PSP Questions for a New User

N

natiev

CAGiversary!
Looking to get a new PSP within a week. I didn't see any new user FAQs or a guide of any sort to kinda answer any general questions so I figured I'd just go ahead and ask.

Would 4gb memory stick be enough for general use, or would I regret not getting more space?
Any accessories that you feel are almost necessary that I should look into?
What kind of battery life can I expect from a new PSP?
Are there any tips/tricks I should know?

I'm 95% sure I'm getting a PSP this weekend. I am eyeing a MGS bundle locally, just kinda need to tell myself to just do it. Gotta keep telling myself screw the NGP it's not like it's coming out very soon or that I would even get it till at least the 1st price drop. Just looking for some advice and E-Courage to get me past the last 5% of certainty.

Thanks in advance.
 
Your memory stick size really depends on how you plan to play on your psp. Games off the PSN are around 600MB. Some are more and others are less.

Many newer games have an install feature, which allows you to preload some of the data on the stick(you still need to have the game inserted) which will speed up load time. It has to read less off the UMD giving a greater battery life. Installs are around 300mb-600mb. So it all really adds up.

The battery life is about 4-6 hours. I think you can get a bit more with a dim screen.

You should get some type of PSP case. One that will completely cover it, or a sleeve. I got a cheap one off ebay, but I am sure others can recommend better ones.

I know that for Peavewalker you are looking at a 1.1gb install if you install the game and download the optional codec audio.
 
[quote name='Gamehead']Many newer games have an install feature, which allows you to preload some of the data on the stick(you still need to have the game inserted) which will speed up load time. It has to read less off the UMD giving a greater battery life. Installs are around 300mb-600mb. So it all really adds up.[/QUOTE]
I did not know that, thanks for the tip.

My local Walmart only has a PSP3000 core, but my local KMart has 2 MGS bundles at $149 and 3 GOW bundles at $159. Decisions decisions.
 
I just picked up a PSP last week and I think it is worth it. I had few main reasons for buying a PSP once the price dropped:

1. There are certain UMD only games that you won't necessarily be able to get on the NGP.

2. The NGP won't be out for over half a year. Currently I commute almost 1 hour each way and have a 1 hour lunch break. This gives me about 2-2.5 hours or more of time that I normally just read blogs/news on my phone. I decided I would rather spend that time playing on a PSP and if I wait until the NGP I will have commuted over a hundred times and lost countless hours that I could have played on the PSP instead.

3. I expect that there will be at least a decent trade-in value for the PSP right before the NGP comes out (like there is now for DS/DSi with the 3DS release) so it's not like you are losing $130 that could have gone to the NGP, instead it's more like you are losing $50 or so once you factor in trading back the PSP.

Honestly at first I had a lot of buyer's remorse. I felt like I was wasting money with the NGP coming out soon and I felt like I shouldn't be buying another system with the fact that I bought a PS3 not too long ago. However, now that I have it I love it. My commute flies by so much faster and I am glad that I got it.

As for cases, none of them seem that great but I would at least get a sleeve so you can put the PSP in your bag or wherever without worrying about scratching it. For me, the PSP-3000 is too slim for my hands so I bought the PSP Traveler Case. It seems like the top actual cases are the official Sony one and the Logitech but I could not find the Logitech one (at least the 2000/3000 version) anywhere so I just went with the Sony one. Make sure the case you are getting is for the slim though. The thing is a fingerprint magnet though which makes me sad.

Personally I am fine with the 2gb memory stick. My reason being is that this is enough for any of the install files on any of the games and is also big enough to hold any of the downloadable games. Since I don't play more than one game at once, I am okay with this. After I beat a game I am just going to delete the install file (if it is UMD) or delete the game itself (if it was downloaded). Side note: you can find the larger ones for much cheaper on Amazon than brick and mortar stores but they still cost a decent amount.
 
Regarding the memory stick, if you are going to be buying games off PSN (which isn't a bad idea since they will be forward compatible with the NGP), I'd suggest looking into a 8 or 16 GB M2 card. You can use it with an adapter in a PSP-3000 as well as in a PSPgo. Not sure about whether the NGP will support M2 cards or yet another proprietary Sony flash card format. A 2GB card will let you save your game saves, but not much more than that.

If you just want some basic protection, DealExtreme has low-priced cases and screen protectors, and even extra batteries for the PSP-3000, though I'd be a bit cautious about buying their batteries because the specs can be very misleading. Most of their stuff is Chinese copies, but for most stuff (like a case or cables) it probably doesn't really matter if the price is right.

One tip...if you want to keep your options open, don't update to new firmware if you can at all avoid it. The only reason you should need to update is if you buy a new game on UMD and it requires a certain firmware version. If you are buying games on PSN, you can install them with the MediaGo software (runs on Windows) to install your games w/o updating the firmware, but if you connect directly to PSN with your PSP, it will force you to install the new firmware. Why do I mention this? Well, using custom firmware (CFW) will let you do cool things like copying your UMD games to .ISO images that can be run off of your flash cards, allowing you to carry many games with you w/o lugging around the UMD cases. But even if you don't want to deal with that stuff, the resale value will be higher if you are able to keep an older firmware version on your PSP because it will have more options for the buyer.

But as far as getting a PSP...I can highly recommend it. I really like my PSP (actually, I have 3 of them, including a PSPgo)...the graphics and portability are great. PSN has been having some pretty good deals on some good games recently (Personal 1 and Personal 3 for $20, Phantasy Star 2 and Valkyria Chronicles 2 for something like $16 a while back, etc.). Plus you can sometimes pickup some really good deals on UMD games every once in a while (especially during the holiday sales at GoHastings).

The green MGS PSP is pretty nice (I actually picked up the more limited GameStop exclusive camo version) and it comes with a good game as well. But there are also lots of other good games out there.

The big debate is choosing between buying UMD games vs. PSN downloads. You can resell your UMD games, but not your PSN purchases. But then again, your PSN purchases are forward compatible with the PSP2/NGP, so if you are planning on getting the PSP2 you might want to lean towards buying games on PSN when they go on sale.

Additionally, I think it is kind of cool that you can play the PS1 games (on PSN) on the PSP. Lots of classic PS1 games on PSN that are inexpensive and offer lots of game time for a good price if you don't mind the dated graphics (which aren't as bad on the smaller PSP screen).
 
I got a 16 gig memory stick for around $30 and it's really worked out well. If you are a PSN+ subscriber you will get a fair share of minis and PSOne Classics to put onto the stick. If you intend to use the PSP as a music player(I tend to use it to sleep when in transit), you'll want the extra space for your MP3s. Memory stick vs UMD in terms of battery life can be a whole lot, it depends on what is installed and how often the UMD is accessed but I've easily had 6 hours playing Persona 3 Portable from the memory stick compared to where I've struggled to get 4 playing Valkyria Chronicles off UMD with the data install.

I have the photofast 2 micro SD to pro duo adapter and it's really not worth the hassle I was getting about having to reseat my stick because it wouldn't recognize the memory. Worked great for 2 months, gave me issues and I just decided to get a legitimate 16 gig card.

I'd also say get hard case of some kind for it, they're not expensive and go a long way. The Logitech cases can be customized with your own little cut outs if you want.
 
my psp should be here tuesday, i got a few games over the last few days... FFtactics, FF I, Little Big Planet, Ys seven, Star ocean 1, and hot shots 2
 
So I just picked up a used PSP Go from Gamestop over the weekend, so I have questions as well:

• Can anyone recommend a Go case? Thinking a case is a must buy, but don't want anything too bulky that keeps me from keeping the Go in my pocket. Looking at this one here:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/BD&A+-+Guard+Kit+for+PSP+Go/9898476.p?id=1218191351559&skuId=9898476

• I picked up a pack of official screen covers yesterday and hate them. They make the screen look like there's a thin layer of Vaseline on it. Are they all like that?

• Can anyone comment on the official PSP ear buds? I've just been using my iPod set, but my Best Buy has a set on clearance for $12 and I'm wondering how much of an upgrade these would be.

• Game recommendations? What's coming soon that I should keep an eye out for? Any good Minis outside of Pac Man CE?

• Video Out & Dual Shock pairing: worth getting a cable for or is it just a novelty?
 
Here are my thoughts on video out and dual shock pairing: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288897

Don't think I'd waste money on the PSP ear buds only because I can't imagine they are any good for the price, but I've never used them personally so I can't say for sure. I doubt they are much better than the iPod earbuds.

I just bought a slipper-type padded case from Deal Extreme for about $5 shipped. Nothing too fancy, but it isn't too big or bulky and protects it from scratches. I don't really need extreme protection from drops since I'm pretty careful with my stuff. I just wanted something that would protect the screen when I stuck it in a bag or pack.
 
Quick question, I just got my new (used) PSP MG:pW bundle (got like $50 of extra stuff, all for $130) but my question is on transferring PS1 or other content from my PS3 to the PSP.

I have PSP/PS1 content across all of my different user profiles (US/HK/JPN) and can I put the content on the different memory sticks so I don't have to copy it over again and again each time I want to play something from a different region/account?

I was tinkering with putting SotN from my US account on the same memory stick as my HK bought (US version) copy of Patchwork Heroes and it deactivated PH in favor of SotN and I had to recopy PH over to get it working again.

Is there a way to fix this (short of custom firmware, which I won't do) by using multiple memory sticks (he included 3 in the bundle he sold me)?
 
Your PSP itself is linked to an account, along with the data. If you are using different PSN profiles you will have to repeatedly activate and deactive accounts to access the data associated with a given account.
 
Thanks for the info, (saw your post in Org. 13's post as well) no big loss, I have SotN on Drac X Chron. if I need to play it on the go (and don't feel like the hassle of re-transferring it over I know what I can do), and no big loss with my JPN PS1 games either.

Just nice to know is all. Thanks for answering my question, appreciate it. :)

A few more questions, first can I set up an account on my PSP (if I need too) if I don't have wifi (all ethernet cabled on my network)? Do I need to do it for any reason (since I'll just D/L what I want/need onto my PS3 and transfer it over that way)?

Saves aren't account locked like games (PSP/PS1), correct?

Speaking of data transfers, the PSP has to be connected to the PS3 via USB to transfer data over only right? I can't remove the memory stick and copy files that way, right? (Just seeing what options were available to me to transfer files is all)

Lastly, I figure there's no way to backup movies on memory stick either then is there (like the PS3 option to do so on flash drive albeit encrypted)? I got the copy of 2012 he d/l'ed as well that came via a voucher with the system, and I wanted to off load it off the card (since its almost 3GB of the 4GB card) to watch later but in the meantime free up the space on the card. (I put it into the PS3 last night and looked at the video tab, and it didn't show up on there) Any thoughts/ideas?

Sorry for all the extra questions, I meant to ask last night, but forgot what I was going to ask, and the other one was the only one sticking out in my mind at the time. ;)
 
Don't forget to download the free Media Go software from the Sony PSP site. That manages all of your files so you can transfer them over to your PC as a backup then move them to a new memory stick, plus you have access to the Playstation Store through the software.

In terms of games, if you're going to download PSP games, they generally run anywhere from 500 MB-1 GB each. The only games I'm aware of that do extra installs to reduce loading times are Peace Walker, both Dissidia games, Kingdom Hearts (which is needed the most from what I've heard,) and Valkyria Chronicles 2. Those can range from 250 MB-1 GB each depending on how much you install. Beware the full install on the Dissidia games will take 1-2 hours to complete (I started it and Iron Man 2 movie on my PS3 at the same time and it completed right as the credits were rolling.)
 
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