When the Nintendo Game Boy was released, it shocked console users around the world with its impressive all-day battery life. However, newer handhelds like the PSP could only manage 4 to 6 hours despite featuring lithium-ion battery packs. This is due to the massive increase in CPU and GPU power, which also increased the power draw.
Speaking of power draw, will a PSP still work without the battery? It will, provided you’re using the power adapter and not USB charging. You can play games on the PSP after removing the battery pack and plugging the power in, provided the barrel connector is seated properly.
If your PSP loses AC power for even a few milliseconds, it will shut down in the middle of a game. That’s why you shouldn’t do things like updates with no battery. Even a nearly depleted battery can cover those precious few milliseconds when you lose AC power due to a loose power connector.
Will A PSP Still Work Without The Battery?
On every PSP, there is a little slider switch to the right side that turns on the power. It also has two LED lights next to the slide, these are labeled “Power” and “Hold”. The Power led is how you know if your PSP battery is being charged, it will flash green a couple of times and turn orange.
When you remove the battery and charge your PSP with the AC adapter, this LED won’t turn orange. However, if you slide the switch to its “On” position, you’ll see a green light indicating that your PSP is being powered. Now, you can play normally as long as that power connector doesn’t lose contact.
I recommend securing the connector with your grip, using the palm of your hand to press it into the PSP. You don’t have to apply much force, just enough to keep it seated. If you don’t feel comfortable this way, you can also try reducing your hand movement while playing.
Even the tiniest disruption in power supply will shut down your PSP if it doesn’t have a battery inserted. If you ask me, a replacement battery is well worth it. Unless you have no way of procuring a replacement battery, you shouldn’t use the AC adapter method.
Non-OEM batteries like this one are very cheap. If you want genuine Sony batteries, you can look on eBay. But understand that these will be much more expensive than the 3rd party stuff.
How Can I Use My PSP Without A Battery?
It’s quite simple, all you have to do is plug your PSP into the wall and slide the power switch to its “On” position. Just don’t try to update the firmware or download any games in this state. Or else, you might brick your PSP when the power cuts out.
Should I Remove The Battery From PSP?
Not unless you plan on replacing it. Because a PSP without its battery has limited functionality and can be quite unreliable. You are taking a perfectly good portable console and turning it into a fixed device that is permanently attached to the AC adapter.
Replacement batteries are cheap, and readily available for all PSP models (1000, 2000, 3000). You should only remove the battery if it’s bloated or dead. A bloated PSP battery is quite easy to spot, plus it won’t allow you to properly close the rear cover.
Can You Power A PSP With USB?
You can, as long as you have a mini-B USB cable connected to a source such as a laptop or power bank. The PSP has two modes- USB for file transfer, and USB for charging. It can’t do both at the same time, and you won’t be able to play games while charging your PSP from a USB cable.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you can’t USB charge a PSP that’s turned off. It must be on, so you need a battery that isn’t dead. When your PSP is on, go into the system menu and select USB Connection- On.
Is A PSP As Strong As PS2?
This one is a bit complicated because there are some things the PSP does better while there are other things the PS2 does better. For instance, the PSP has more RAM and a more advanced GPU (owing to it being released 4 years later). However, the PS2 has more VRAM and a faster CPU (MIPS R5900 vs the PSP’s MIPS R4000).
Games on PS2 are designed very differently from games on PSP. They cater to different market segments and don’t compete directly. However, some games were released on both PSP and PS2.
Using these games, we can make a direct graphics comparison between the two consoles. Or at least as direct as possible. Because a game released on PS2 must be ported for PSP, with entirely new code- hence it’s tough to say which one has faster hardware.
GTA Vice City Stories is one game that has both PS2 and PSP versions. Silent Hill: Origins and Persona 2 are more examples of games that are on both consoles. What I can confirm is that the PSP versions look “close enough”, but aren’t quite on the level of the PS2 versions (PS2 also runs at a higher resolution).
Can PSP Overheat?
Like a modern phone, the PSP is passively cooled. It has low-power components and needs to be compact, so the designers chose not to use a fan. And despite this, the PSP doesn’t have heating issues.
Even if you play a lot of AAA games, the PSP shouldn’t overheat. Unless you’re operating it in a hot climate, forcing the battery to discharge rapidly. Sometimes, this high discharge rate can cause the battery to heat up.
Don’t worry if the back of your PSP feels slightly warm to the touch, it’s totally normal while gaming. Issues start once it becomes uncomfortably hot. If your PSP is overheating, try replacing the battery.
If a battery replacement doesn’t fix it, your PSP might have a broken motherboard component that’s causing surges in power delivery. Some of the old PSP models also tend to heat up beyond normal levels when you turn on Wi-Fi.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you understand how your PSP’s charging system works and whether you can run it without a battery. The bottom line is that you should get a replacement battery if you can afford it, as running on AC power alone isn’t very reliable. A power disruption of even 30 to 50 milliseconds can make your PSP shut down.
And this is quite risky if you’re downloading a game or saving your progress to the memory card. Shutting down in the middle of a firmware update can brick your console.