PSP / PlayStation Portable 2000 Specifications

The PSP-2000 was the first redesign of Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld gaming console. Slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, it first launched in 2007. Its specifications were even more impressive than the slightly thicker original (see the list below), but what did that mean, exactly? We break it down.

PSP on the Outside

Sony's PSP-2000 model was the most powerful handheld game console when it launched, and thanks to its redesign, it was lighter and smaller in size, leading Sony to market it in many countries as the "PSP Slim & Lite." It was also the nicest looking, with a sleek, rounded industrial design aesthetic. The button configuration matched that of its big brother, the PlayStation 3, except the PSP only had one shoulder button on each side and had only a single analog nub instead of the PS3's dual sticks.

PSP's Sights and Sounds

The PSP's screen was larger than other handhelds, with a higher resolution, so playing games and watching movies was a visual feast. The stereo sound wasn't especially loud through the built-in speakers (third-party manufacturers offered small external speakers to make up for it), but with headphones on you could hear every sound effect and crank up the volume to buffet your eardrums.

Multimedia for PSP

Games and movies were available on Sony's UMD (Universal Media Disc) format and are DVD quality, according to Sony. There was also a Memory Stick slot for a Memory Stick Duo or Pro Duo. The PSP could playback audio and video saved on a PSP-formatted Memory Stick and could display saved photos or other image files. Each firmware update supported more audio, graphics, and video formats, expanding the possibilities.

PSP Power

A lithium-ion battery pack offered a decent length of playtime (playing graphics-intensive games or movies drains a battery faster than playing music with the screen dark). The AC adaptor allowed you to play and charge the battery at the same time.

PSP Hardware Specifications

Here's all the technical info about what the PSP-2000 had inside and out:

• Color: Piano black, mystic silver (with Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters entertainment pack), ceramic white
• Dimensions: 6.7"/170 mm wide x 2.9"/74 mm high x .9"/23 mm deep
• Weight: .62 lbs/280 g (including battery)
• CPU: PSP CPU (1-333 MHz)
• Memory: 64 MB Main Memory, 4 MB embedded DRAM
• Display: 4.3", 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD screen, 480 x 272 pixels, 16.77 million colors, maximum luminance 180/130/80 cd/m2 (when using battery pack), maximum luminance 200/180/130/ 80 cd/m2 (when using AC adaptor)
• Sound: Built-in stereo speakers, headset connector
• Connectors, Ports, and Drives: IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi), USB 2.0 (mini-B), AV out, Memory Stick Duo, DC in 5V connector, headset connector, UMD drive (Read only)
• Buttons and Switches: D-pad, analog nub, triangle, circle, cross, square, right and left shoulder, Start, Select, Home, Power/Hold, display brightness, sound, volume up, volume down, and wireless LAN on/off
• Power: Lithium-ion battery, AC adaptor
• Access control: UMD region coding, parental control

UMD (Universal Media Disc) Specifications

Here are the specifications for the PSP-2000's UMD format:

• Dimensions: 65 mm tall x 64 mm wide x 4.2 mm deep, 60 mm disc diameter
• Weight: 10 g
• Capacity: 1.8 GB (single-sided, dual layer)
• Wavelength: 660 nm (red laser)
• Encryption: AES 128-bit

(Source: Sony Computer Entertainment)