Here are some of the most common questions that are submitted to Ask Dave Taylor about the Sony PSP, in no particular order:
• Can I download games if my PSP is running firmware version 2.5?
• Can I back up to an earlier version of the PSP firmware?
• How do I download games like Pac-Man onto my PSP?
• Where can I find free games / music / videos / movies for my PSP?
• I downloaded MP3 files onto my PSP, but now I can’t find them?
• How do I convert normal music to MP3 format for my PSP?
• How can I have my Sony PSP talk with my Windows 98 PC?
That’s a lot of questions, so let’s field them one-by-one, and at the end I’ll also offer links to specific articles I’ve previous written on Ask Dave Taylor that are helpful for Sony PSP owners:
Can I download games if my PSP is running firmware version 2.5?
One of the greatest differences behind the scenes with the PSP firmware upgrade from 1.5 to 2.0 was that Sony added various checks in the code that apparently prohibit the unit from playing hacked or downloaded games. So as far as I can ascertain, no, you cannot run games you download onto your PSP if you’re running any version of the firmware greater than 1.5.
Can I back up to an earlier version of the PSP firmware?
This is a logical follow-on question and the answer is “maybe”. Sony doesn’t offer any sort of official place where you can download earlier versions of the firmware or utilities that let you roll back to earlier firmware versions. On the other hand, various fan sites like psp-hacks.com have firmware download utilities like one that lets you back up from 2.0 to 1.5, but be careful: that won’t work if you’re running firmware 2.01 or 2.5. Further, there’s a big risk in running software that modifies your PSP operating system but isn’t from Sony: how do you know what it’s really doing? What would you do if it broke your system? Or, what if it were a virus in disguise?
How do I download games like Pac-Man onto my PSP?
There are Web sites that offer illegal, hacked games that you can ostensibly download onto your PSP instead of paying for them, but, um, they’re illegal and, as with unauthorized firmware downgrades, you really don’t know what you’re getting. Further, if you’re running firmware 2.0 or higher, you probably won’t be able to play the games anyway.
Having said that, if Sony were a really cool company, they’d encourage programmers to write new and interesting games that would run on the PSP, but not be part of the Sony approval and distribution system. There are lots of smaller, simpler games or ports of Open Source games, etc,. that would be cool to have on the PSP, but that’ll never happen if every single game has to be formally tested and approved by Sony Corporate. Probably a pipe dream, alas.
Where can I find free games / music / videos / movies for my PSP?
My one word answer: Google.
Seriously, I’m not going to point you directly to these illegal download sites, but if you do want to try and find some of this material that you can drop onto your PSP, then I suggest you spend some time digging around on your favorite search engine. Good luck to you!
I downloaded MP3 files onto my PSP, but now I can’t find them?
This is potentially the single most common question I see here at Ask Dave Taylor in the Sony PSP help category, and the answer is that the songs are probably sitting on your PSP, ready to play, but they don’t show up in the MUSIC folder! They’re in a subfolder: you need to find the entry in your MUSIC folder called “Memory Stick”, then move into it by pressing the “X” button. Then all your songs magically appear.
This also holds true with photos you download too, by the way. They don’t show up in your PHOTOS folder, they show up in the subfolder “Memory Stick”.
How do I convert normal music to MP3 format for my PSP?
There’s no simple way, but there are a number of different music format conversion utilities available from archive sites like Download.com. I suggest that you search for “Audio Converter” or “MP3 converter” and you’ll see there are quite a few choices. One I’ll just highlight here is Smart Audio Converter, but there are quite a few.
The Sony PSP can only play MP3 or AAC format audio files, so if your music or audio is in any other format, you’ll need to convert it before the PSP will be able to play them.
How can I have my Sony PSP talk with my Windows 98 PC?
It’s amazing to me that people are still running Win98, but this is another common question I see, and the sad answer is that there’s no built-in support for removable devices like the Sony PSP in Windows 98. Fortunately, there is a shareware alternative that a chap in Poland has written and makes available off his Web site: PSP Win98 Driver.
Caveat: I haven’t tested this driver out, so I’m not sure that it works properly. Proceed with caution, and if someone does get it to work for them (or not!) please do let us know about it!
Additional Useful Sony PSP Articles:
- Why doesn’t my Sony PSP see my wireless network?
- How do I copy a DVD movie onto my PSP?
- Can I roll back my PSP firmware?
- What folders do I need on my PSP Memory Stick?
- How do I format my PSP Memory Stick?
- How do I download photos and music to my PSP?
Still have questions about the Sony Playstation Portable? Then please feel free to Ask Dave Taylor and I’ll see what I can figure out for you!
my daughter took her game out the PSP when she put it back in to play the little disc is not popping up under games for her to start the game.
hey there, my two kids got psp’s for christmas and they both got midnight club 3 and are wondering how they can play against eachother i tried doing the game sharing and it said please wait looking but ten minutes went by and nothing and both wlan switches were on. can you help?
How do i download internet to my psp when it will not let me?
hello there, my son is trying to connect to internet on his psp but he doesnt know how. he keeps asking me but i dont know how can you please help me>
I’m trying to find Motor Storm for the PSP. Do they make it for the PSP?
Thanks
hi my name is benjamin recently my psp couldnt read and i remember when i dropped it the little metal piece came out on the left side of the umd door but it was working fine now it deosnt work could it be that
ok i upgraded my slim and it didnt restart i waited 5minutes then i took da battery out now da green light turns on but nothing else does what do i do? can it be fixed plz reply soon thx
Cool but i have firmware 5.00m33 on psp.m33 allows you to dowload games get from pandoras battry tm.
How do you restart your psp
can it be possible to have sat internet on my psp instead of using wifi because wifis a real piane
I want to download music into my psp and when I connect it to my PC IT SAYS DEVICE NOT RECOCNIZED
What should I do?
Is there some sort of software I have to download to get the system working?
My sons psp will only work when it is plugged into the wall charger. i have bought a new charger and a new battery
!!! please help i dont want to have to but a new one!!!
i downloaded a psp game and my friend says i need to hack something in order to make it work in my psp…isnt there any other way to make it work? i spend 2 days to download it thru a torrent and plsss do help me!
i downloaded a psp game and my friend says i need to hack something in order to make it work in my psp…isnt there any other way to make it work? i spend 2 days to download it thru a torrent and plsss do help me!
how can i use the internet on my psp?
when i tryed to put music on my psp nuffen came up when i draged the music to the file it said to delete some stuff i did and is still dosent work
pls is it possible to downgrade a psp with sony’s original firmware ver.3.93
pls anyone coild help a brother out do i use pandora batteries??
how do i make one or purchase one??
whre to download d right files??
S.O.S_____aatobi@gmail.com
when i was on my psp and i downloaded a rss for videos. when i went to go see my rss it said “their are no iteams”. what do i do?
hello dave i have a psp slim ver4.05 and i dont know how to copy videos from pc to psp and what folder should i make on the memorystick! please im wating youranswer
how do you dowlode internet on yor psp?
why is it when i download a game it doesnt work on the psp
plz send to my e-mail of how can i activate my psp system..tnx and more power
how do insert a cheat on wwe smackdown vs raw 2007
how can i install game in my psp?
well i have a question well my psp dosent work it works only when the charger is plugged in how to do i make it internal instead of external
Hello i am in europe and want to buy a new game for my psp is it safe to put in an american console.
how do i recharge my psp when i have it on charge nothing happens why?
my psp wont let me play on a 12yrs old game
i have a starwars psp but the analog stick keeps getting stuck and i can get take it out what do i do
When i put my game in and then go to umd it never pops up and it always says unable to read disc i have only had this psp for 4 months and ive tried every game and the games are perfectly fine y is it doin this?
i just downloaded a snes emulattor onto my psp but is dosent ork it says :the game could not be started.(80010002)
could you send me a link to a football manager 2008 update for my psp! cant find any. please help me! thanx dave
hey
dave,i am ralzin and i got a psp1.50(fat)how do i connect internet on my psp can i connect it or not just send me the answer at funkspear@yahoo.com
I have downloaded a video, but I can’t findit on my PSP
I have been trying different ways of downloading music onto the psp for my kids. Each time I plug in the USB, I automatically get “AutoPlay” folder that pulls up and it has different options. It has:
Mixed Content Options
Play using windows media player
transfer music using media import
copy disc
manage music
Import pictures
view pictures using windows
view pictures using windows media center
transfer pictures
import and view your photos
Genereal Options:
open folder for view files
speed up my system
Set Audio Defaults in Control Panel
which do i go under. When i read what you have on your website, i go under different folders. Please help me with these files.
Thank you
can i download games wit 3.90 custom firmwire
hi dave i have a psp version 3.90 i loaded an official demo of the game medal of honour heroes and about 1.5 gigs of video on my psp’s memory card (4gig) and now it turns off before anything appears on and if it loads properly 1 out of 6 times nothing in the settings menu opens up but the internet still works fine its not the stick i tried another please please help???
Okay, everyone knows how iPod has that “Search” feature, so you can search for your music on your iPod. Is there anyway to download that onto your PSP?
will fastloader work on 3.30
i delete my picture folder and now i dont know how to get it back it wont let me stick pics on my psp
when i go to the setting and try to open any thing like system setting my psp hangs up and shut down afterwards. I believe something is wrong with the .rso files. Can anyone help me??
how should i download system software for psp
ok i got my media manager to work but my computer is not recognizing the psp how come this is happening i need step by step??
what is URL
thanks dave
I got my husband a Psp for Christmas and i dont know anything about it do i need a memory stick to be able to download music.
i tried to download the MEDIA MANAGER that i bought from Target but when i tried to open it after installation it said there was an error. i’m so frustrated and confused!!
can you give step by step guides for these?
I DOWNLOADED A GAME DEMO FROM THE SONY WEBSITE (TOTALLY LEGAL) HOW DO I GET IT TO WORK
how com wen i go on a website on my psp it says not enough space on memory stick and then i cant even seee any pics or anything???
Hi there, i would like to ask, “does anybody know if the old psp batterys can be used on the new, slim psps?” If so, do tell me 🙂
Regards,
Dave
How can I play with other players?
HOW CAN I DOWNLOAD A FIRMWARE LIKE 1.50 below?
Looking to buy a playstation portable from America, will i be able to play games from Australia on it?