Why Everyone’s Picking Up a PSP Again in 2026 (my article!)

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨PerfectDark@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨games@lemmy.world⁩

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/f785ebf5-979e-433d-88d3-2a8b593104cb.jpeg

So today’s article I wrote is just me plodding along wondering out loud why the Sony PSP has become so popular again all of a sudden.

I mean, clearly “so popular” is an exaggeration in the grand scheme of things, these are no-doubt extremely small numbers compared to other handhelds available. Scrolling social media really has shown a lot of them on feeds for me in 2026.

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If you’re interested in why I think they’re showing up more lately, then read on with my article. I go through a reason in each ‘section’, but If you’ve got your own ideas, I’d love to hear them below here. Oh and if you’re thinking:

“hey there’s no in-depth investigative journalism here, it just looks like they wanted an excuse to write about the PSP!!!”

…you’d be right. I’ve been obsessed with them lately. This is my 4th PSP article in a very short time. I do so love them!

Anyway, if you want to see some old PSP TV ads, some nostalgia, and want to chat about PSPs (plz do), then here’s the link:

gardinerbryant.com/psp-in-2026/

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Comments

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brucethemoose@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I felt weird using mine in public, like staring down at a little rectangle was unsocial or bad for you or something…

Turns out, it’s more like digital detox! It would be cool these days.

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- grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Staring at a little screen that brings you entertainment & joy: 😡
  
  Staring at a little screen that fills you with anger, dread, and despair: 🤩
  
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- Feyd@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  weird/guilty using mine in public
  
  Some people would talk shit, but no one ever blinked an eye at reading a book. Now everyone is on their phones if they have to wait in a line for 30 seconds lol
  
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  - Darkenfolk@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    They^tm^ had the same attitudes against newspapers and books for a while. It takes a bit to normalise things(and for the old guard to die off)
    
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- Danarchy@lemmy.nz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I started taking my 1st gen switch on my bus commute & honestly it rules, especially compared to the doomscreen of sadness. Hope you find your old portable buddy!
  
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popcar2@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Last year I bought a PS Vita and I’d highly recommend that instead if you can find one for cheap! The Vita can natively run PSP games via Adrenaline, and you get the advantage of Vita games and homebrew (and a better screen).

That said, I’m a long time PSP Go lover. It’s basically the PSP in a smaller, pocketable form factor. I would absolutely get that if you can get your hands on one.

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- ICastFist@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Are there decent microSD to their proprietary card format adapters? Because there are plenty of cheap microSD-MSduo for the PSP
  
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  - popcar2@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Yeah, SD2Vita is the standard and are usually found for ~$6. You put an SD card into it, then slot it into the game card slot to expand your storage.
    
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  - tobz619@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Yeah, SD2Vita is the goto and works pretty well with micro-SD
    
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  - ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I got one from AliExpress 4 years ago that still works fine
    
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- nfreak@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I grabbed a Vita a few years ago to play around with. Never had any of their handhelds growing up so it was all new to me. Not something I regularly use and it kind of just gathers dust next to my analogue pocket and 3DS, but even so, it’s a really neat little thing and can do a lot once hacked open.
  
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- idunnololz@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I have RetroArch on mine as well so I can play GBA or other games as well.
  
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  - SlurpingPus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Retroarch is a bit bloated for more intensive emulation, though. You can play N64 games on Vita, but they run better in standalone emulators than in Retroarch.
    
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- xspurnx@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Hacking it us a breeze and you can do so much stuff with it. Pretty active Dev scene also. Has become my favorite handheld, Vita is life.
  
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Fizz@lemmy.nz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
PSP is such a cool console but had the worst lineup of games.

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- popcar2@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Whaaaat? The PSP had a great collection of games, you might be thinking of the Vita that had barely anything in it. You got Tekken, God of War spinoffs, Patapon, lots of racing games, metal gear solid, lots of JRPGs, among other things.
  
  Its main issue was the lack of a right stick so many 3D games either didn’t get ported or had horrendous controls (monster hunter…)
  
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  - brucethemoose@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Ace Combat! Ratchet and Clank!
    
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  - PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    Whaaaat? The PSP had a great collection of games
    
    I’ve been so enjoying racing games on mine lately! Gran Turismo and WipEout have been such wonderful time-sinks for me :)
    
    Such a huge variety of games on there!
    
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  - Fizz@lemmy.nz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I had a ps2 so every PSP game just felt lile a really bad scam version of the games I liked.
    
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  - Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Ugh I do NOT miss all my hours of THE CLAW in MH and MH 3rd… but I do miss getting together with all my friends as teens/young 20ses to smoke the devil’s lettuce and hunt all day.
    
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  - ICastFist@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    One of my favorite, unexpected gems was Kenka Bancho. You’re a bancho (high school delinquent badass) and you have 7 days during a school trip before graduation to punch other school banchos into submission to prove you’re the best of all banchos. A real shame that only one game got localized, there are several others in the series.
    
    I was also sad that Maverick Hunter X didn’t get sequels, so it became the sole 3D remake of Mega Man X, but it’s really good and you can even play as Vile. Speaking of Capcom, you could also play Monster Hunter 1, 2 or 3 on your PSP. I spent a significant amount of time on 2 and got nowhere near the mid game. I kept getting my ass handed by some bosses. Kushala Daora became my arch nemesis. On the other hand, beating Basarios was a piece of cake with bow and (piercing) arrow
    
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  - chunes@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I loved playing Crisis Core on my PSP. Great handheld game
    
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  - Natanael@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Remember the touch panel on the back and the games that used it?
    
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- makyo@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Sony has gotten so good at developing excellent gaming devices and then letting them languish. Speaking as a PSVR early adopter.
  
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  - balgruuf@nord.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Good catalogue is a must. I’m excited to see if Steam Frame will do it, and if can afford one.
    
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- Flamekebab@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I wouldn’t say “the worst” but the phrase “squandered potential” looms large.
  
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- rozodru@piefed.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  it had quite a few gems. The WipEout games were some of the best in the series, the God of War games were very good. Battlefield II on it was great. Final Fantasy Tactics and Crisis Core. Jeanne D’Arc was one of the best tactics game ever. Ys Seven, Megaman Powered Up, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Ape Escape, the Killzone game on it was very good, LocoRocco 1 and 2, Final Fantasy Dissida, Monster Hunter, Daxter, Special Agent Clank, and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.
  
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  - ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Don’t forget both Death Jr games! Absolute fucking bangers!
    
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- Sagan_Wept@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The PS Vita would like a word
  
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  - Fizz@lemmy.nz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    It was maybe better but by the time it came out I’d completely soured on Sony handhelds.
    
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- Eldritch@piefed.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  There were some decent games. What killed it for me was the layout. Constantly bumping the power switch mid game. It happened so often.
  
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ICastFist@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Man, I gotta check how the battery for my PSP3000 is, and the microSD card on it. The internals work perfectly, those two things are the only ones that seem likely to give out anytime soon. My little buddy is 14yo now. I don’t think I ever played any of the 3 UMD games that came with it, I immediately jailbroke it after purchase

It’s not “retro” in the same way a much older console is. It’s closer, more relatable, and maybe more importantly, more usable. It still fits into modern life without needing to be explained.

I think this is something extremely important. Looking at stuff from 20 years ago was much different when the current year was 2006 - we’d be looking at the mid 80s. Computers of the 80s and even the early 90s became obsolete fast, whatever you had in 2006, even if it was 4 years old at the time, felt light years ahead of anything from 1986 and would be internet capable.

Games from the 80s were also comparably “archaic”, as the hardware limitations were much more significant and several then current games could never happen in that old hardware (NES, C64, ZX Spectrum, Amiga 500), and that’s ignoring graphical complexity. Meanwhile, a number of current day games could exist in 2006, so long as the graphics were appropriately scaled down (Total War games being a perfect example).

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NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The Vita also rips (arguably more) ass, as it does everything the PSP does and more, it’s also the easiest console to hack there has ever been. I picked up a Japanese one for like 90 bucks and it’s one of the best all around devices there is.

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- Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Hacking it also let’s you swap O and X for canceling and selecting. To my knowledge, that’s the only downside of getting a Japanese Vita.
  
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  - musubibreakfast@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    O is maru, X is batsu. Maru = circle for yes and X = Batsu for incorrect. Japanese people make the same gestures with their arms to signal if something is right or wrong. It’s funny that they changed it for the west, I wonder what would’ve happened if they didn’t
    
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  - NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    That’s a two second fix.
    
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tobz619@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
This but PS Vita*

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- wavebeam@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Vita means life
  
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- Katana314@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yeah, I’m confused most nostalgia veers towards the PSP, when the follow-on was fully backwards compatible. Weirdly enough, some of the best AAA blockbusters I played on the Vita were first written for the PSP.
  
  I’m an oddity in that I never jailbroke mine. I just really enjoyed playing indie PSN games on it, since most teams releasing on PS3 and not driving a graphical powerhouse could just do a side release there.
  
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- GameOverFlow@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Yes Vita with custom Rom is a beast.
  
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  - null@piefed.nullspace.lol ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Whoa whoa whoa, there’s custom ROMs for Vita???
    
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- los0220@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Vita is nice, but expensive as well
  
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  - tobz619@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Tbh, like the 3DS, will definitely get more expensive as well.
    
    I’m hoping there will be a renaissance of smaller, low-stakes, offline capable dedicated handheld gaming/media on the go by the big boys but it’s wishful thinking at this point. I was speaking to a younger colleague the other day and one of my favourite things about the PSP/DS era of gaming was Game sharing where some games enabled you to send over a limited version of a game to a second device to play ad-hoc online multiplayer even if only one of you had the game.
    
    This is a missing recipe in today’s gaming landscape IMO.
    
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Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world [bot] ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
EVERYONE is getting one? Bruh, that is simply not the case, don’t make stuff up just to sensationalize for clicks and engagement, be better man, come on…

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- SomethingBurger@jlai.lu ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Everybody was not, in fact, kung-fu fighting.
  
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- traxex@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I don’t think people who say “everyone” ever literally means “everyone”. It’s a niche and the hype around old devices is real so the author is just commenting on it. I get hating sensationalized titles but this really isn’t as terrible as you are making it out to be.
  
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  - PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I really didn’t think that:
    
    a) my article was click-bait (we’re a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally small site, there’s no need to even try click-bait!), and b) I needed to explain that I didn’t mean ‘everyone’
    
    Glad you can see that, this seems weirdly attack-y.
    
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- bruhaha@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  If Dash says “everyone’s getting one,” who are you to determine who belongs in that set or if Dash’s lived experience and perceived uptick in PSP purchases is invalid? It’s Dash’s observation that many people are suddenly picking up used PSPs. Chill the heck out, my dawg. Comments like this make the world a genuinely worse place to be.
  
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- blinfabian@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  before making stupid comments like this, read my article “why everyone is stocking up on sand”: youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
  
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- SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  EVERYONE is getting one? Bruh, that is simply not the case, don’t make stuff up
  
  Hyperbole is a rhetorical device
  
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goodboyjojo@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Yeah I have a psp. It’s an impressive little console that’s almost like a ps2 on the go. Plus it’s very easy to jailbreak. The funniest thing about the psp is the marketing video with one guy singing about wanting a psp for Christmas.

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- PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Even if you’re on the ‘wrong’ firmware, a jailbreak takes a matter of minutes these days! Add in the ability to use expanded batteries (I have a 1400 mAh in mine), adapter cards to use micro SD in the ‘shape’ of the proprietary memory stick duos, all those games and you’ve got a wonderful machine!
  
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  - innermachine@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Wow. I had a psp way back and I can’t remember what happened to it , gave it away or lost it. Came across a ps vita and jail broke it and it’s awesome. Maybe if I see a psp crop up on eBay or marketplace I’ll have to scoop I had no idea you could expand the battery!
    
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lath@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
PPSSPP because I can’t trust second hand dealers anymore.

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- SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Why not? Are they selling broken stuff now or something?
  
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  - lath@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Or something.
    
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PeculiarGoat@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
This inspired me to go dig out my old PSP only to discover that I have no battery… I threw it out when it pillowed years ago and forgot about it. I’ll have to play on Retrodeck for now!

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- PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Have an uovote for mentioning my fav Steam Deck software! I love RetroDECK and can’t stop recommending it!
  
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  - mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Out of curiosity, how does it compare to EmuDeck? I haven’t personally used RetroDeck, so I was wondering if it had anything that would make me switch from EmuDeck.
    
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  - Blaiz0r@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Same it’s brilliant, and the devs have created the nicest community around it too.
    
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- Sophocles@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Same thing just happened to me. I dug up my old psp from my childhood and the battery was crazy thick. I’m glad I caight it before it committed a Note 7.
  
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- ITGuyLevi@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I picked up a 2 pack with a USB charger from amazon for like 10 bucks last year, then when I dug out my old PSP the battery was fine. I love my old PSP.
  
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ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Image

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Flamekebab@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I should really get replacement batteries for my two PSPs.

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- PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I recommend OSTENT. The PSP community swears by them, and I’ve got one of these in each of mine!
  
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- Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I had a 3000 with a cracked screen. I could use it to display on the TV. But I went ahead and changed the screen out. I must have messed up the wiring though, because now it only works when plugged in.
  
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sturmblast@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
“Everyone”

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- PerfectDark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Oh come on. Is it really that annoying for you that I said ‘everyone’? Do you really think I meant everyone alive has bought one?
  
  Jesus this is just so petty.
  
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  - IEatDaFeesh@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    You responded to the tamest criticism with the most dramatic response. Ya gotta be like teflon dawg.
    
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  - sturmblast@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Its lazy writing is what it is.
    
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SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’ve always wanted one. From when they first came out, to now. I just don’t know which one I want to eventually get, or in what color.

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Nautilus@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’m someone who played on Nintendo handhelds growing up, but I always admired the design of the PSP. It felt so much sleeker than the DS at the time, and it’s remarkable how impressive it looks even today.

What are the most interesting hacks and tinkering projects that you can get up to with a PSP or Vita today? I’m considering getting one now.

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SlurpingPus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Designers Republic art detected.

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LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I love my old psp! I still enjoy playing it. I feel like, in a time where things aren’t made to last, things that do hold up, really deserve reverence. So even though I’ve never stopped loving my psp, I gain more respect for it over time.

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PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I still got my original 1001 model from 2005 that still works some how. It was built like a goddamn tank because I abused the absolute shit out of it.

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R00bot@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Touching on the burnout section of the article, it’s not quite as cool as the PSP but I’ve been playing a lot on my Switch 2 as a form of digital detox as well. I put limits on all the addictive apps on my phone, and downright uninstalled most of them, so when I’m itching for dopamine my phone can’t give me it’s nice to turn to a game console. The switch 2 also doesn’t have notifications or egregious game updates. Currently playing through factorio and having a blast just kinda … ignoring the state of the world.

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Tattorack@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Funny. Just today I installed a CFW on a PSP Phat. Not for personal use, though; I’ve never liked what was available on the PSP, and I have a Steam Deck I can emulate on.

But my younger brother bought a second hand PSP.

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roserose56@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Bro I being thinking of jailbreaking my pspp after I did my Nintendo Wii, but laziness keeps me back.

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Feyd@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
As far as I’m aware it’s impossible to get a decent quality battery replacement for PSP these days

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reboot6675@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Oh man I loved my PSP back in the day, I played a ton in it. I had a modded one and I also installed PSX and GBA emulators.

I remember that when I bought it, it came already modded but it wasn’t a permanent mod. To activate the mod after rebooting I had to navigate to the images folder and load up a PNG (I think?) image that was called Chicken or something like that. The most annoying part was that it didn’t work consistently, so often times it would cause the console to hang and I had to try again. It always blew my mind how an image could trigger the hack like that, looking back I guess it was a malicious payload or something and some race condition somewhere idk.

If I remember correctly, after a couple years I was able to change the mod to a permanent one. I sold it like 10 years ago

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Dzheyk@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I went down this rabbit hole last year. Modded PSP is/was great, but modded PS Vita is SO much better…and easier.

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Matriks404@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I don’t want to be that guy, but I always felt that any PlayStation controls were clunky, and only PS5 controller is comforotable to me. I much prefer Nintendo consoles for this reason, including 3DS, heck I even played Minecraft on 3DS and even though it is objectively the worst version, controls were fine to me. But playing Minecraft on Vita? Just horrible experience.

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HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Some thoughts on why i might like a vita but have not:

i like emulating older consoles, but i can do so on my phone. i just have to make sure the phone and the old controller are charged, which can be a small hassle.

i guess that’s just one thought. i liked the article!

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whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
PSP was great, some stand out games were crush (2/3d puzzle), jrpgs like the final fantasy tactics remake and Joan of arc, rhythm games like loco roco and patapon, and easy to install custom firmware to play emulated games PSP or some others like Gameboy or snes.

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Skv@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago
Image

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As far as “official” handhelds go - Vita 2000 is the absolute god, especially with the SD2Vita adapter.

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Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Hacked my Vita somewhat recently and wondered why I hadn’t done so sooner. It was really the easiest thing ever and now I can just download basically everything directly onto the thing, it’s great! It doesn’t actually have everything but most of it and it’s easy enough to get whatever else onto it.

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GreenKnight23@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I was looking for a handheld and seriously looked at the PSP. looked at all the mods for it. even found one where you could stick a RP4 compute board inside for the guts.

finally settled on a retroid pocket 5 and honestly couldn’t be happier. it does everything I want and then some.

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