PSP 101: Everything you need to know about the PlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable (PSP) was introduced on May 13, 2003 at the E3 video game conference. Nearly two years later, it's ready to take over the mobile gaming market. The PSP is the first portable system from Sony, which has dominated the console world since the original PlayStation was introduced in 1995. It's also Sony's answer to the Nintendo Game Boy and Apple iPod. The PSP has been called a "lifestyle device" because it not only plays games — it lets you enjoy music, movies and digital photos on a 4.3-inch wide screen TFT display. The handheld system — which weighs a half a pound and measures 6.7 inches long, 2.9 inches tall and less than an inch thick — features PlayStation 2 quality graphics, WiFi connectivity, and built-in high-fidelity stereo audio. The PSP supports a new 1.8 GB optical disc format called UMD (Universal Media Disc), Memory Stick Duo cards, and USB 2.0.

The PSP was launched in December 2004 in Japan to overwhelming sales and positive reaction. To make sure there are enough units to go around for the U.S. market, Sony has delayed the European launch until later this year. The PSP will be released in the U.S. on Thursday, March 24, 2005.

Below is everything you'll need to know in order to start your PSP journey. PSPworld will soon publish more in-depth articles on how to download, convert and transfer movies and TV shows to your PSP; how to transfer and organize your favorite tunes on your PSP; and how to get the most out of the photo viewer. Also, PSPworld has already received numerous PSP cases, chargers, games and other gear, and will be publishing several reviews in the coming weeks.

[Lots more PSP information and photos after the jump.]

What you can do with the PSP
As mentioned above, the PSP can do a lot more than just play games. The feature that will probably be used the most after gaming is the ability to play movies in UMD format. In fact, a copy of Spider-Man 2 will be shipping with the first one million PSPs. The first slate of UMD movie titles, which will be available on April 19, includes Hellboy, Resident Evil 2, House of Flying Daggers, and Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

If you're not one of the millions of iPod users, or if you just want to cut down on your in-pocket gadget collection, the PSP can also play music in MP3 or ATRAC format. If that wasn't enough, you can also add your own digital photos to your PSP, and transfer video in MPEG-4 format from your computer and watch your favorite TV show or movie while you're out and about. (All three of these functions require a bigger memory stick than the included one — see below).

While, it's currently a little tricky to transfer music, videos and photos to the PSP, Sony is expected to release software later this year to make the process easier. In the meantime, we suggest you check out iPSP, PSPware, or PSP Video 9.

Oh, and several internet functions such as web browsing and email have been rumored to be coming via a firmware update in the future.

What comes with the PSP
Initially, the PSP will only be available as part of the $250 "PSP Value Pack," which includes a 32 MB Memory Stick Duo, AC Adaptor, Battery Pack, white inner-ear headphones with remote control (functions for play, pause, FF, FR, volume, hold), a black Soft Case, a white Wrist Strap, and a UMD version of Spider-Man 2.

Game Time
Sony says that there are more than 100 PSP titles currently in development worldwide. But only 19 will be available on launch day. These include:

• Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
• Dynasty Warrior
• Need For Speed Underground Rivals
• Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix
• Spider-Man 2
• Wipeout Pure
• NBA
• MLB
• World Tour Soccer
• Gretzky NHL
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour
• NFL Street 2 Unleashed
• Ridge Racer
• Lumines
• Twisted Metal: Head-On
• Ape Escape: On The Loose
• ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails
• Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
• Metal Gear Acid

Sexy screen
If you have read much about the PSP, you've probably heard someone raving about the screen. The screen on the PSP lives up to the hype. It boasts a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels in a 16:9 widescreen, 4.3 inch TFT-LCD. The wide aspect ratio of the screen makes it great for games, widescreen movies and TV shown in HD.

The PSP comes equipped with a display button for adjusting the screen's brightness. There are four available brightness settings — three available while on battery power and a fourth extra-bright setting for when the PSP is plugged in. It is possible to access this extra-bright setting while on battery power by unplugging the PSP while it is on the extra-bright setting. The downfall of all this greatness is that the screen, while beautiful, is a magnet for scratches and fingerprints, so you'll want to be picking up a screen protector of some sort as soon as you get your PSP. Let me say it again: A screen protector isn't an option, it's an obligation if you care about the well-being of your PSP's screen.

WiFi World
First things first, Wi-Fi is a standard for wireless networking, technically known as 802.11. It works up to 150 feet away and allows devices to wirelessly connect to each other and, where available, the internet. The PSP will feature both "Ad-Hoc" and "Infrastructure" Wi-Fi modes, and a Wi-Fi switch that lets you turn it on and off to save power and offer privacy when desired. Ad-Hoc mode will allow your PSP to connect with up to 15 other PSPs around it. Infrastructure mode will allow the PSP to get online through a wireless internet access point, or "Hot Spot." Once online, you will be able to compete with other PSP players via the internet. You will also be able to share game data between PSPs if the game supports it. Sony recently announced that five of the games available on launch day will be infrastructure mode capable, making the PSP the first gaming platform ever to have launch titles online.

Battery Life
The PSP's rechargeable lithium ion battery is estimated to last for five to six hours of gameplay. If you are only watching movies, it should last for four to five hours, and music-only use is estimated to last for eight to 10. If you're gaming over WiFi, the PSP will only stay juiced for three to four hours.

What you need for your PSP
If you plan to use your PSP for more than gaming, you will definitely need a memory card with a larger capacity than the 32 MB one that is included with the PSP Value Pack. The included Memory Stick Duo card is basically only good for game saves — it would only fit about half an album's worth of songs. And don't even think of doing video with that little thing. You can snag a 1 GB SanDisk card for $130, a 512 MB card for $75, or a 256 MB card for $37.

The other must-have for new PSP owners is a USB cable, which will allow you do to the actual transferring of media between your computer and your PSP/memory card. You might be able to find a cheap one at Best Buy or even EB Games, but an official Sony cable is only $13 online. Note that if you try to find one at your local electronics store, you'll need a USB cable that has a "Mini-B" connector on one end and a "Standard-A" connector on the other.

Accessorize your PSP
The PSP seems to be following the iPod in a trend of new gadgets that create their own sub-economy based on accessories. Companies such as Logitech, Nyko, Intec, and many others have already announced or are already shipping accessories for the PSP. Everything from cases to speaker systems have been shown, along with designer add-ons seen at a PSP-only fashion event. Be sure to check out our accessories section for all of the latest PSP gear.

Where you can get one
Sony is putting out one million PSPs Thursday, so it's not an impossible task to find one — but if you didn't pre-order you're going to be in for a fight. Most nationwide EB Games and GameStop stores have sold through their initial shipments and aren't expecting the second batch for a couple of weeks afterwards. This means you'll have to move to plan B: scouring the retail stores for information. Go around to your local stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer, etc.) and politely ask the folks with the keys to the game cases when they'll be putting the machines out. We suggest you hit up your 24-hour Wal-Mart around 10:00 p.m. Wednesday night. If you're going to try and pick one up at Best Buy, keep in mind that you'll be missing out on the chance for a midnight score — you won't be getting one from them until 8:00 a.m. Thursday. Sony will be holding midnight launch events in New York City and San Francisco. So if you're near there, get there early and send us some photos!

Comments

Greg Holsten: Wow, great article. I can't wait to get mine tomorrow.

Earle: Yes, good intro article, thank you. I won't be buying one tonight, although the best buy near me, 12345, yes that is the correct zip, has told me they have more than enough to meet demand. I look forward to reading the hands-on.

Johnny D.: Good article, but you didn't mention the sticky-square-button syndrome. On a completely unrelated note: Gratis is running one of those evil, but legit, pyramid schemes a la the free iPods. I can only hope that the Gods will forgive me for posting my link: http://www.FreePSPs.com/?r=15571866 I hope you can remove this post if you find it to be too evil.

Peter Van Auken: I want to do how much is it?

timbo: he didnt mention it becuase it has been fixed you fuckin retard

Deep3lue: Er... I got something that I wanna correct this post about... About the left and right speakers on the PSP, they aren't coming out of the two holes on the faceplate. Instead, the sound come out from the BOTTOM of the PSP, where the two holes are, one closer to the jack of the earphones and the other near the changing socket. As for the two holes on the face, they don't produce sound so I'm not sure what is it for..

Brian: Just wanted to add that you don't necessarily need the USB cable. Purchasing a 12 in 1 memory card reader that can accept MS Duo probably makes more long term sense, especially for those of us with digital cameras or PDA's. You can find some good ones at Buy.com and of course Best Buy etc.

Johnny D.: To clarify my fucking retarded statement, Sony did indeed guarantee that the sticky-square button would be fixed for the American release. If you import a defective one from Japan, you can send it to Sony and they will fix it for free (shipping?). I'd like to thank timbo for pointing this out, and also for further proving the fact that flamers can't spell, use proper grammar, capitalization, or punctuation. It makes it easier for everyone to know that they should ignore you.

Brett Archibald: For connecting the PSP to a computer, can I forget about both a USB cable and a media card reader, and make use of the wi-fi capabilities instead, seeing as though I've got wi-fi built into my (Mac) laptop? Does anyone know?

Luposian: I have just 3 words to say about this item. I... WANT... ONE !!!

M: O'DOYLE RULES

wah: I picked one of these up yesterday and have to say that it is pretty impressive. The movie (Spidey 2) looked great and the games I've played so far have been very, again that word, impressive. Having some serious 3d accelerated graphics in the palms of one's hand is a blast, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing some of the great stuff that designers come up with. One wish that I have for the future is that Sony (or somebody) release a UMD burner. Being able to pop in and out than kind of data would really help the thing take off and becomes more of a ubiquitous device. A mobile chat application and better text input is also a pretty serious must. One slight downside that I've noticed so far in that the weight and the size of the thing make hours and hours of gaming kinda tough on the wrists and hands. That could just be me, as I have large hands that have to bend in strange ways to use it, but it is something to think about.

CooLJoE: Hmm, I wonder if the PSP will accept a USB keyboard connection. Could be a way to have mobile instant messaging and whatnot. You can find small USB keyboards, even ones that roll up.

superman: i wanted a ds but psp looks like it has lots more features i might get 1 for my birthday next month instead of ds

pathfinda: Stood in line for two hours at the Best Buy on North/Clybourn here in Chicago. I love it to death!!!! Though finding games and assessories have become a chore... Looks like I will be heading BACK to BB to get some stuff!!!

Ess2s2: I got mine and I love it! It is the Ferrari of the handhelds. I have already played around with it some. I don't have Wi-Fi, so I don't know about the wireless capabilities of it yet, but USB is perfectly fine. I have successfully uploaded music files and (small) video files. To do video, you need to track down a copy of Image Converter 2. It is what Sony recommends and it works the best. Sony wants you to buy it, but if you do a search, I'm sure you can track down a free copy. So far, all video formats I've converted have worked splendidly, and I've converted formats that included DIVX, Quicktime, and AVI. I'm definitely hoping to see writable UMD's in the future, mainly because 1GB DUO cards are damn expensive. But all in all, this thing was well worth the wait and has quickly replaced my iPOD, my Nintendo DS, and my portable media player in one fell swoop. Good job Sony!

mike: hey, my "home page" screen is green. ive seen other colors, and i was just wandering if you could change the color or not. thanks.

winston: Having a difficult time trying to transfer mp3s onto the psp. The memory stick shows how much memory has been depleted but says there are no tracks. I have placed the music in the "music" folder and dragged over to the psp folder. The little yellow light blinks repeatedly showing that the data (music) is being transferred but still it says "there are no tracks". I have no problem transferring photos. There is plenty of space on the 32mg memory stick since I delete everything in the folder which also deletes contents on the memory stick. Thank you.

BIG VINCE: Ess2s2... The 'home page' screen changes from month to month and wont be changing til the end of the month.

mike: hey thanks big vince. my name is mike not ess2s tho haha thats the other guy. so it changes monthly eh? thats pretty cool. how does it do that if you dont have any internet connection tho? i do but just kinda wandering how that works. thanks tho

PSP: To transfer music, they must already be in MP3 format for the PSP to recognize them as music tracks. The wi-fi cannot be used to transfer files until new software comes out for it. Wi-fi is only for online gaming and ad hoc (PSP to PSP) gaming.

sumguy: I purchased one on the weekend of its release and yea, it is a real nice device. The only thing is that alot of them have dead pixels. 60 percent is what i have heard to have dead pixels out of the 1 million they shipped. I returned mine, but I kinda regret it because i could have sent it to Sony and they would have gave me another one, but the only thing is is that they said you can send it to them only of you have 10 or more dead pixels. I am going to wait for the second batch to come out.

Heh Guy: Everything is Good! I like it.

lolita: Please give me a psp for free. My e-mail is lolita@hotmail.com in case you want to consider. I can't pay money, but I can pay equivalents [(.)**2].

ALi: PSP...damn i gotta get one, but first i need a job...

mike: hey. im wondering if you can put games on your psp with the memory stick through usb. like simple games like mario or something cuz i noticed under games that there is a memory stick there.

stian: can you play psp games from europe when the machine is from thailand

paul: FYI I've read the color changes automatically depending on the month. WiFi file transferring is not possible, (yet) There is no way for the PSP to be recognized on a network. If you want to buy one, try Target. I bought one there yesterday (April 5th) and they had a ton. I even saved $25 by using my Target credit card. Finally, IT IS AWESOME. NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT

tj: does it take pics

Skip: Skipped school and got mine the 24th, and I've loved it like no other, so I do like to think of myself as a little bit of a know-it-all :D. @ paul-it doesn't take pictures, but it does store them if they are in JPEG form. WHen i first found the USB cord from my camera, I went picture crazy :D The background color does change per month, so if you want a specific color, change your date until you find one you like. I'm currently on October. But anyone who might know, I have heard you can set pictures as your desktop. Not sure if that's true or not, but I would really like to know how if it's possible. ~Skip

Skip: Oops...I meant @ tj :p

Dawn: Does the PSP have Audio/Video connectors to connect to my TV? Or do I just have to hold it so my friends can watch the movie too?

Skip: There's no special cords yet, but there is supposedly a PSP-TV cord coming out soon, so you can watch games or moveis off your PSP; I also heard you'll be able to watch TV on the PSP.

varsha: Dear Sir , I want to purchase UMD discs , iam in thailand bangkok , from where can i probably purchase them .Can u please give me address of wholesalers or retail outlets where i can purchase the UMD discs for PSP . Await your reply varsha mirpuri

Skip: I'm not sure where UMD's could be bought outside the United States. But I would try some sites such as amazon.com, or simply searching for "UMD retailers".

sonybeatsxbox: Dude...the psp is awesome but what type of stuff can it do when it is modded. I will laugh at microsoft in the face if the little wiseguy beats xbox modded.

sonybeatsxbox: Can you imagine if final fantasy hit the psp?!

David Lane: how do i down load music on to my psp.i have a usb cable but need to know step by step plz thanx

Skip: To get music, it just needs to be in MP3 format. You can get a good converter at downloads.com-I'd recommend Power MP3 WMA Converter: it makes it easy to convert the files. Then, all you need to do it plug in your PSP, go to the options pulldown on the left (in your PSP), and choose USB connect (it's the 2nd one down). Your computer should come up with something about a new utility or new files; open the files in a folder, then drag the MP3 files into the folder marked MUSIC. If you don't have any folders on your PSP, create a new one named "PSP", then inside that create one called "MUSIC" I don't think it has to be in all caps, but the music files have to be in that specially named folder to be read.

Skip: @sonybeatsxbox---I like that name :D. Anyway lol, a Final Fantasy is supposed to be coming out for PSP sometime soon I believe. I know the movie Advent Children will be, which is gonna be awesome no doubt :P.

Robert: How do I but pics and music on my psp

mike: do you think its possible to play like mario on psp? like if you use emulators or roms?

Skip: Music I already covered above :p. Pictures are the basically the same process-they need to be in JPEG form to be read by the PSP. To convert any picture, open or copy and paste it into any type of editing program, such as Paint, and Save As... a JPEG form. Then, using a USB cord, copy the pictures into your PSP in the file labeled "PHOTO" If you don't have that folder on your PSP, make one the way I mentioned in my previous post.

Skip: Well there is a folder named "GAMES" on the PSP, so I think there may be a way to download games off the net and save them on your memory card. I don't know if Mario will ever be available, since it is Nintendo's game, and Sony and Nintendo are kind of rivals at the moment :D

eric: i don't know how to imput mp3's into my psp. there's no use for it if i can't unlock the full potential of it right? i have a usb wire but nothing happens when i put it in. please, can someone out there help me?

Skip: I'll go over the whole process since I know it does get confusing :p. First, you need to convert your songs into MP3 format. The PSP can't read anything music besides MP3's, so that's a must. Then, plug the USB cord into your PSP and computer. On the PSP 'Home' screen, scroll all the way to the left, to the various Settings menus. Then, scroll up until you find the label "USB Connect." Hit X, and turn to your computer. Some sort of message should come up about a new device, or new media data and ask how you would like to view the data; select 'View as a folder' or whatever option closely matches that. Once you select that, a window will open. In that window, there should be a folder named 'PSP' If there isn't make one called "PSP", without the quotes. It does need to be in all capitals to be read. Once the folder is made, open it. Inside the 'PSP' folder, there should be 4 seperate folders, named "SAVEDATA", "GAME", "MUSIC", "PHOTO". If not, you'll need to create these folders when you want to put that type of data on the PSP. For now, if you do not have a MUSIC folder, create one. Now, all that's left to do is drag the MP3 format music files into the folder named MUSIC. After being copied into the folder, all you need to do is exit USB Connect on your PSP, scroll over to Music, select Memory Stick, and enjoy.

Gold Minner: If you have an ipod can you transfer that music to it?

Gold Minner: IS ANY ONE HERE?!

Gold Minner: . nver mind ill wait wow its a day old! all be back tomarow.

Skip: I usually check this site once a day, so I won't see most posts until later after you've already made them. I don't think there is a way to transfer directly from an iPod to the PSP, but you can transfer music to your computer, then from your computer to the PSP.

john: psp sounds like it rocks, but mines still in lay a way at wall mart, any body know an easy way of scoring a quick 52 bucks?

john: oh, and 96 cents!

Skip: Sell lemonade ;)

Jordan: To Skip: Thanks for all the usb help so far. I am having a problem where my computer won't install it or whatever it is supposed to do, It says it couldn't find the neccasery software. Is there some kind of software i need to use it, by the way I have Windows XP if that helps. So please help me if you can.

Skip: There should be no special software or anything needed, it should simply begin the auto-install for a new USB device. I also have Windows XP, and when I plugged the cord in and connected the first time, it came up with several messages about a "new device detected" on the bottom right corner of my taskbar; after a moment, the install wizard began automatically. If it isn't doing something like that, I would check the connections, but I'm not sure what else to do since it is supposed to be easy to setup that starts itself...

Jordan: Do i need to format my mem stick?

Skip: Not if its new. If you have saved something on it before, you can delete files from the PSP screen or on your computer, but formatting it erases *everything*, which gives full memory back. Both ways are pretty much the same, formatting just gives a little exrta memory back for use.

weeble: why the sonies is it so much eh?

Justin: Hey this is milla i am having trouble with the memory stick i can't transfer the 32 to my new 256 if you could help me that would be superb!

sofa king gay: Ya me to. How do you do that.you know switch the mems out.

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