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Sony's PSP system, though recently supplanted by the newer PS Vita, is still a popular handheld video gaming console with an extensive library of games. Read the steps below to learn how to play games on your PSP for free.
Steps
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Purchase a memory stick. PSP games come on small discs called UMD (Universal Media Disc), the games you will download are images of this discs called ISOs so you will need a Memory Stick (MS) to store this games. The memory Stick supported by the PSP is the PRO-DUO, but you can also use Micro SD cards with PRO-DUO adaptors. The PSP recognizes up to 32GB of memory. Make sure you get a large stick you can have more games at the same time.
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Format your PSP memory stick using the following steps.
- Find and remove the lid on the left side of your PSP and insert the MS facing up.
- Press the PSP "Home" button at the bottom-left of your PSP (it has a the PlayStation logo).
- Use the cursor buttons to go to "Settings" and then go to the "System Settings" menu.
- Select the "Format Memory Stick" option.
- Confirm your action by choosing "Yes" in the menu that appears. Your PSP device will then format the memory stick (it should only take a few seconds).
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Find out what firmware you have installed. The firmware is the operating system that your PSP uses to store files and execute functions. In order to play downloaded games (ISOs) you will need to "hack" your PSP, this process is explained below but first you need to know which firmware you have:
- Click "Home."
- Browse to and select "Settings."
- Open the "System Settings" menu.
- Select the "System Information" option. The firmware version will be displayed on your screen.
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Learn about homebrew. Homebrew applications are programs (such as games and emulators for old game systems) that are written by individual programmers and usually distributed for free to anyone who wants them. The downside of running homebrew programs on your PSP is that it requires hacking your PSP's firmware so that it'll allow unlicensed programs.
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Know what you're getting into. Hacking your PSP's firmware isn't a big legal deal to anybody, but custom firmware can occasionally impede your ability to run some commercial games properly. Although the homebrew community is always improving in reliability and compatibility, the problem still exists. Back up all of your save files and other electronically stored data onto a second memory stick before you proceed, just in case.
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Updating your PSP system to latest official firmware. You either have an official firmware or a custom firmware. The latest official firmware for the PSP is the version 6.61. If you have anything under 6.60 it's highly recommended you update it since new games do not work on older firmwares. So go to Sony's official website and download the latest firmware , they have a very detailed guide there to help you on the update process. After your system software is 6.60 you good install a Custom firmware (CFW).
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Acquire custom firmware. The best CFW for the PSP is called "PRO", No matter what PSP model you have (1000/2000/3000/e1000 or Go!) All work with the same PRO CFW. This is how to install it:
- Download the 6.60 PRO-C fix3 CFW. There is a newer version called C2 but it has a bug which makes PSN games unplayable so it's recommended to stick with PRO-C fix3.
- Enter USB mode. Navigate to your PSP's “Settings” menu and select “USB mode.” Connect the PSP to your computer with a USB cable and open it up on your desktop. Be sure your empty memory card is still in the PSP. Navigate to the root file of the memory card.
- Copy the firmware. The firmware comes with 3 folders (PRO Update, CPL Flasher, and Fast recover), Copy this 3 folders inside the "PSP\GAME\" folder of your Memory Stick.
- Leave USB mode. Disconnect your PSP from your computer and exit USB mode by selecting the appropriate option. You can get rid of the files on your computer now, if you want.
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Install the custom firmware. Go to your PSP's menu screen and select the “Game/Memory Stick” option. From there, select the “PRO Update” icon. Press X to launch the firmware.
- Imprint the firmware. Once you've installed the homebrew firmware, you'll need to either permanently imprint it or know how to restore it so you can use it to play homebrew games. The method you'll use depends on the model number of your PSP.
- For 1000-series and 2000-series models, navigate to the “Game/Memory Stick” menu and select the “CIPL Flasher” icon. Press X once it runs to make your firmware update permanent.
- For 3000-series and GO-series models, security countermeasures prevent you from permanently imprinting the firmware. However, you can run the PSP's Fast Recovery utility each time you start your PSP to restore the custom firmware for that section.
- Imprint the firmware. Once you've installed the homebrew firmware, you'll need to either permanently imprint it or know how to restore it so you can use it to play homebrew games. The method you'll use depends on the model number of your PSP.
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Get homebrew games. Now that everything is up and running smoothly, an Internet search for “PSP homebrew games” should yield plentiful results. Many of these games are emulated versions of older games for other systems, but there are some custom-designed games available, too.
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Know what you're getting into. Video game piracy isn't usually prosecuted as viciously as music or film piracy, but that's no guarantee you won't get into trouble. Your risk is fairly low, but the only way to avoid legal trouble for sure is to buy PSP games on the up and up. When you pirate them instead, you're taking a chance.
- In the case of smaller releases, you're probably also hurting the bottom line of the game's developer and/or publisher. Think twice before pirating unusual or original games if you wish developers would release more of them.
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Download PSP games. There are two basic ways to find PSP game files and download them to your computer.
- Torrent game files. You can learn how to torrent
elsewhere on this site, but in brief, you'll need a program for running torrents, a torrent file of the game you want, and some time to let the program collect a copy of the game from other users. You shouldn't have to pay for the torrent or the program.
- Use torrent aggregators to search many libraries of torrent files at once. Select the files that have the most positive reviews attached to them, to ensure that you aren't actually downloading something you don't want.
- Download games directly. There are a number of websites on the World Wide Web that offer PSP game downloads for free. Keep clicking through until you find a link to a download (typically offsite at a file hosting service such as uploaded.net or mega.co.nz), and click through to activate it.
- Generally speaking, the proper file extension for PSP game files is .iso. Make sure that the file you download either is an ISO file, or contains one (in the case of ZIP and RAR archive files). Never run or download any files with the EXE extension.
- Torrent game files. You can learn how to torrent
elsewhere on this site, but in brief, you'll need a program for running torrents, a torrent file of the game you want, and some time to let the program collect a copy of the game from other users. You shouldn't have to pay for the torrent or the program.
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Transfer games from your computer to your PSP. Enter USB mode (as described above) and connect the PSP to your computer. Copy game files from your computer to the PSP memory stick folder to load them onto the system.
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Play the game. Play your new game by going to the "Game" menu and selecting the game that you want to play from your memory card.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWould EmuParadise downloaded games work? If so, where specifically do I put the game's ISO? Do I just paste it anywhere on the memory stick folder?Community AnswerYes, but only on Custom Firmware. ISO's are placed in the ISO folder on root of Memory Stick. Create a folder if you haven't.
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QuestionMy PSP is on 6.61, so this custom firmware doesn't work. Where can I find custom firmware for 6.61?Community AnswerThere is a new way to install on 6.61 called Infinity. Infinity itself is not a custom firmware, it is just a permanent patch to give your PSP access to compatible custom firmware, with built-in functionality for both PRO and ME.
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QuestionAre there any specific sites from where I can download PSP games?Community AnswerYes. Emuparadise is virus free (June 20th, 2016) and has plenty of PSP games on there.
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