMe application
The
SensMe
SensMe is a proprietary music mood and tempo detection system created by Sony Corporation, and employed in numerous Sony branded products, including in some Walkman digital music players, the Media Go application, the PlayStation Portable, and Sony ...
software, which had already existed on some
Walkman
Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term for ...
music players and
Sony Ericsson
Sony Mobile Communications Inc. ( ja, ソニーモバイルコミュニケーションズ株式会社) was a multinational telecommunications company founded on October 1, 2001, as a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Ericsson. I ...
handsets, was added to the PSP through a software update in 2009. It is a music analyser that reads music files stored on the PSP and categorises them into "channels" representing moods and creates automatic playlists from it. The PSP has support for the playback of
MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
and
ATRAC
Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding (ATRAC) is a family of proprietary audio compression algorithms developed by Sony. MiniDisc was the first commercial product to incorporate ATRAC in 1992. ATRAC allowed a relatively small disc like MiniDisc to h ...
audio files, as well as
WMA since firmware version 2.60.
Digital Comics Reader
Sony partnered with publishers such as
Rebellion Developments
Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford, England. Founded by Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for its ''Sniper Elite'' series and multiple games in the ''Alien vs. Pre ...
,
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
,
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
,
Insomnia Publications
Insomnia Publications Ltd was a British comic book publishing company.
History
Insomnia was an independent comics publisher founded by Managing Director Crawford Coutts in 2006 to publish his own work. It was based in Edinburgh, Scotland, with v ...
, ,
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, and
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...
to release digitized comics on the PlayStation Store. The Digital Comics Reader application required PSP firmware 6.20.
The PlayStation Store's "Comic" section premiered in Japan on , 2009, with licensed publishers
ASCII Media Works
ASCII ( ), abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Because of ...
,
Enterbrain
, formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on 30 January 1987 as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy ...
,
Kadokawa Kadokawa may refer to:
*Kadokawa Corporation, the holding company of the Kadokawa Group
**Kadokawa Content Gate and Kadokawa Mobile, both former names for BookWalker
**Kadokawa Future Publishing, a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the publis ...
,
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
,
Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
,
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...
,
Square-Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...
,
Softbank Creative
is a Japanese publishing company and a subsidiary of the SoftBank telecommunications company. It was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Publications
;Young Adult
*
: Original Japanese language publication of the Math Girl ...
(HQ Comics),
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
The company mainly publishes manga magazines and is involved in series' productions in their games, original video animation, music, and their animated TV ...
,
Bandai Visual
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
, Fujimishobo,
Futabasha
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Higashigokenchō, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.[会社概要]
" Futabasha. R ...
, and Bunkasha. It launched in the United States and in English-speaking PAL countries on , 2009, though the first issues of ''Aleister Arcane'', ''
Astro Boy: Movie Adaptation'', ''
Star Trek: Enterprise Experiment'' and ''
Transformers: All Hail Megatron'' were made available as early as through limited-time PlayStation Network redemption codes. In early 2010 the application was expanded to the German, French, Spanish and Italian languages. The choice of regional Comic Reader software is dictated by the PSP's firmware region; the Japanese Comic Reader will not display comics purchased from the European store, and vice versa. Sony shut down the Digital Comics service in September 2012.
x-Radar Portable
In Japanese market PSPs, an application called x-Radar Portable came preloaded starting with firmware version 6.35 (January 2010). This is a port of a map software for PCs and mobile phones called x-Radar, developed by PetaMap. x-Radar Portable gets the location of the PSP on a map and obtains information of places around the user. It determines the location through "PlaceEngine" technology, via wireless LAN spots.
Homebrew development and custom firmware
![PSP-Homebrew](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/PSP-Homebrew.jpeg)
On June 15, 2005, hackers disassembled the code of the PSP and distributed it online. Initially the modified PSP allowed users to run custom code and a limited amount of protected software, including custom-made PSP applications such as a calculator or file manager. Sony responded to this by repeatedly upgrading the software. Some users were able to unlock the
firmware
In computing, firmware is a specific class of computer software that provides the low-level control for a device's specific hardware. Firmware, such as the BIOS of a personal computer, may contain basic functions of a device, and may provide h ...
to allow them to run more custom content and
DRM
DRM may refer to:
Government, military and politics
* Defense reform movement, U.S. campaign inspired by Col. John Boyd
* Democratic Republic of Madagascar, a former socialist state (1975–1992) on Madagascar
* Direction du renseignement milita ...
-restricted software. Hackers were able to run protected software on the PSP through the creation of ISO loaders that could load copies of UMD games from a memory stick.
Custom firmware Custom firmware, also known as aftermarket firmware, is an unofficial new or modified version of firmware created by third parties on devices such as video game consoles and various embedded device types to provide new features or to unlock hidden ...
including the M33 Custom Firmware, Minimum Edition (ME/LME) CFW and PRO CFW were commonly seen in PSP systems.
Content management
The management of media content of the PSP through personal computers was fulfilled by Sony's
PSP Media Manager
Media Manager for PSP is a commercial application from Sony Creative Software that managed content on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), serving a similar function to that of iTunes for a personal computer. Media Manager is able to automatically conv ...
software for Windows, allowing transfer as well as music/video playback and backups. In 2009 the PSP Media Manager was replaced by
Media Go
Media Go is a discontinued free multimedia management application that runs on Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Entertainment Network. Media Go manages content on Sony family products including Sony Mobile phones, the PlayStation Portable, Pla ...
.
Games
![UMDDISCK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/UMDDISCK.JPG)
There were 1,370 games released for the PSP during its 10-year lifespan. Launch games for PSP included; ''
Ape Escape: On the Loose'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...
'' (all regions), ''
Lumines
(pronounced as "Loo-min-ess") is a puzzle video game series developed by Q Entertainment. The core objective of the games is to survive by rotating and aligning 2×2 blocks varying between two colors to form 2×2 squares of a single color whic ...
'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Metal Gear Acid
''Metal Gear Acid'', stylized as ''METAL GEAR AC!D'', is a turn-based collectible card tactical RPG video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan for the PlayStation Portable. The game was first unveiled at E3 in May 2004, and wa ...
'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Need for Speed: Underground Rivals'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
NFL Street 2: Unleashed'' (North America, Europe), ''
Ridge Racer
is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, '' Ridge Racer'' (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 ...
'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Spider-Man 2 (2004)'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Tiger Woods PGA Tour
''PGA Tour'' is a series of golf video games developed and published by Electronic Arts - and later their EA Sports sub-label - since 1990. The series primarily features courses featured on the U.S. PGA Tour, and other notable courses (such as t ...
'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix'' (North America, Europe), ''
Twisted Metal: Head-On'' (North America, Europe), ''
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade'' (North America, Europe, Japan), ''
Wipeout Pure
''Wipeout Pure'' (stylised as ''wipE′out pu″rE'') is a futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in 2005 on 24 March for North Americ ...
'' (all regions), and ''
World Tour Soccer: Challenge Edition'' (North America, Europe). Additionally, ''Gretzky NHL'' and ''NBA'' were North America exclusive launch titles. The best selling PSP game is ''
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'', which sold 7.6 million copies as of October 2015.
Other top selling PSP games include ''
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'', ''
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
is the third handheld installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise, developed by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable. Like its predecessor, ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'', ''Portable 3rd'' is an original title that adapts the core content of ''M ...
'',
''
Gran Turismo'', and ''
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
''Monster Hunter Freedom Unite'' is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable and iOS. It is an expansion of the original ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'' and was released on March 27, 2008 in J ...
''.
''
Retro City Rampage DX'', which was released in July 2016, was the final PSP game that was released. The best rated PSP games on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
are ''
God of War: Ghost of Sparta'', ''
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'', and ''
Daxter
Daxter is a character from the ''Jak and Daxter'' video game series. First introduced in '' Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy,'' Daxter is presented as Jak's cowardly, vulgar and womanizing best friend. Daxter's accidental transformation into ...
'', ''
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'' is the only PSP game to receive a perfect score from
Famitsū. During
E3 2006
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced that the Greatest Hits range of budget titles were to be extended to the PSP system. On , 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment America released the first batch of
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
titles. These titles included ''Ape Escape:On the Loose'', ''
ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails'', ''
Hot Shots: Open Tee'', ''Twisted Metal: Head-On'', and ''Wipeout Pure''.
The PSP Greatest Hits lineup consists of games that have sold 250,000 copies or more and have been released for nine months. PSP games in this lineup retail for $19.99 each.
Downloadable games were limited to 1.8 GB, most likely to guarantee a potential UMD release. A section of the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
was dedicated to "Minis"; smaller, cheaper games available as download only.
Trophy support was planned for the PSP but the idea was cancelled after the firmware was cracked.
Demos and emulation
In late 2004, Sony released a series of PSP demo games, including ''Duck In Water'', ''world/ball'', ''Harmonic City'', and ''Luga City''. Demos for commercial PSP games could be downloaded and booted directly from a
Memory Stick
The Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, originally launched by Sony in late 1998. In addition to the original Memory Stick, this family includes the Memory Stick PRO, a revision that allows greater maximum storage capacity an ...
. Demos were sometimes issued in UMD format and mailed out or given to customers at retail outlets. In addition, several older
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
games were re-released; these can be played on the PSP using
emulation
Emulation may refer to:
*Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system
:*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles
*Gaussian process em ...
. , this feature could be officially accessed through the
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
service for
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, PSP, PlayStation Vita (or PlayStation TV), or a
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...
.
Emulation
Emulation may refer to:
*Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system
:*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles
*Gaussian process em ...
of the PSP is well-developed; one of the first emulators was
JPCSP, which run on
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
.
PPSSPP
PPSSPP (an acronym for "PlayStation Portable Simulator Suitable for Playing Portably") is a free and open-source PlayStation Portable, PSP video game console emulator, emulator for Microsoft Windows, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android (operati ...
is currently the fastest and most compatible PSP emulator; it supports all major games.
Data Install
In mid 2009, as larger storage became available for the PSP, the ability to install data became a feature in certain games; it remained mainly beneficial to UMD users, with a large majority of the games only improving the load times, there were a small number of games that added features such as speech in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
Peripherals
![PSP-Component-Cables](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/PSP-Component-Cables.jpg)
Official accessories for the console include an AC adapter, car adapter, headset, headphones with remote control, extended-life 2200 mAh battery, battery charger, console carrying case, game carrying case, accessories pouch and cleaning cloth, and system pouch and wrist strap. A
1seg
is a mobile terrestrial digital audio/video and data broadcasting service in Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru and the Philippines. Service began experimentally during 2005 and commercially on April 1, 2006. It is designed ...
television tuner peripheral (model PSP-S310), designed specifically for the PSP-2000, was released in Japan on September 20, 2007.
Sony sold a
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
accessory for the PSP-2000; this was released first in Japan and announced for the United States in 2008. It features maps on a UMD and offers driving directions and city guides. A digital camera add-on, the
Go!Cam
The PSP Camera is a digital camera peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable handheld video game system. In Japan, the PSP-300 was released as the on November 2, 2006, and was released in Singapore in the same year ...
, was also released.
After the discontinuation of PSP, the Chinese electronics company
Lenkeng released a PSP-to-HDMI converter called the LKV-8000. The device is compatible with the PSP-2000, PSP-3000 and PSP Go. To overcome the problem of PSP games being displayed in a small window surrounded by a black border, the LKV-8000 has a zoom button on the connector. A few other Chinese companies have released clones of this upscaler under different names, like the Pyle PSPHD42. The LKV-8000 and its variants have become popular among players and reviewers as the only means of playing and recording PSP gameplay on a large screen.
Reception
![PSP and DS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/PSP_and_DS.jpg)
The PSP received generally positive reviews soon after launch; most reviewers noted similar strengths and weaknesses.
CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
awarded the system 8.5 out of 10 and praised the console's powerful hardware and its multimedia capabilities but lamented the lack of a guard to cover the screen and the reading surface of UMD cartridges.
Engadget
''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
praised the console's design, stating that "it is definitely one well-designed, slick little handheld".
PC World
''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online only publication.
It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal tech ...
commended the built-in Wi-Fi capability but criticized the lack of a web browser at launch, and the glare and smudges that resulted from the console's glossy exterior. Most reviewers also praised the console's large, bright viewing screen and its audio and video playback capabilities. In 2008,
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
listed the PSP as a "gotta have travel gadget", citing the console's movie selection, telecommunications capability, and upcoming GPS functionality.
The PlayStation Portable was initially seen as superior to the Nintendo DS when both devices were revealed in early 2004 because of the designers' emphasis on the technical accomplishments of the system. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, however, focused on the experience aspect of the Nintendo DS.
The DS started to become more popular than the PSP early on because it attracted more third-party developers, and appealed more to the casual gaming market. The DS sold more units partly because of its touchscreen and second display.
From a multimedia perspective, the PSP has also been seen as a competitor to
portable media player
A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...
s, notably the
iPod Video
The iPod Classic (stylized and marketed as iPod classic and formerly iPod Video or just iPod) is a discontinued portable media player created and formerly marketed by Apple Inc.
There were six generations of the iPod Classic, as well as a sp ...
that was released in the same year.
Reviews of the PSP Go were mixed. It was mainly criticized for its initial pricing; ''
Ars Technica
''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
'' called it "way too expensive" and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' stated that cost was the "biggest issue" facing the machine.
Engadget
''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editori ...
said the Go cost only $50 less than the PS3, which has a
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
player.
''Wired'' said the older PSP-3000 model was cheaper and supports UMDs, and
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
stated that the price increase made the PSP Go a "hard sell".
The placement of the analog stick next to the D-pad was also criticized.
Reviewers also commented on the change from a
mini-USB
The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have acceptable life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of ...
port to a proprietary port, making hardware and cables bought for previous models incompatible.
The Go's screen was positively received by ''Ars Technica'', which called the screen's image "brilliant, sharp and clear" and
''T3'' stated that "pictures and videos look great".
The controls received mixed reviews; ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' described them as "instantly familiar" whereas
CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
and
''Stuff'' called the position of the analog stick "awkward".
The device's capability to use a PS3 controller was praised by ''
The New Zealand Herald
''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' but ''Ars Technica'' criticized the need to connect the controller and the Go to a PS3 for initial setup.''
''
Sales
By March 31, 2007, the PlayStation Portable had shipped 25.39 million units worldwide with 6.92 million in Asia, 9.58 million in North America, and 8.89 million Europe.
In Europe, the PSP sold 4 million units
in 2006 and 3.1 million
in 2007, according to estimates by
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
. In 2007, the PSP sold units in the US, according to the
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
and 3,022,659 in Japan according to
Enterbrain
, formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on 30 January 1987 as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy ...
.
In 2008, the PSP sold 3,543,171 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain.
In the United States, the PSP had sold 10.47 million units by January 1, 2008, according to the NPD Group.
In Japan, during the week –30, 2008, the PSP nearly outsold all of the other game consoles combined, selling 129,986 units, some of which were bundled with '' Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G'', which was the bestselling game in that week, according to Media Create
is a Japanese company that gathers and analyzes data from the digital entertainment industry, specifically focusing on the Japanese console gaming market. Business operations include publishing, market research and consulting. It is a popular we ...
. As of , 2008, the PSP had sold 11,078,484 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain.[ In Europe, the PSP had sold units as of , 2008, according to SCE Europe.][ In the United Kingdom, the PSP had sold units as of , 2009, according to GfK ]Chart-Track
GfK Chart-Track is a market research company that monitors music, videos and software sales in the United Kingdom and was formed in 1996. In July 2008, GfK took a majority stake in the company.
In the UK the company produces the Official UK Soft ...
.[
From 2006 to the third quarter of 2010, the PSP sold 53 million units. In a 2009 interview, Peter Dillon, Sony's senior vice-president of marketing, said piracy of video games was leading to lower sales than hoped. Despite being aimed at a different audience, the PSP competed directly with the Nintendo DS. During the last few years of its life cycle, sales of the PSP models started to decrease. Shipments to North America ended in January 2014, later in Europe, and on June 3, 2014, Sony announced sales of the device in Japan would end. Production of the device and sales to the rest of Asia would continue.] During its lifetime, the PSP sold 80 million fewer units than the Nintendo DS.
Marketing controversies
In late 2005, Sony said it had hired graffiti artists to spray-paint advertisements for the PSP in seven major U.S. cities, including New York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. According to Sony, it was paying businesses and building owners for the right to spray-paint their walls. A year later, Sony ran a poster campaign in England; a poster bearing the slogan "Take a running jump here" was removed from a Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...
tram platform due to concerns it might encourage suicide.
Later in 2006, news of a billboard advertisement released in the Netherlands depicting a white woman holding a black woman by the jaw, saying "PlayStation Portable White is coming", spread. Two similar advertisements existed; one showed the two women facing each other on equal footing in fighting stances, the other showed the black woman in a dominant position on top of the white woman. Sony's stated purpose was to contrast the white and black versions of the PSP but the advertisements were interpreted as being racially charged. These advertisements were never released in the rest of the world and were withdrawn from the Netherlands after the controversy. The advertisement attracted international press coverage; Engadget said Sony may have hoped to "capitalize on a PR firestorm".
Sony came under scrutiny online in December 2006 for a guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy in which a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. It is a type of publicity. The term was popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson's 198 ...
campaign in which advertisers posed as young bloggers who desperately wanted a PSP. The site was created by advertising firm Zipatoni.
See also
* Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
The Xperia Play is a smartphone with elements of a handheld game console produced by Sony Ericsson. With the marketshare for dedicated handheld game consoles diminishing into the 2010s due to the rapid expansion of smartphones with cheap downloa ...
Notes
References
External links
Official Australia website
Official New Zealand website
Official UK PSP website
Official US website
Official Canada website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Playstation Portable
Products and services discontinued in 2014
Handheld game consoles
PlayStation (brand)
Portable media players
Products introduced in 2004
Discontinued handheld game consoles
Regionless game consoles
Sony consoles
Seventh-generation video game consoles