I still remember the days when game consoles and phones used proprietary charging ports. Sony’s first-generation PS Vita was no different, even though it used a USB Type-A interface on the charger end. This made a lot of people consider replacing the original charger brick with their phone charger.
So, can you charge a PS Vita with a phone charger? Only if your phone charger outputs 5V and 1.5A because that is the input power rating for PS Vita. Using modern rapid chargers that output more than 5V will fry your Vita’s internal circuits and damage the battery permanently.
These days, almost all phone chargers output 10V or more. Even though fast charging is the norm, it won’t work on PS Vita. The power delivery and battery on this old console aren’t designed to receive current at such an accelerated rate.
Can You Charge A PS Vita With A Phone Charger?
Technically, yes- because a phone charger works the same as any other charger. It takes 110 or 220V AC power from the wall and converts it to DC at a much lower voltage. Every charger brick contains a few basic components.
First, there is a step-down transformer that takes the high wall voltage and turns it into something more manageable that can be used by your electronic device. Then, you have the rectifier that converts AC to DC. Finally, there is a filtration and regulation circuit that ensures a steady supply of quality power without any fluctuations.
Both the PS Vita charger and your phone charger follow the same process. The only difference is that a modern phone charger outputs higher voltage than a PS Vita charger. Advancements in battery and power supply technology allow the phones of today to go from 0% to 100% within a couple of hours.
However, the Vita takes a lot longer to charge its 2200mAh lithium-ion battery. Because it is only rated for 1.5V at 5V. Which is significantly lower than what you get from even the most basic fast chargers of today.
Hence, you either need an old phone charger or a charger designed for PS Vita. Not to worry, because there are plenty of 3rd party options when it comes to Vita chargers. If your OEM Sony charger is damaged, you can just buy one of those.
And even if you accidentally plug your modern phone charger into a Vita, it won’t work. Because the PCH-1000 series uses a proprietary charging port. And the PCH-2000 series uses micro-USB.
Your phone charger is Type-C (assuming your phone was made in the last 3 to 4 years). Don’t remove the cable, instead, replace it with a Vita micro-USB cable. You will fry your Vita by pushing too much voltage through the circuit.
If you have an old phone made between 2011 and 2015, its charger might be fine for PS Vita. First off, it probably uses micro-USB. Secondly, phones from that era charged at 5V and less than 1.5A (making these old chargers safe for PS Vita).
Can You Charge A PS Vita With USB?
Absolutely, as long as it is a standard USB Type-A port (both 2.0 and 3.0 are fine). It’s a totally different case with USB-PD (Power Delivery), which can deliver 100W or more of power. For reference, PS Vita is equipped with an 8Wh battery that charges at 5V and 1.5amps (7.5W).
No USB-PD cable will plug into a Vita since all of them are Type-C. However, you can get adapters that let you connect a micro-USB device to USB-PD ports. Don’t do that, you will kill your Vita immediately.
Just charge it from a regular 5V USB port and you should be good to go. A 5V USB 2.0 port outputs 0.5A, and a USB 3.0 port can go up to 1A. These will be slower than your PS Vita AC adapter, but they are perfectly safe.
With a wall adapter, your PS Vita should take about 2hrs and 40 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. To charge via USB from a laptop or power bank, make sure your Vita is completely turned off and not in standby mode. Otherwise, it won’t accept USB power (applies to both PCH-1000 and PCH-2000 models).
Can You Charge PS Vita 1000 With A Phone Charger?
Yes, provided your phone charger outputs 5V and 1.5A (less than 1.5A is also fine). This means you’ll need a very old phone charger. Because most phones switched to USB Type-C and fast charging around 2018.
Another thing worth noting is that the PCH-1000 series uses proprietary connectors. So your phone’s micro USB cable won’t work. You need to use the Vita charging cable.
Unplug the regular USB cable from your phone charger and connect the Vita cable. This isn’t necessary if you have a PS Vita Slim because it ditched the proprietary connector and went with micro USB for charging.
How Can I Charge My PS Vita Without The Original Charger?
The easiest option is to buy a replacement made by a 3rd party. As long it’s well-reviewed, you shouldn’t run into any issues. Check the brochure/ specs to see which PS Vita model it’s designed for.
For instance, this charger is meant for the PCH-2000 (Slim) series. You can use PCH-2000 chargers with PCH-1000 Vita consoles, as long as you have the proprietary charging cable used by early Vita models. If you can’t find a replacement charger or don’t have the funds, just use your laptop USB port to charge the Vita.
How Do I Know My PS Vita Is Charging?
If you’re charging via an AC adapter, it’s quite easy to know when your Vita is being charged. You’ll see a charge animation on the battery meter at the top right corner of your screen. The PS Vita also has a status LED next to the power button that glows orange while charging.
There is a Vita logo on the bottom left of the console, underneath the left analog stick. When the battery is completely drained, it will blink orange after you plug in your Vita. During this state, your console won’t turn on even while charging from AC power because the battery is far too weak.
Once the PlayStation button turns solid orange and stops blinking, you can turn on your Vita. It will take longer to charge if you’re playing games. Charging via USB requires your Vita to be completely off, and not on standby (the status LED will still turn orange while charging).
Is it OK To Play PS Vita While Charging?
Yes, but you can only do it with the charger. Not with USB power, because your Vita has to be turned off for that. Normally the Vita takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to charge, but this will get extended if you’re playing games.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you understand how the PS Vita charger works and whether you can replace it with your phone charger. To summarize all that I’ve discussed so far, you can only use an old phone charger that outputs 5V and up to 1.5A. Modern ones with fast charging will damage your Vita, as they deliver too much voltage (Vita shouldn’t charge at more than 7.5W).
Old Vita models (PCH-1000) have a proprietary charger port. Sony replaced this with a standard micro-USB port starting with the PCH-2000 series (also known as PS Vita Slim). If you have an OLED Vita, you’ll also need the proprietary charging cable if you wish to charge it from your phone charger.