PS2X?

[bicostp]

I don't want to hear "get a DS", because I'm not interested in one. It may be cheaper but it's got weaker hardware, lower screen resolution, and by the time you buy the appropriate hardware, you've probably spent as much as a PSP costs. Besides the only DS game I can think of that is even remotely interesting is Trauma Center, and I don't believe it's worth the $130 it muct cost for the game and the console.

I'm not getting a DS and you're not going to convince me otherwise. If you are only going to post something like "PSP sux get a DS", please leave the thread. Thank you.

I'm thinking of getting a PSP to use as a GP2X.

Why not get a GP2X then? Well my folks are wary about buying from a no-name Korean company, and its lack of 3D acceleration is disappointing. (Besides you can get PSPs cheaper.)

I want to use it for emulators, video, and limited web browsing. (By "video" I mean "MP4s on the memory card", not UMDs because buying redundant proprietary copies of anything sucks.) It probably won't see many UMD games, if any at all.

I just have a few questions for those of you who haven't left the thread yet:

1. Can the web browser save things directly to the memory card? (Images and sound clips mostly.)

2. How well does PSX emulation work? (From what I understand the built in firmware 3.whatever emulator will only run games downloaded through the PS3, but there must be third party emulators...) I ask because it's the newest console I want to emulate.

3. How well does Flash work on the browser? (I know Newgrounds has a PSP library, as does Weebl's Stuff, but how is the general compatability? I don't expect YouTube or Google Video to work though.)

4. What's video playback like? (Choppiness or motion blur? Probably not since it's a game console. Are compression artifacts worse on its screen than on a computer screen?)

5. Is running emulators on it really as much of a pain in the butt as people claim it is?

6. Would building an auxiliary AA battery back be dangerous for the hardware?

I feel like I have to say this again: I'm not getting a DS and you're not going to convince me otherwise. Not because I'm anti-Nintendo, not by a long shot. If Nintendo made something more like the PSP I'd get it. I want to do more than play new games, and the DS can't do that without buying additional hardware from questionable sources. I'd rather pay a little more than get a lot less.

Thanks for the answers!

Apologies for the big bold notices, but it seems like as soon as anyone says "PSP" on the internet they get spammed with DS <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/propaganda">propaganda</a>.

[Triton]

well if you could live without the PSX emulation and snes emulation that isnt 100% perfect yet i would just say to get a gp2x, it can do divx and xvid without anything extra. the only real advantages the psp has is built in wifi and 3d acceleration and a slightly faster processor.

[gamemasterAS]

1. Can the web browser save things directly to the memory card? (Images and sound clips mostly.)

I have saved benheck podcasts

2. How well does PSX emulation work? (From what I understand the built in firmware 3.whatever emulator will only run games downloaded through the PS3, but there must be third party emulators...) I ask because it's the newest console I want to emulate.

You can use the Sony one with 3.10 or higher I think and convert the psx games yourself.

3. How well does Flash work on the browser? (I know Newgrounds has a PSP library, as does Weebl's Stuff, but how is the general compatability? I don't expect YouTube or Google Video to work though.)

haven't tested

4. What's video playback like? (Choppiness or motion blur? Probably not since it's a game console. Are compression artifacts worse on its screen than on a computer screen?)

haven't tested

5. Is running emulators on it really as much of a pain in the butt as people claim it is?

nah

6. Would building an auxiliary AA battery back be dangerous for the hardware?

haven't tested

Hope that helps I am a bit new to the psp homebrew area but I believe I have all that right.

[DK]

I'd definatly go with the PSP, you get N64 emulation!! The official PSX emulator has been cracked by Dark Alex so with a bit of jiggerypokery using popstation you can convert the iso's to work on the PSP (might stop there as its a bit of a legal grey area)

There area few problems getting the PSP to run homebrew though. Downgrading the firmware sometimes has a slight knack of bricking your PSP, but if your good at this type of stuff, ya won't. Also you'll need a copy of GTA Liberty City Stories, which should be easy to lend off someone.

Getting bored of typing so this is the last bit. The external battery pack shouldn't be a problem.

[bicostp]

well if you could live without the PSX emulation and snes emulation that isnt 100% perfect yet i would just say to get a gp2x, it can do divx and xvid without anything extra. the only real advantages the psp has is built in wifi and 3d acceleration and a slightly faster processor.

Well if that's the case I might as well buy some DVD+RWs and bring the portable DVD player everywhere.

I would get a GP2X but like I said I'm wary about dealing with import companies (irrational fear!), Wi-Fi is great if I want a quick web fix, and yes I do want to emulate the PSX. If those details were addressed I'd consider it.

[cowsgoquack101]

I can't guarantee anything you read from this. Apparently PSX emulation is pretty decent on the PSP. I know that it takes a little while to get the firmware working correctly but afterwards it's easy.

[CronoTriggerfan]

PSP, hands down. Being an owner of both, I can honestly say it's no contest. Sure, it's cool to own a handheld with only about 20,000 others in the world, but features pwn exclusivity every time. PSX is fullspeed on PSP, N64 is at least possible, and every other system imaginable (Genesis, SNES, even NeoGeo) is fullspeed and 100% playable. GP2x will NEVER see N64, as well as fullspeed PSX. The web features of GP2x are also crippled if you do get it running, and there's also no Wi-Fi.

The flash videos on PSP are quite good, actually, with fairly speedy load times. You can also download Youtube and Video Google videos directly from the PSP web browser using BestTube.

The only thing the GP2x has going for it over the PSP is probably the expansion bay/breakout board, seeing as it turns the 2x into a full Linux PC, as well as a USB host and external hardware USB hub (mice, keyboards, extra game controllers, etc.) So if that's a big deal to you, you may be a bit more interested.

EDIT:

I can't guarantee anything you read from this. Apparently PSX emulation is pretty decent on the PSP. I know that it takes a little while to get the firmware working correctly but afterwards it's easy.

Pretty decent? It's perfect now. Every game is up and running, all 100% fullspeed with no glitches. Though I must agree, getting custom firmware onto the damn thing can be quite frustrating, no doubt. I'd almost recommend just buying a super old PSP from ebay (running 1.5, of course) and then just go from there, it'll save you a lot of hassle. Not to mention that if the faceplate is too scratched up for your liking, you can always just buy a custom/new one!

Good luck deciding, hope this helped! Any other questions about either handheld, I'd be happy to answer, as I'd consider myself proficient in most aspects of either one.

CTFan

[gamemasterAS]

Ape Escape ( 1 or 2 I forget ) wouldn't work for me because the Psp doesn't have analog sticks it said, also I have had a few games that didn't load.

[Harshboy]

PSP will suck if you can't Downgrade it to 1.5 and then install a Custom Firmware (I'm on 3.40 OE-A)

Make sure you get a Downgradable PSP or else no emulators/Homebrew for you

[Skyone]

GP2x, no competition. It can do everything the PSP can do (except play PSP games) and beyond. A PSP can only be good if you do homebrew on it, and even there, you have to get a downgradable PSP, special tools... time.. Blech. The GP2x is a full Linux machine and can be expanded however you want it to be without voiding a warranty.

[vskid]

There area few problems getting the PSP to run homebrew though. Downgrading the firmware sometimes has a slight knack of bricking your PSP, but if your good at this type of stuff, ya won't. Also you'll need a copy of GTA Liberty City Stories, which should be easy to lend off someone.

Since when do you need GTA? You only need it if you have 2.71-3.03 IIRC.

4. What's video playback like? (Choppiness or motion blur? Probably not since it's a game console. Are compression artifacts worse on its screen than on a computer screen?)
It depends on what bit and frame rate you have it set at. 15fps makes me want to barf, but 30 is great. There is a bit of a blur, but not so noticable you won't want to use it. I found that 512kbps at 320x240 is nice if you want several movies on it, you'd want to bump up the bit rate size isn't as much of an issue.
5. Is running emulators on it really as much of a pain in the butt as people claim it is?
You get the right firmware on it and its about as easy as most other homebrew, read directions and experiment and you'll have them down.
6. Would building an auxiliary AA battery back be dangerous for the hardware?
Are you talking the one that takes the battery's place, or an external 5v (with 4 rechargeable AAs) pack? The 5v pack is a lot safer in my opinion, I got a car PSP charger from a thrift store that has a nice regulator, I can even input 5v and it'll work, so that could keep it safe.

Online kinda sucks (the retarded OSK is extremely inefficient) and the browser runs out of memory fast, but quick surfing is ok.
Get a PSP, several people here that were all over GP2x's changed their attitude when they got a PSP.

[bicostp]

I thought I said I'm not getting a GP2X because of its lack of 3D acceleration. (If it had that I might consider it.) Converting video is not a big deal, it would be nice to have a "poor man's Nokia 770", and if I want to mess around with Linux I'll do it on a real computer.

Believe me, I've already weighed the positive and negative aspects of all three consoles and the PSP came out on top. The 2X was a close second but didn't win me over because it can't run what I want, the quality seems dodgy, and it lacks WiFi.

6. Would building an auxiliary AA battery back be dangerous for the hardware?
Are you talking the one that takes the battery's place, or an external 5v (with 4 rechargeable AAs) pack? The 5v pack is a lot safer in my opinion, I got a car PSP charger from a thrift store that has a nice regulator, I can even input 5v and it'll work, so that could keep it safe.

Yeah, I'm talking about an external pack that plugs into the AC adapter jack.

What do I need to look for to find a downgradable unit?

[Twisted Warthog]

Ahh i kinda want to get a GP2X because my PSP failed my expectations in every way possible...

[vskid]

What do I need to look for to find a downgradable unit?

I think 2.71 and lower are good, I think you just upgrade to 2.71 and then theres a downgrader to 1.5, then upgrade to a custom firmware. If its 2.71 to 3.03, then you need an unpatched version of GTA:LCS to downgrade.

Disclaimer: My PSP came with a custom firmware, so my upgrade was easy and I haven't tried or really read that much about downgrading, its just off the top of my head.

[Twisted Warthog]

I tried to downgrade my PSP and it bricked the first time, a waste of almost $300... If thats a risk people want to take thats fine with me. The only reason i bought a PSP in the first place was so i could custom it but it bricked.