The PlayStation Portable is Still Amazing in 2023. Here’s Why. 

Subscribe if you enjoyed it! I'll have more of these for other retro handhelds throughout the year. I have a link to the IPS screen and transparent shell that I used in the description box and you can find the names of all of the emulators that were used throughout the video. If you buy or mod a PSP as I did, those are the ones you should use for the best performance.

PSP really got that timeless design feels like something that comes out today

The PSP was my first gaming console. I loved it so unbelievably. It will always have a place in my heart.

now that i look back at my life…i actually can’t believe my single Mom bought me this even though i always had a gaming console and many games. We weren’t rich at all so i feel really lucky to have been able to own the PS1, PS2, Gamecube, PSP, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360

Playing PSP games was an exhilarating escape, where virtual worlds ignited my passion and captured my heart with pixels and buttons. The sheer joy and endless possibilities it offered made me fall in love with every gaming adventure.

The PSP 3000 was my first and only experience with a playstation product and the games being close to console versions was mind boggling. Add music and movies and it was an experience ahead of its time. I regret only being able to play 3 games back then but im playing through the ones I missed now, what a library!

When I was a kid the PSP was too expensive so my mom got me a DS instead. A decade later when I was an adult I bought a used PSP and I was blown away by how ahead of its time it was. Even the miniature disc mechanism is super cool, although in actual use the discs were slow as heck.

The physical design was so good, especially for it's time. The clear numbers, the joystick, the disc tray.. It just felt so high quality.

If you haven't looked into retro-brighting, it is the process of submerging the plastic bits in 90+% hydrogen-peroxide and then exposing it to UV radiation over a period of time (24)hours usually. It can significantly improve and in most cases removes the yellowing that can occur with most plastics. I would recommend if you are doing a deep clean on white plastics, espescially.

$20 for a psp is extremely optimistic. It's cool that you struck gold multiple times in a row, but most people are aware of their value and won't sell them for less than $100

The PSP is by far my favorite handheld ever. I bought it at launch, loved it's games, loved it's library, then I hacked it and basically continued to play the ever living crap out of it throughout the entire decade of the 2010's. So at least 15 years of constant enjoyment. The only other portable that got close to it for me was the GBA SP, but after I hacked the PSP and it ran almost all GBA games full speed, I sorta never came back to it. I was actually infamous at college for always being found playing the PSP in and out of class... Whenever I was already done with my assignments or had time to kill while waiting for another class to start. I kept playing games on it until I got a PSVita and after Sony stopped producing the PSVita I hacked it and created a microsd cartridge with ALL of the PSP games I sported on the PSP, but now running on an oled screen. Because the PSVita has a fully featured XMB firmware inside of it, it could even run all the emulators and ports at peak performance and with native screencap without having to use a custom script. It was a good time to do so as well cuz my PSP 2000's screen died and I never replaced it cuz I was already very satisfied with my experience on the Vita. The only drawback from moving to the Vita was that playing custom EBOOTs is more hit or miss because it's XMB firmware is custom, unlike the original and doesn't have the popsloader of previous versions (some games run better or refuse to boot unless you use specific versions), so that limited my enjoyment a little bit. But I already had all my emulator fix on my android phone that also had an OLED screen with a bluetooth controller and all the bells and whistles. I still prefer playing PSP on the Vita over on Android and often migrate my saves to my phone whenever I complete a game or unlock a bunch of stuff.

THANK YOU! I’ve been looking for a good ips screen comparison for ever!

huge respect, all advices in one video. New subscriber !

I bought my first PSP half a year ago and since then I barely used my Nintendo Switch. It is still a great device I love it! ❤

My psp 2000 has been in a box gathering dust for the past 10 years and you just reminded me how fun it was. I probably won’t use it and I don’t think I even have the charger, but many good memories came back thanks to this video.

Great video. I still have my original black PSP, along with a PSP 2000 given to me and a PS Vita that I bought later on. I'm not a huge gamer anymore other than select big mainstream single-player titles, but seeing this does interest me in possibly tinkering with my handhelds in the future. The IPS screen even without emulators would be worth it for me. There are probably many PSP or Vita titles I'd wanna check out too, but you know, we have less and less time as adults now.

20:32 Seeing Mario 64 running that well on a PSP made my brain wrinkle. It's been years since I tinkered with my 1000, its so cool seeing how much more capable it has become.

While I love my Vita, I’ve always lusted over the PSP since back in the day. I didn’t realize PSPs were so cheap-these are an incredible value in the handheld space!

I've been recommending the trusty old PSP as an emulation device for years. Great to see a video like this 👍

Excellent screen upgrade demonstration.

I loved my psp so much growing up. And it always blew my mind how good the graphics were on a portable device. And it had great multiplayer games that you could play online. Socom fireteam Bravo 1-3, Medal Of Honor Heroes 1-2, And my favorite ''Phantasy star portable 2''. The modding seen was huge for this thing. There was amazing homebrew Demakes for Halo, Left 4 dead, Counter Strike, Nazi Zombies, and MineCraft. I used to dream of a psp that could do what my SteamDeck currently does. But we still have awhile before we could make such a powerful device as small as the PSP, that wont have any heat/battery issues.

This is a great video bringing back a lot of memories. Brough the original PSP 1000 for over $200 when it first came out and still have it. Got about 5 used PSPs from a garage sale for $5 a piece and they all tested working but needed new batteries since the original batteries expanded. Would use your tutorial to mod one or two of them next month when have time. The PSP is an amazing portable gaming system with its display and library of games. The one system that I do not currently own is a PS Vita. Maybe make a video for it next?

I would love to see a follow-up with the Vita, which can do everything the PSP can do, but better, and more. You can get used OLED models for $100 or less. I love my Vita, it's such a great piece of hardware even to this day, it's crazy to think it's technically a "retro" console. It looks like a contemporary to the Switch, not a whole generation older.

Thank you for writing down all the games that are being played in the video!

A few years ago I got a PSP 3000 in excellent condition for 25€. I put a Custom Firmware on and enjoyed it ever since! It's such a good console.

Dude that IPS screen looks so clear and clean it almost looks photo shopped lol. i'd like to see more on how you got the PSP to work as an external screen and controller. Also I love my 1000 I have it from when I bought it back near the release day and have always kept it in a soft official PSP case.

i got my psp when i was 6-7, i still play with it as a 21yo, and it still runs perfectly. I literally want 2 more of these things, thats how good they are

GBA and PSP we're the handhelds of my childhood. I still own multiples of both and play them regularly. Amazing systems.

Don't be afraid of the glass mod, but do a mock fit before using loca to affix the glass to the ips panel. It will take a LOT of loca, but will be worth it.

I have a pspgo that I snagged for like 50 bucks years ago, i love going back to it every once in a while. fantastic system

The psp 3000 gets rid of the ghosting but adds scanlines. They're noticeable in the menu but as an owner of all 5 models, it's the best experience of all the stock options. The PSP Go has the best screen but it's smaller and I get screen tearing in emulators for some reason. The 3000 model is my recomendation when it comes to quality-price.

i bought two psp's in perfect condition yesterday the 1000 and 2000 models..omg nostalgia took me back..best handhelds ever.!!!

This video was awesome, psp will forever been the device that sparked my gaming love. But I’m proud to own a retroid device that can emulate psp amazingly. Better screen, better load times. And a more up to date experience.

Do you notice how the PSP has no bezel? But for some reason it's impossible for manufacturers to accomplish that these days.

you could use brasso on the plastic screen and it will remove a lot of the scratches, and also polishes the shell, brasso is very good for plastic despite being meant to polish metal.

Wow that IPS upgrade is insane, i have 2 PSPs that i bought about 6 months ago and i noticed the screens looked quite bad - didn't even know people were modding them with IPS screens

Hell Yeahhh 🤘 Long live PSP🔥

I found a beautiful pink psp 1000 for sale at like 60 bucks. Came with original headphones. Just missing battery door. It was a cool looking color and I love it

Thanks for the help

I still have my green PSP-3000 that my dad bought from a pawn shop in '09. Haven't used it in years but I used to play the crap out of it back in the day. Tekken games and God of War :D

Such an incredible mod!! Used to absolutely love my PSP! Makes me want to do exactly as you've done. Shame about quality of aftermarket shells though. Quality of some of the super retro shells (Game Gear/Game Boy) is really good, so would expect better!!

Im more of a Vita fan but my love for the PSP as a child its what made me fall in love with the Vita in the first place. Truly a timeless console.

Bricked my PSP. Plays Homebew and retro games. I use and love it to this day!

very nice vid thx.

The native support for PSP games alone makes one of these worth owning. Great library of games!

my first console 😍

TAKI, I picked up a PS Vita 1000 and 2000 and I love them. I totally missed them completely when they came out. I honestly have no idea what I was even doing back them lol. I wish I could go back in time. I missed so much.

I bought a PSP 1000 when they came out and loved it. I have purchased a PSP 1000 and Ps Vita 1101 this year. Don’t regret either purchase.

I've had one of all of the generations of PSP (except for the PSP Street) and I have to say that my favourite PSP is the PSP Go. Although you can't do as much with it (I don't think you can really mod it apart from CFW) and there isn't a UMD slot for games, it was such a nice little system. It was the only PSP that I sold (to get a 3DS) and I'll regret that until I get another one.

Ah the psp one of gaming's best invention ever made despite it's problems but back in the day playing PS1/PSX games on the go was mindblowing as a child and had so many great memories with it also it's works as a mp3 player

Great and informative video. I had a grey psp 3000 when I was a teen but I was dumb for selling it 😃 Now I just got a black psp 3000 for only 25 euros and its working perfectly! It's also super easy to mod with infinity

The need for a pandora battery is mostly gone if you want CFW. Just update to the latest version, and use Infinity 2.0 and one of the most popular CFW options (either (L)ME CFW (more customization capabilities through plugins) or PRO CFW(noob proof, but less customization capabilities)).

The PS Vita is quite astonishing for sure

My PSP Go is my portable daily companion. It just runs everything I want perfectly, especially PSX and obviously PSP games. On longer trips I will take the Steam Deck or an Analogue Pocket, but for a quick trip to the dentist and such? Nothing beats it.

I still have my old white psp 1000 and black PSP Go, both in pristine condition. I regularly take the Go with me when I travel. So compact

This video's a great primer to the world of PSPs. I stopped playing quite a bit around the time the PSP originally came out, so I'm just now catching up. My first PSP 3000 just arrived from Japan a few days ago. I still kind of want to own a PSP 1000 w/ the IPS mod, but I'm trying to figure out a good reason to get that (and honestly pay someone to do the mod, I couldn't do it myself) if i alreayd have a PSP 3000

Thank you, I've been saying this all the time, the PSP is 18 years old and it still rivals Anbernic any day of the week.

It'll still be amazing in 50 years time

Great video. I've got several PSP and still have a good time playing them. Just wanted to note that you DO NOT need a Pandora battery to install CFW. You can be on the latest firmware and still install it.

Never used, buy, or intend to get psp, but still enjoy the video… good job

"Iraqi condition" generally means that your PSP was used by a Marine during deployment.

One thing you forgot to mention is that you can use a PSP as a gamepad to PC (FuSa gamepad) in case you want to play PSP isos on your computer with the handheld as a controller.

I So agree ur voice suits retros games channel a love it cause it means ur disconected from the web I loved the we device so much so am ordering one of ebay this month

repurchased a PSP 3000 and started collecting games again. It’s an awesome console. albeit smaller in my hands than what I remember but still awesome non the less.

Bought PSP 3001 in good condition with 8GB MemoryStick for around 15$ in 2019. The only thing that I had to change is the battery which cost me more than console itself 😂 I game on it not as often as I would like but still think that’s a great device for the price. Maybe will do IPS mod so I would game on it more often.

With Infinity and ARK-4, you do not need any pandora battery as you can just put some files on the card and do a permanent installation with Infinity

I have the exact same PSP (blue transparent shell) it looks so good in person

I did this with a Pandora's battery ages ago, good to see it having a Comeback! I think I will repair mine and make it shiny again!

psp go w/ cfw is **chef's kiss**

I looked into PSPs about 5 years ago but ended up buying a new Aqua Blue PS VITA from Japan which was a good investment in hindsight. I had no prior experience with SONY handhelds and mainly wanted to get into them since I had just reached a point with more disposable income. I think the only reason to go the PSP route is if you have nostalgia for the system and enjoy tinkering with the hardware aspect. ETSY seems to have good options for pre-modded handhelds nowadays too but you aren't going to get them cheap. The IPS screens on these old devices really are worth it as I do own a GBA with the IPS screen.

NICE! PSP in 2023... I never thought I would hear that back in the day when I was modding PSPs.

Started using my PSP again as i want to start playing retro game. been laying around almost 10 years. But started missing the old school games.

The PSP prices can go pretty high recently. Not sure how viable it would be compared to something like a retroid pocket 3/3+. Really depends on the local markets.

Back in the days you was able to make an pandora battery by opening then an homebrew came out and was a lot easier

I used to be heavy into the PSP modding back in the day and own a 1000 and a 2000 (God of War). The 1000 seems to have more things you can do with it but the 2000 is a much better device between the 2 (imo). I would recommend getting one because they are nice,so many games and I have mine loaded with emulators,so you have tons of games in your pocket. The aftermarket case issue is something I ran into when I wanted to mod my 1000 to have a clear case. It looked awesome but didnt feel the same. Id like to see some better quality ones out there. I had mine sitting in a drawer and recently found out the modding scene is still alive so I have mine ready to upgrade. I am still using the 5.00 M33 CFW from the GOAT,Dark Alex. Great video,really informative to the people who never got into it. Its alot of fun. I want a Vita to mod now lol

As someone who wanted (and still wants) a psp since I knew what it was, getting my Odin pro was a dream come true. Can reliably upscale to 4X on psp games, and I’ve never had one stutter

Beautiful vid. If I could only bootstrap more power into it to run n64 games and some dreamcast on it would be perfection. Even just 1x 90% n64, it would be epic How is the Vita vs. the PSP for emulation? Would be nice for a future Vita vid.

20 years and yet still feels like it was just released not too long ago.

Never had a PSP but my older brother did so I would borrow his and play Soul Calibur 😆 good memories

Brilliant Video. Thank you for the ghosting part in particular. I was debating wether to buy an IPS replacement screen for my PSP-1000. But, since I have started to play on it again recently, I might consider it. At least, when I'm done with the first Final Fantasy games. They show some blurring, but it is not that big of a deal compared to 3D games.

will you do a video like this for the vita? i feel like the vita 1000 was insanely ahead of its time with its oled screen, internet features and overall design

I'll never understand why there isn't more tech in clear, colored shells. It looks so good

I got a silver psp 3k off of my aunt a few years ago and it's been great. Modding your psp is SO worth it these days.

Just moved back to my parents for a while and found my old psp! Looking forward to playing around with it after getting a new battery ordered. Maybe a transparent shell mod too

Best system ever in my opinion. I have a massive but very incomplete library. Some of my favorite games ever!

I went all in with the PSP last year, I’m only missing a PSP Street to complete my collection. The vita outmatched the PSP in the emulation field but damn, the psp is timeless.

I still have my Datel battery service tool. As long you have an original genuine battery you can convert it with a simple click of a button (and convert it back to a normal battery once you're done). I have an OG PSP-1000 that I imported and it is still working to this day.

Amazing video, its cool yo see hoe the psp`s can be upgraded. I want to do this but I was wondering if the parts were bought online.

Picked up a PSP 3000 for $5 locally because the joystick was broken. An additional $5 stick swap later and I have a great condition PSP 3000 for $10 :D Truthfully, not my favorite console, but it has such a great line-up of games (especially tactical RPGs,) that it's worth picking up cheap!

Such a tragedy that SCE axed the PlayStation Portable lineup, though, I also simultaneously felt like the Vita lacked a bit of that "spark" that made the originals so special - perhaps the OG PSP was a product of its time in many respects.

After this video, I went to buy one to heal my inner child :)) Brings back great memories and the nostalgia just hits hard man.

I literally just built this same psp. 😂👍🏼🔥 it looks beautiful

Iraqi Condition damn bro it actually looks like it was in a warzone

never obsolete

these were so cool. i spent a bunch on a 1GB sony memory stick so i could load it with media like a BOSS

The PSP was not my first handheld console but it still remains my favorite. Until the Steam Deck came out this little device was THE emulation machine. I have the 2000-series Star Wars Edition and a PSP Go.

I'm using the term Iraqi condition from now on.

Iraq condition is added to my vocabulary

Played many hours of SOCOM Nay Seals. Was a top 20 gamer back in the day. Fond memories.

You can transfer files to MS directly from USB via the "USB CONNECTION" feature in the "Settings" column.