this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2026
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So today's article I wrote is just me plodding along wondering out loud why the Sony PSP has become so popular again all of a sudden.

I mean, clearly "so popular" is an exaggeration in the grand scheme of things, these are no-doubt extremely small numbers compared to other handhelds available. Scrolling social media really has shown a lot of them on feeds for me in 2026.

If you're interested in why I think they're showing up more lately, then read on with my article. I go through a reason in each 'section', but If you've got your own ideas, I'd love to hear them below here. Oh and if you're thinking:

"hey there's no in-depth investigative journalism here, it just looks like they wanted an excuse to write about the PSP!!!"

...you'd be right. I've been obsessed with them lately. This is my 4th PSP article in a very short time. I do so love them!

Anyway, if you want to see some old PSP TV ads, some nostalgia, and want to chat about PSPs (plz do), then here's the link:

https://gardinerbryant.com/psp-in-2026/

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[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The Vita also rips (arguably more) ass, as it does everything the PSP does and more, it’s also the easiest console to hack there has ever been. I picked up a Japanese one for like 90 bucks and it’s one of the best all around devices there is.

[–] Omegamanthethird@lemmy.world 1 points 31 minutes ago (2 children)

Hacking it also let's you swap O and X for canceling and selecting. To my knowledge, that's the only downside of getting a Japanese Vita.

[–] musubibreakfast@lemmy.world 1 points 9 minutes ago

O is maru, X is batsu. Maru = circle for yes and X = Batsu for incorrect. Japanese people make the same gestures with their arms to signal if something is right or wrong. It's funny that they changed it for the west, I wonder what would've happened if they didn't

[–] NotASharkInAManSuit@lemmy.world 1 points 22 minutes ago

That’s a two second fix.

[–] R00bot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 hour ago

Touching on the burnout section of the article, it's not quite as cool as the PSP but I've been playing a lot on my Switch 2 as a form of digital detox as well. I put limits on all the addictive apps on my phone, and downright uninstalled most of them, so when I'm itching for dopamine my phone can't give me it's nice to turn to a game console. The switch 2 also doesn't have notifications or egregious game updates. Currently playing through factorio and having a blast just kinda ... ignoring the state of the world.

[–] goodboyjojo@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah I have a psp. It's an impressive little console that's almost like a ps2 on the go. Plus it's very easy to jailbreak. The funniest thing about the psp is the marketing video with one guy singing about wanting a psp for Christmas.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Even if you're on the 'wrong' firmware, a jailbreak takes a matter of minutes these days! Add in the ability to use expanded batteries (I have a 1400 mAh in mine), adapter cards to use micro SD in the 'shape' of the proprietary memory stick duos, all those games and you've got a wonderful machine!

[–] innermachine@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Wow. I had a psp way back and I can't remember what happened to it , gave it away or lost it. Came across a ps vita and jail broke it and it's awesome. Maybe if I see a psp crop up on eBay or marketplace I'll have to scoop I had no idea you could expand the battery!

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I've always wanted one. From when they first came out, to now. I just don't know which one I want to eventually get, or in what color.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Ahhhh let me shamelessly share my own article on my preferred method of buying one these days:

https://gardinerbryant.com/i-bought-a-junk-psp-from-japan-heres-how-it-went/

I'd recommend the PSP-2000. They have twice the RAM of the 1000, better battery life, and (to me) they feel a little heftier in a good way over the 3000.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

What model has the best sound/speakers?

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

The only one to really avoid is the PSP-Street (the 'budget' console, it only came with one speaker), so the ones to go for are pretty much the 2000 or 3000, from what I know they used the same speakers, 3.5mm jack, etc. And for the best possible sound (obv), using headphones really works wonders on these

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)
[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world -1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Oh come on. Is it really that annoying for you that I said 'everyone'? Do you really think I meant everyone alive has bought one?

Jesus this is just so petty.

[–] IEatDaFeesh@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

You responded to the tamest criticism with the most dramatic response. Ya gotta be like teflon dawg.

[–] lath@piefed.social 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

PPSSPP because I can't trust second hand dealers anymore.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Why not? Are they selling broken stuff now or something?

[–] lath@piefed.social 1 points 1 hour ago

Or something.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I got a PSP in 2012 when I found out how easy they were to jailbreak. It was great, but my Steam Deck made it obsolete. I gave it away.

[–] PerfectDark@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Funny. I haven't really picked my Steam Deck up in a couple months now, but having bought a few PSPs they're all I'm picking up to play these days.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

The smaller form factor and better battery life are advantages, but the small screen isn't great for my old eyes.

[–] Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (4 children)

EVERYONE is getting one? Bruh, that is simply not the case, don't make stuff up just to sensationalize for clicks and engagementc just because your TikTok algorithm started showing you more PSP stuff. You're literally just spreading your TikTok garbage over to here now trying to make Fetch happen. Be better man, for real.

[–] bruhaha@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

If Dash says "everyone's getting one," who are you to determine who belongs in that set or if Dash's lived experience and perceived uptick in PSP purchases is invalid? It's Dash's observation that many people are suddenly picking up used PSPs. Chill the heck out, my dawg. Comments like this make the world a genuinely worse place to be.

[–] traxex@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 hours ago

I don’t think people who say “everyone” ever literally means “everyone”. It’s a niche and the hype around old devices is real so the author is just commenting on it. I get hating sensationalized titles but this really isn’t as terrible as you are making it out to be.

[–] SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 7 points 6 hours ago

Everybody was not, in fact, kung-fu fighting.

[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 1 points 6 hours ago

before making stupid comments like this, read my article "why everyone is stocking up on sand": https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ

[–] roserose56@lemmy.zip 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Bro I being thinking of jailbreaking my pspp after I did my Nintendo Wii, but laziness keeps me back.

[–] moncharleskey@lemmy.zip 7 points 8 hours ago (4 children)

It's so ridiculously easy now for PSP. Fifteen minutes should handle it no problem.

[–] roserose56@lemmy.zip 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 18 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (5 children)

I felt weird/guilty using mine in public, like staring down at a little rectangle was unsocial or bad for you or something…

Turns out, it’s more like digital detox! It would be cool these days.

Ugh, where is it!? I know I still have mine.

[–] grueling_spool@sh.itjust.works 23 points 11 hours ago

Staring at a little screen that brings you entertainment & joy: 😡

Staring at a little screen that fills you with anger, dread, and despair: 🤩

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[–] popcar2@piefed.ca 17 points 12 hours ago (7 children)

Last year I bought a PS Vita and I'd highly recommend that instead if you can find one for cheap! The Vita can natively run PSP games via Adrenaline, and you get the advantage of Vita games and homebrew (and a better screen).

That said, I'm a long time PSP Go lover. It's basically the PSP in a smaller, pocketable form factor. I would absolutely get that if you can get your hands on one.

[–] idunnololz@lemmy.world 1 points 38 minutes ago* (last edited 38 minutes ago)

I have RetroArch on my Vita as well so I can play GBA or other games as well.

[–] xspurnx@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 hours ago

Hacking it us a breeze and you can do so much stuff with it. Pretty active Dev scene also. Has become my favorite handheld, Vita is life.

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[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 7 points 10 hours ago

Man, I gotta check how the battery for my PSP3000 is, and the microSD card on it. The internals work perfectly, those two things are the only ones that seem likely to give out anytime soon. My little buddy is 14yo now. I don't think I ever played any of the 3 UMD games that came with it, I immediately jailbroke it after purchase

It’s not “retro” in the same way a much older console is. It’s closer, more relatable, and maybe more importantly, more usable. It still fits into modern life without needing to be explained.

I think this is something extremely important. Looking at stuff from 20 years ago was much different when the current year was 2006 - we'd be looking at the mid 80s. Computers of the 80s and even the early 90s became obsolete fast, whatever you had in 2006, even if it was 4 years old at the time, felt light years ahead of anything from 1986 and would be internet capable.

Games from the 80s were also comparably "archaic", as the hardware limitations were much more significant and several then current games could never happen in that old hardware (NES, C64, ZX Spectrum, Amiga 500), and that's ignoring graphical complexity. Meanwhile, a number of current day games could exist in 2006, so long as the graphics were appropriately scaled down (Total War games being a perfect example).

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