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00:09Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're jumping back to my personal favorite handheld console
00:14of all time. I know I suck. These are 25 things you didn't know about the PSP. Let's do it.
00:20Before we continue, we publish content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring
00:25the bell to get notified of our latest videos. Nintendo PSP. The PSP had a bit of a hidden
00:34superpower. If you were willing to tinker with it, players could unlock the ability to run emulators
00:39and basically turn the handheld into a retro gaming machine. Once that was set up, you could play
00:43everything from NES Classics all the way up to some Nintendo 64 titles. I know this isn't the
00:48most intense hidden secret, but if you didn't realize, you can probably do it today with relative
00:52ease. Speaking of. Surprisingly easy to hack. With those settings selected, plug the PSP into a
01:01computer by using a micro USB cable. If you were even slightly tech savvy back in the day, you probably
01:07knew the PSP could do way more than Sony intended. One of the most famous tricks was something called
01:12the Pandora's battery. It sounds dramatic, but it was basically a way to force the system into recovery
01:17mode. By modifying a battery, you could make it boot the PSP straight into a state where custom firmware
01:22could be installed. Once that was done, the console opened up completely. You could run homebrew apps,
01:28emulators, and even play downloaded game files. It was way too easy to turn this console into a tiny
01:34little custom handheld. But I'm sure you would totally purchase the PS1 game on the PSP's PSN store if you
01:40could. Right? The concept was interesting. Please welcome the latest addition to the PlayStation
01:47family. Looking back, the PSP really does feel like the little sibling of the PlayStation family.
01:52The all black design, the familiar button layout. It was just a PlayStation controller with a screen.
01:57But the concept design, not nearly as cool. It had a clean look, sure, but the feel of it wasn't
02:03perfect
02:04for everyone. The buttons were flatter than usual, which made button mashing feel like button slapping.
02:09The analog stick also wasn't the typical raised kind, instead being a small, flat, circular pad.
02:15If you had big, fat boy hands like me, you'd be furious.
02:22Do shock-a-lingo.
02:23PlayStation Portable there.
02:26No toilet paper. No toilet paper. No toilet paper. No toilet paper.
02:30Not many people realised the PSP could double as a translation tool, and it actually had software
02:35built for exactly that. Talkman was designed as a language learning app, but it also worked as a
02:41real-time translator using a microphone attachment. You could connect the mic to the top of the system
02:45and then just speak into it. The PSP would process what you said and translate it into another language
02:50on the spot. This was pretty impressive for the time, particularly since it took the iPhone years
02:55to have the same technology. Unfortunately, every time I lifted my PSP up to have a chat with my
03:00Japanese roommate, he just wanted to play it. Is that joke? Is that racist? I think I might be racist.
03:05Hungry as soon as I got to the room. It was so hot.
03:10Could connect to TV.
03:12And then this end, we're going to plug into the AV inputs on the TV, which are the yellow,
03:16white and red.
03:17Even though the PSP was built for handheld play, you could actually hook it up to a TV and use
03:21it
03:21like a mini console years before the Switch. All you needed was a compatible component AV cable.
03:26The setup was pretty straightforward. Plug the colored AV cables into your TV, then connect the
03:30other end to the video ad port on the PSP, and as long as your battery wasn't about to die,
03:34you were
03:34good to go. That said, the results weren't earthy. Because of the PSP's native resolution,
03:40games often looked a bit blurry when stretched onto a bigger screen. It worked for a laugh, but just
03:45play it normally, you weirdo.
03:46Because then it will remove the border from the edge. Now to put it back onto here, you just need
03:50to
03:50tap that screen button again, and it will come back onto here, or unplug the AV cable.
03:56PS3 and PSP.
03:57Connect to PSP.
04:00Immediately goes into USB connection. Please wait.
04:03The PSP had a surprisingly advanced feature for its time, remote play with the PlayStation 3.
04:08In simple terms, you could stream certain content from your PS3 straight to the handheld.
04:13And I know it worked well, because I actually did it and enjoyed it. You couldn't play full
04:17PS3 titles, but some PSN games like Bionic Commando Rearmed were actually compatible and could be played
04:24this way. On top of that, the PSP could run PlayStation 1 games directly, which made it feel
04:28like a portable throwback machine as well.
04:33Is it this one?
04:35Yep.
04:37So the format doesn't work on the PSP, because it's an AVI file.
04:42Portable browsing.
04:43So now that we're connected, we are ready to access the internet.
04:45These days, having a web browser on a device feels like a basic requirement. But back in the early 2000s,
04:51that wasn't a given at all. A lot of devices didn't even have Wi-Fi.
04:54Which sounds wild now. That's part of what made the PlayStation Portable stand out.
04:59It came with built-in Wi-Fi and could actually browse the internet, which was pretty forward-thinking
05:04at the time. You could load web pages and even download things like music, videos, and images
05:08straight onto the system.
05:11Not too surprising there. Most website browsers do work with Google. It's a pretty simple website.
05:17PSP Hi-Fi.
05:18And finally, a bag, so you can make the PlayStation Portable docking station portable itself.
05:29If your PSP speakers aren't cutting it, there were some serious, over-the-top accessories
05:34to fix that. One of them was the Game Expert Phase 4 of PSP Hi-Fi, which basically turned
05:39your handheld into a full-on sound system. You dock the PSP into it, and suddenly you've
05:44got 23 watts of stereo audio blasting through mid-range speakers, plus a subwoofer underneath,
05:50pushing out some heavy bass. It was cumbersome and useless, but so am I, so I can't talk
05:55sh**.
05:56And secondly, so you can simply, once you've finished playing with your PSP, put it in,
06:00and it will automatically charge.
06:02Go explore.
06:03There were definitely announcements of it coming, but there's very little information
06:06about whether it actually released. So if it did, it was a very small scale released,
06:10but some crucial software that used the GPS didn't release in America.
06:15The PSP having Wi-Fi was already a big deal, but it didn't stop there. It could actually
06:19double as a GPS. With an add-on called Go Explore, you could turn the handheld into a simple
06:25navigation device without even needing an internet connection. The setup was pretty simple. You'd
06:29plug a GPS receiver into the USB port, launch the Go Explore software, and suddenly your
06:34PSP was giving you directions like a dedicated GPS unit. I went through so much effort to get
06:39it running, presented it to my old man expecting a thank you, and he just kept using his Melways.
06:44For my non-Australian fans, a Melways is a giant book with maps of Australia. For my younger
06:48fans, a map is like Google Maps on paper.
06:51And then, magically, the satellite is talking to your PSP and showing you exactly where to go.
06:57PCSP
06:57Thanks to the hacking scene around the PSP, a whole wave of homebrew developers went mental,
07:10experimenting with turning the handheld into something completely different. Believe it or
07:13not, people even got versions of Windows and Mac-style interfaces running on it. Before you
07:18get too excited, it wasn't the full experience. These weren't real operating systems, just visual
07:23skins that mimicked how they looked. You could move around the interface and use a few basic
07:27apps, but that was about it. Still kinda cool. Minesweeper on the toilet? Count me in.
07:32My mouse is nearly off the screen at this point, and the start menu still hasn't opened.
07:38Portable radio. Did you know that starting with the 3.80 firmware update, players could stream
07:48internet radio directly on the systems? All you had to do was connect to WiFi, open the
07:53internet radio feature, and you were in. From there, you could download one of a few radio
07:58player options onto your memory card and start browsing stations. And there were over 50 to
08:03choose from, none of which were even 10% as entertaining as Daxter, but still.
08:11Remote Play Predecessor
08:18One of the standout features of the PSP was its multiplayer, especially how it handled game
08:23sharing. Titles like Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection and Metal Gear Peace Walker let one player host
08:28a session, while others joined using a downloaded demo version of the game. It was a really slick
08:33way to play together without everyone needing their own copy of a game. There was also a more
08:37old school trick involved, kind of like the PS1 disc swap days, you could start the game, enter the
08:42ad-hoc multiplayer screen, then swap the UMD into another PSP. If you timed it right,
08:46both systems would stay connected and let you play. A bit janky, but still, came years before
08:51Remote Play on Steam.
08:57Home of the Spin-Offs
09:04The PSP definitely had appeal for casual players, but it really thrived with die-hard PlayStation
09:10fans. Sony's reputation helped bring some serious big titles to the handheld, including
09:15Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7, God of War Chains of Olympus, and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.
09:20These weren't just throwaway spin-offs either, they explored new parts of their stories that
09:24hadn't been shown before, which made them feel important. New fans to these series should
09:29be made well aware that some of the best entries in their respective franchises lived on
09:34this humble little rectangle.
09:37Multi-Media Champion
09:39Why is PlayStation Portable so important at this stage in the game?
09:44Before smartphones took over everything, the PSP was basically your all-in-one entertainment
09:49hub. You could load it up with music, watch videos, browse the internet, and even store
09:53photos all in one little handheld. You could customize themes, organize files, and treat it almost like a
09:58tiny computer in your pocket. For a lot of people, the PSP wasn't just for games, it was their first
10:03real digital device. Compared to the more game-focused Nintendo DS, it felt like a glimpse of what future
10:09devices would become. For me, it felt like something I couldn't resell years later because of all the
10:13questionable data I downloaded on it.
10:15...for downloadable entertainment content are first in this industry.
10:19Almost as strong as the PS2.
10:23Forget the rat! The Baron wants him!
10:27Don't worry Jack! I'll save you before you know it!
10:30The PSP wasn't just impressive for a handheld, it was straight up competing with home consoles at the time.
10:36Visually, some of the games came surprisingly close to what you'd expect from a PlayStation 2.
10:41Developers really pushed the system hard, with titles like God of War Chains of Olympus showing just how
10:46much it could handle. You had detailed character models, full voice acting, and proper cinematic cutscenes,
10:52which made it feel like a full console experience you could carry around.
10:56I remember exclaiming loudly when I first played it,
10:58this looks better than our PS2, and trying to wrap my head around how this was even possible.
11:09The worst stick drift.
11:20Long before stick drift became a common complaint, the PSP had already had its own version of the problem.
11:26Nub Rub.
11:27That's what I'm calling it, I hope it catches on.
11:29Its single analog nub could start acting up over time, either becoming unresponsive or randomly moving on its own.
11:35Dust build up, general wear and tear, and internal damage from rubbing.
11:40The frustrating part was how tricky it could be to fix.
11:42Unlike modern controllers, repairing or replacing the nub wasn't simple,
11:46and sometimes required an entirely new console.
11:49Do you have a snack?
11:50I consume a healthy amount of suckers online every day.
11:53I like that answer.
11:56PSP Camera
11:57Using a PSP camera.
11:59So, here's what happened.
12:01Move over Game Boy Camera, did you know you could turn your PSP into a camera?
12:06The PSP camera plugs straight into the USB port and attached to the top of the system.
12:11Once it was set up, you could open the photo section and launch the camera from there.
12:14If you're from the West, you might have missed this, as it didn't arrive in the US until 2010,
12:19four years after dropping in Japan.
12:21At just 0.3 megapixels, the quality wasn't amazing, but it was still fun.
12:27This was a good thing to film on the PSP because these are so big,
12:31so you can actually make out what the hell we're filming.
12:33PS2 and PSP
12:39The PSP was obviously pretty connected to the PS3, right down to its home screen,
12:44but while not many people noticed, there were a few games that linked the PSP and the previous generation's PS2
12:50together
12:50in some pretty creative ways.
12:52SOCOM US Navy SEALS Fireteam Bravo 2 on the PSP could connect with SOCOM US Navy SEALS Combined Assault on
12:59the PS2.
13:00Completing certain objectives in one game would unlock content and even affect gameplay in the other.
13:05It wasn't a huge feature overall, but it was one of few you could find hidden on these systems.
13:15TILT FX
13:20If you ever wanted motion controls on the PSP, there was actually an accessory for it.
13:25Made by DATTLE, the TILT FX let you control games by physically moving the system.
13:31Getting it set up was actually super easy.
13:33All you had to do was have a PC, install software on the PC, connect your PSP with a specific
13:37cable,
13:37load specific files onto the PSP, then plug the separate purchase sensor into the audio port,
13:42and BOOM! Easy as pie!
13:43Or Beef Wellington.
13:45Once it was working, tilting the console would control movement in supported games.
13:48It wasn't compatible with everything, and was basically a huge waste of my- your time. Huge waste of your
13:54time.
14:02Ridge Racer
14:02Uh, what the title is going to be, by the way this game will actually start.
14:07Anyone over the age of 25 knows this dead meme, but I have to bring it back for our younger
14:11viewers.
14:11At Sony's 2006 E3 conference, Kaz Hirai revealed that PlayStation 1 games would be playable on the PSP.
14:19Which was already a pretty big deal.
14:20To show it off, he booted up the original Ridge Racer live on stage.
14:24But instead of just focusing on the feature, the internet locked onto something else entirely.
14:28His vocal delivery.
14:29The now famous Ridge Racer moment quickly turned into a meme, and spread everywhere.
14:35Game is powered by Namco.
14:37It's Ridge Racer.
14:39Ridge Racer!
14:40Remember that one?
14:41The first console with a digital-only version.
14:47For a lot of hardcore fans, the PSP 1000 and PSP 2000 are still the go-to models.
14:52Later versions added improvements, but the most noticeable redesign came with the PSP Go.
14:57Sony completely removed the UMD drive, meaning it only supported digital games.
15:03And this was kinda rough back at release.
15:05Today, it's barely worth talking about.
15:07Pocket size, download only, PSP Go.
15:10Region free.
15:17Region locking has always been a bit of a sore spot in gaming, since it stops players from using games
15:21outside their console's region.
15:23But did you know that the PSP was the first Sony system to be region free for games?
15:28That meant you could import titles and play them without any restrictions, which was a huge win for players chasing
15:34Japan-only releases.
15:35So if you wanted to try something like Final Fantasy Aguedo, you could just pop it in and go.
15:39No extra hoops.
15:45CFW Cheat
15:47CFW Cheat
15:48If you had custom firmware running on your PSP, one of the most popular tools you could use was CFW
15:54Cheat.
15:54It was a homebrew app that let players load in cheat codes and mess around with their games in ways
15:59the developers definitely didn't intend.
16:01To use it, you'd install the program, then open the cheat menu before launching your game.
16:05From there, you could load in particular effects for particular titles.
16:09Want infinite lives in Grand Theft Auto Liberty City stories?
16:12No problemo.
16:13Feel like taking down enemies in one hit in God of War Ghosts of Sparta?
16:16It's all in Donkey Kratos.
16:25The UMD.
16:26It is based on a new optical disc medium developed by Sony called Universal Media Disc.
16:32The PSP used a pretty unique type of media called the UMD, which stands for Universal Media Disc.
16:38It's a small optical disc housed in a plastic cartridge.
16:41And funnily enough, the PSP was the only officially licensed device that ever used it.
16:46Many people assume that the GameCube and PSP share the same cartridge type due to their size,
16:51but the GameCube actually used a disc called MiniDVD.
16:54In terms of storage, a single-layer UMD could hold up to 900 megabytes,
16:58while a dual-layer version could go up to 1.8 gigabytes.
17:01And that was enough to handle full games and even movies.
17:04A first in this industry.
17:06San Andres story.
17:10Oh, mama!
17:12Mama!
17:12Come on, get the...
17:13Come on, mama!
17:14Mama!
17:17Both GTA 3 and GTA Vice City ended up getting prequels on the PSP
17:21with Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories,
17:24which were later ported over to the PlayStation 2.
17:26Because of that pattern, a lot of people expected a San Andres story to follow.
17:31But it never happened.
17:32Did you know?
17:34The idea was actually explored.
17:36The size of the map in San Andres was just too big to fit onto a UMD,
17:40so Rockstar decided to not even attempt it.
17:43Instead, they kind of made up for it by releasing a short in-engine video
17:46that explained the events leading into Grand Theft Auto San Andres.
17:50Thanks, Rockstar.
17:51That's just as good as a game.
17:53Idiots.
17:54Now, the way I see it is that we don't have a choice.
17:57Ain't nothing to feel bad about.
17:59You put a gun to a brother's head, brother's gonna do what he's told.
18:03Did you enjoy this video?
18:04Check out these other clips from Mojo Plays,
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18:20We'll see you next time.
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