Your PSP Can Do Much More Than Play Video Games

There's more than one reason to buy a PSP

By
Niko Silvester
Niko Silvester
Writer
  • Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
Niko Silvester is a former freelance contributor for Lifewire and a video game junkie who draws her own comics when she's not playing games on her PSP.
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Updated on February 25, 2020

Most people buy a PlayStation Portable (PSP) to play games, but what if you're not sure you need another game system? What do you do with the PSP until that one game you've been waiting for comes out? Just like its big brother, the PlayStation 3, the PSP can do more than just play games.

Some of the PSP's extra features are more useful than others, but it's cool that it has them at all, and each new system update adds new features to play with.

Listen to Music

With a PC, a USB cable, and a memory stick, you can transfer your music to your PSP and listen on the road. It may not be a big deal if you already have an MP3 player, except that instead of having separate machines for games and music, with the PSP you only carry one. You'll probably need a bigger memory stick than the one that comes in the box, but they're getting cheaper every day.

Watch Movies

Movies in the PSP's discontinued UMD format are pretty scarce these days, although you can find old flicks super cheap. Regardless, the PSP makes a nifty portable movie player. You can either buy movies on UMD​ or transfer your DVD movies onto a memory stick. The PSP's screen might seem too small for movie-watching, but it's super sharp, and the audio is great with headphones.

Look at Pictures

Download and view photos or any other images in a supported format with a memory stick. You can zoom, rotate, and move pictures, and even view them as a slideshow. It's an easy way to show your relatives your latest digital snapshots without needing a computer. You can even transfer photos from your PSP onto your mother's PC. The possibilities of using the PSP as a portable portfolio for artists and designers take it into the world of business.

Surf the Web

Since system firmware version 2.0, an internet browser has been one of the PSP's features. The keyboard might take a while to get used to, but if you've ever sent a text message on your cell phone, you shouldn't have any difficulty. You might not want to bother with web surfing at home on your PSP, especially if you have a desktop or laptop computer handy, but if you're out of the house, you can access any open wireless points. Why lug around a laptop when all you need is your PSP?

See in the Dark

You might consider this a stretch, but the PSP's bright screen comes in handy on occasions, such as when you are trying to read without adequate lighting or when you're looking for something in dark room in which your roommate is sleeping. 

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