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Getting a PSP before a business trip. What do I need to know?

NamrokNamrok Registered User regular
edited July 2008 in Games and Technology
Top questions I have are:

I see memory sticks everywhere. What do I even use them for? Do I NEED one in order to save my game?
I see lot of them on craigslist with hacked firmware. I'm A-OK with just the normal firmware. How would I go about putting normal firmware on them, and would I risk bricking it?
Old model VS new model, how important is it?

First game I'm picking up is Portable Ops. It's actually already on its way. I'm moderately tempted to pick up the God of War bundle. How decent a game is God of War on the PSP?

Hmmm, lets see, anything else.

Oh yeah, not really any sort of deal breaker, but how is the PSP -> PS3 connectivity? I hear about it every now and again. I know you can buy PS1 games or just regular PSP games off of PSN and load them onto it. Is that what the memory sticks are for?

Namrok on

Posts

  • WillethWilleth Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    God of War on PSP is excellent. I highly recommend it.

    You will need a stick for gamesaves. AFAIK they come with one. The size you need deends on what you're using it for. I have about seven games and I have a 128MB stick.

    Your other questions I can't really answer, I'm afraid.

    Willeth on
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  • sackofjoysackofjoy Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I'm pretty sure you need a memory stick for saved games. Plus its alright for listening to music(I find the battery lasts alot longer than my iPod) but if you want to look for other songs you have to stop the one you're listening to. Brutal. Anyway, I don't think I can say much about the firmware unless you PM me and I dont have a PS3 soo ya no help there either.

    sackofjoy on
    [ Steam: sackofjoy ] [ Xbox: sackofjoy ]
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I personally have 2GB stick and it's wonderful. I have a few of my own movies burned onto the stick, and some music. So if I get bored of a game I can pull up an episode of King of Queens or The Simpsons and relax.

    My friend, who is a God of War whore, said that God of War PSP cramped his hand pretty badly. But he's got some pretty big hands (I didn't play it because I have no interest in the GoW series). What kind of games are you into?

    Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, Jeanne d'Arc, and Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core are all games I recommend if you're into RPGs/Tactical RPGs.

    urahonky on
  • BigDesBigDes Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Bear in mind that you can beat God of War in about four hours. SO you may run out of carnage. The Warriors is a pretty good game in the same mold(ish). Also the games that Urahonky has suggested and MArvel Ultimate Alliance is fun as well.

    BigDes on
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  • sackofjoysackofjoy Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    urahonky wrote: »
    I personally have 2GB stick and it's wonderful. I have a few of my own movies burned onto the stick, and some music. So if I get bored of a game I can pull up an episode of King of Queens or The Simpsons and relax.

    *snip*

    Oh yes the movies. I was able to pull off nearly five hours of South Park on this thing.

    sackofjoy on
    [ Steam: sackofjoy ] [ Xbox: sackofjoy ]
  • HarakhtiHarakhti Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Pressing 'Home' will let you browse the XMB while listening to music. Can't play music while gaming or browsing the web though. Yes, you need a memory stick to save games or music or anything.

    You might be better off buying the Daxter bundle if you can find it. It comes with Daxter, Family Guy UMD and a 1GB memory stick. GoW bundle doesn't come with a memory stick but you can probably get one for cheap anyway so.. well there yah go.

    Remote Play on the PS3 lets you stream media and play games from your PS3. It only works with select games and even then the latency will probably kill any enjoyment.. but slower games, like strategy, rpg games, would work. I was playing Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1 disc) from the PS3 -> PSP while doing chores around the house.

    You can also set audio output to PS3 or PSP. So you can use the PSP as a remote while listening to music. A feature I use quite frequently to save lamp hours on the projector.

    Harakhti on
  • liquidloganliquidlogan Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    You need a memory stick to save games. Absolutely necessary.

    You will not brick your PSP using official firmware. There are two ways to update: via software (i.e. a game) or via system update on the PSP menu. The best way to do this in my opinion is the system update in the PSP XMB (cross media bar). What you need to do is have your PSP attached to a wireless internet connection (a hotspot will do), click on the "System Update" logo on the far left and it will download and install the appropriate update from Sony's fileservers. You probably don't really need to worry about it for Portable Ops, but its definitely something you want to get eventually.

    Get the Slim over the older model. Its lighter and I find the battery lasts longer. Plus there are the bundles.

    Now, the bundles you need to consider. Everything I'm about to tell you is Canadian pricing, fyi. All these bundles are the slim PSP

    169.99 - PSP Core -- Black system, charger
    199.99 - Daxter Pack - Silver system, charger, 5 episodes of Family Guy on a UMD, Daxter (game), 1 GB memory stick [This is the bundle I have and its the one I recommend when anyone comes in the store buying for their kids or something because it has everything you ned to get you started)
    199.99 - Star Wars bundle - White system, charger, Star Wars: Renegade Squadron
    199.99 - God of War bundle - Red system, charger, God of War, Superbad UMD

    God of War is a great game but considering you need to buy a memory stick anyways, buy the Daxter pack and look for God of War preowned down the line.

    In terms of PSP -> PS3 connectivity, I'd say its limited at best. THere was a bunch of hype for the functionality between games but, like I said, its limited. THe only thing I would consider useful is the ability to download demos off of PSN and transfer them to your PSP. The PS1 stuff is really not that enticing for me especially since the PSP lacks an analogue stick and the L2/R2 buttons.

    liquidlogan on
  • BigDesBigDes Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    WHat's the Crisis Core bundle like?

    BigDes on
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  • WillethWilleth Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    You will not brick your PSP using official firmware.

    Not even if you are upgrading from hacked firmware to official?

    Willeth on
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    @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
  • sackofjoysackofjoy Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Willeth wrote: »
    You will not brick your PSP using official firmware.

    Not even if you are upgrading from hacked firmware to official?

    You will need to remove the hacked and set it back to firmware 1 or 1.5 (if I remember correct) then update with official. For the most part they've got it unbrickable.
    Edit:
    Theres a utility for getting it to 1 or 1.5

    sackofjoy on
    [ Steam: sackofjoy ] [ Xbox: sackofjoy ]
  • HarakhtiHarakhti Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    NA never got the Crisis Core bundle. EU is getting it however. Boooo

    There's a rom in the battery that'll boot factory firmware if it's ever corrupted or some such. I'll have to look it up again..

    Harakhti on
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I have a question.

    I have a PSP slim.



    It supports TV output for games and other media.


    So I follow the instructions in the manual and go out and buy the damn component cables. I hook it up to my monitor. I tell the system to output in widescreen, progressive scan. The menu shows up on the screen all right.

    Then I load Daxter.


    Is the game only supposed to take up about 45% of the center of the screen?

    This is terrible. There's an enormous black border all the way around the gameplay screen. Enormous.


    Is that just how it works? Is there any way to fix that?

    Or are we stuck waiting for Sony to update the firmware to fix this? This sucks. I'm taking the component cables back, I think. $20. For huge black borders. Pfft.

    slash000 on
  • NamrokNamrok Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I'm probably not going to bother buying a used PSP anyways. I've always been leery about used portable hardware. And most people are asking for all kinds of bullshit prices. $200 for a used PSP with a bunch of accessories I don't care about? Good luck with that. I only asked about the hacked firmware thing because it seems EVERY used PSP has hacked firmware, which I'd attempt to get rid of in short order because I don't want to have to worry about maintaining it, or how various updates and games might jack it up.

    I'd get the Daxter pack, except I don't want Daxter and I do want God of War. Thanks for the input about the memory cards though.

    Good info everybody, thanks.

    Namrok on
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Isn't there a God of War pack?

    slash000 on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    slash000 wrote: »
    I have a question.

    I have a PSP slim.



    It supports TV output for games and other media.


    So I follow the instructions in the manual and go out and buy the damn component cables. I hook it up to my monitor. I tell the system to output in widescreen, progressive scan. The menu shows up on the screen all right.

    Then I load Daxter.


    Is the game only supposed to take up about 45% of the center of the screen?

    This is terrible. There's an enormous black border all the way around the gameplay screen. Enormous.


    Is that just how it works? Is there any way to fix that?

    Or are we stuck waiting for Sony to update the firmware to fix this? This sucks. I'm taking the component cables back, I think. $20. For huge black borders. Pfft.

    Yeah that's what happens to me too. It's the resolution the PSP outputs at. It's not nearly as big as your TV. I was able to use the Zoom function on my TV to zoom in and get rid of some of the borders, but it made the picture look worse.

    urahonky on
  • UncleChetUncleChet N00b Lancaster, PARegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    I've had the daxter bundle, and now have the GoW bundle. I like the red PSP a lot more. I bought a 4g memory stick for like 40$ off of newegg and I've got a LOT of space to fill. The GoW game is very pretty, but I'm so tired of quick time events that I'm not playing it. I am playing crisis core adn it's a very good game, and nice to look at as well. The official firmware is up to 4.01 and it's available via network update. Getting set up on wireless is a breeze.

    The PSP>PS3 connectivity is limited but cool. We've tried FF7 on it and it worked fine. If there were more PS3 games that supported it, I'm sure I'd use it more.

    UncleChet on
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  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    RE: urahonky, PSP tv ouput

    Good Lord.

    My monitor is telling me that the resolution it's taking in is 480p, too. I'm guessing that the resolution of the actual gameplay screen is the same as that of the PSP, which is 480x272, right?

    So it's outputting at 480p, but only 480x272 of that 480p resolution is taken up by the game.

    Dammit.


    I'm taking these cables back, this is ridiculous.


    The sad thing is that there is custom firmware allowing for full screen tv output on the slim. And on composite, svid, component, or terminal at that, rather than just the latter 2 types.


    I'd even be happy if my monitor would do the zoom or scaling for me, but it doesn't. I don't mind jaggies. I'm the one asking for a portable game on a large monitor, I know it's not going to look like a PS3 game. If jaggies or graphics on a large screen were an issue with me, I wouldn't have bought the output cables in the first place.

    I'll take my $20 back and buy something fun in its place.

    slash000 on
  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Dude, you're taking a handheld that has a native resolution of 480x272 and plugging it into a TV that has, at minimum, a resolution of 1280x720. It can't work miracles. If you scaled game anymore than it is already, the blockiness would be out of control.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »
    Dude, you're taking a handheld that has a native resolution of 480x272 and plugging it into a TV that has, at minimum, a resolution of 1280x720. It can't work miracles. If you scaled game anymore than it is already, the blockiness would be out of control.

    Presumably one hooking up a 272 screen to a large monitor understands the fact that there will be jaggies; it follows that one who proceeds, knowing that, doesn't care about jaggies. Me? Don't care about them at all. I've played PS1 games on this monitor, and PS1 games are even less resolute than the PSP. Heck, I have played a regular amount of Virtual console NES and TG16 games on a 42 inch plasma, and those are even less resolute than a PS1. Doesn't bother me. The blockiness is by no means out of control in my opinion. All I ask is that, at the 480p resolution it's outputting, it gives me the option to actually make it full screen; or at least nearly full screen. But right now, we're talking ~40% of the frickin' screen. That's unacceptable.

    slash000 on
  • NamrokNamrok Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Actually, I do have a few more questions concerning playing PS1 games on the PSP.

    I know you can download certain PS1 games off of PSN. I also hear you can insert a PS1 game into the PS3, and play it on the PSP using remote play.

    Can you transfer PS1 games, either bought off PSN or inserted into the PS3, to a memory stick and play them without remote play, using legit firmware?

    Namrok on
  • BigDesBigDes Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Namrok wrote: »
    Actually, I do have a few more questions concerning playing PS1 games on the PSP.

    I know you can download certain PS1 games off of PSN. I also hear you can insert a PS1 game into the PS3, and play it on the PSP using remote play.

    Can you transfer PS1 games, either bought off PSN or inserted into the PS3, to a memory stick and play them without remote play, using legit firmware?

    I think so, I kow you can do this from the PC version of the Playstation store.

    BigDes on
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  • HarakhtiHarakhti Registered User regular
    edited June 2008
    Only PSN bought titles. You can't transfer PS1 disc games unfortunately.

    Harakhti on
  • Eggplant WizardEggplant Wizard Little Rock, ARRegistered User regular
    edited June 2008
    The USB charge feature is gimped. You'll need to lug around the wall charger or look into a 3rd-party solution.

    Eggplant Wizard on
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  • zychizychi Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I was wondering if anyone could help me put custom firmware on my gow slim psp. There's a bunch things I would like to try out on the psp (backing up movies,and games i own to make the umd drive last longer). I have everything set up, but I can't for the life of me make a magic memory stick with vista. Any help is much appreciated.

    zychi on
  • greeblegreeble Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I don't think you don't need custom firmware to scale video, it just can't scale the games.

    greeble on
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  • PratleyPratley Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Movies are supposed to play fine on tvs, its just games that look retarded, which is sad when you consider things like the gameboy player.

    If you only need a memory card for your gamesaves you can usually pick up a 32 meg one used at gamestop for $10 or less (I think 7.99 was the price I remember seeing). The 1 gig one is alright if you want a dozen mp3s and a couple tv episodes plus your game saves. If you want any full movies along with your other stuff, you need at least the 2 gig one. Those will run you around 30-40 dollars (again at gamestop or best buy, I tend to not buy a lot of gaming stuff online).

    God of War looks really good, but as people have said, it's short. I would still recommend the god of war bundle over the daxter one. It's supposed to come with a superbad umd (if thats your thing) and a voucher for syphon filter or something silly off the psnetwork. Slims are so much better than the originals. Something like half the weight, tv out option (for what its worth...) and it just feels nicer. If you dont mind the heavy brick though, it'll do its job.

    Another positive of traveling with a psp is that you will develop a sixth sense for ac outlets. You will develop a nerve in your brain that will hunger for the familiar hum of a wall outlet when you enter a room and mentally mark it down for the inevitable time when your battery dies. You will be sitting in a diner cradling the lifeless hulk of a gaming handheld, casting furtive glances at the waitress as your hand snakes under the table to plug into the wall and steal the precious, precious electricity within.

    Oh, you might also want to invest in a second battery if you plan to travel a lot.

    Pratley on
  • RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    It's also worth noting that if you're interested in downloading PS1 games to your PSP, that the Japanese Playstation Store has a vastly better selection of games than the US store. Apparently, you can access it with a US PSP via a Japanese account and a prepaid Asian points card (attainable from Play-Asia or other import sites). Among the games that are available include such gems as Einhander, Biohazard 2, Um Jammer Lammy, Xenosaga, Alundra, and Arc the Lad 1-3.

    RainbowDespair on
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I find Daxter to be .. ehh... okay. I think I would enjoy God of War Chains of Olympus more than Daxter.


    The tv output thing still irks me to no end. Yes, movies output fullscreen, I think. But I don't care about that. I care about outputting the gameplay screen. Which is tiny.

    slash000 on
  • BamelinBamelin Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I bought the Daxter Pack myself -- I felt it offered a better bang for the buck as it included the 1 Gig memory card and I liked the silver colour as well.

    With that said, it looks like i'm going to have to get a larger memory card regardless, so I can get more movies on the stick.

    All in all I'm very happy with my PSP. I'm finding I use it alot more than I did my DS, the LCD screen really does put out a beautiful picture.

    Kind of a funny related story ... my wife started gaming thanks to the PSP ... she has been totally sucked into Crisis Core. She's never played a FF game before (any game really), I noticed Sephiroth in one of the cut scenes.

    I asked her who the guy with the silver hair was.

    She said with no hint of sarcasm "Oh he's one of my friends"

    D:

    Bamelin on
  • PratleyPratley Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Bamelin wrote: »
    I bought the Daxter Pack myself -- I felt it offered a better bang for the buck as it included the 1 Gig memory card and I liked the silver colour as well.

    With that said, it looks like i'm going to have to get a larger memory card regardless, so I can get more movies on the stick.

    All in all I'm very happy with my PSP. I'm finding I use it alot more than I did my DS, the LCD screen really does put out a beautiful picture.

    Kind of a funny related story ... my wife started gaming thanks to the PSP ... she has been totally sucked into Crisis Core. She's never played a FF game before (any game really), I noticed Sephiroth in one of the cut scenes.

    I asked her who the guy with the silver hair was.

    She said with no hint of sarcasm "Oh he's one of my friends"

    D:

    That poor, poor girl.

    Pratley on
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