Have you ever thought if there are any alternative ways of charging your PSP or extending your play time?. There are a few, Using the standard AC charger that came with your system when purchased, takes between 2 – 2 1/2 hours to fully charge (depending on which model). You can continue playing your system whilst charging, but remember that it’s naturally going to take longer to charge. It’s always best to let the battery complete it’s full charging cycle before use. If you have a PSP slim you can extend your playing time if you’re fortunate enough to have a battery from the original PSP. The 1800mAh battery will fit and work in the slim model, but requires the purchase of a replacement larger battery cover. This fully encloses the battery compartment. This bulges out of the back of the slim, but ultimately increases the playtime.Below I have listed the most common Alternative Ways of Charging PSP.
PSP USB Charging Cable
There is a USB charging option for PSP available, where you connect your PlayStation Portable to a computer or notebook by using an appropriate USB cable. The only set backs with this option is it takes up to 3 – 4 hours to charge. More than double the time it takes to charge by using the standard AC charger that came with your system. This option requires an additional purchase of a PSP USB Charging Cable.This cable instead of having a mini B connection, has a fitting that plugs into the AC charging socket on your device.
Emergency AA Charger for PSP
When on vacation this can become a problem, especially if you’re camping and no there is no power supply available.The worst night mare for many gamers.There are a few devices available which may be of use, this comes in the form of an Emergency AA Charger for PSP. Depending on how long you are away for you may need a good supply of AA batteries or rechargeable AA batteries (Make sure these are charged before you go). You simply install 4 AA batteries and this will power up your PSP. For more reading go to Emergency AA chargers for the PSP.
Car Charger for PSP
Another alternative way of charging PSP available, comes in the form of a Car Charger for PSP. This device simply plugs into the cigarette lighter fitting, this in turn will charge your PSP. The use of this charger is also great when on long road trips. But there is an important note of warning I thought I’d better mention when this is used on camping trips. Children please seek parental guidance when using the car charger. On a lot of vehicles the cigarette lighter does not work if the vehicle is not running. To use this the feature the key has to be on the accessory “notch”, not with the ignition fully ON. You don’t want to end up with a flat battery in the middle of no where!!.
Rechargeable Hand Grip for PSP
If you are really are a serious gamer and want more play time, there are still a couple of options. The first being a Rechargeable Hand Grip for PSP. This is an ergonomically designed grip that contains a rechargeable lithium battery. It provides the gamer with a more realistic gaming experience, that of a normal gaming console hand controller. Because of it’s ergonomic design it’s more comfortable to hold, thus reducing stress on the players hands. With the addition of the power grip, users can expect up to an additional 5 hours of play time.*(Dependant on usage)*.
External Battery Charger for PSP
There is another option available but this is more expensive. This involves the purchase of an additional battery, and an external PSP Battery Charger. The most recent external battery charger released by Sony, charges the battery from the 1000 and 2000 models. The earlier release of the external battery charger does not charge the 2000 battery. This process does involve having to change the battery, but you will always have a fully charged battery at hand when needed.
I recommend the purchase of Official PSP Batteries, as I have heard there maybe problems in charging batteries of other brands. When buying a battery or accessory I recommend reading the related customer reviews of that product. There are a lot of third party products on the market, that are cheap and don’t hold their charge long. You don’t want to damage your device.
If you are looking for additional information on PSP battery life, read more at Facts on PSP Battery Life .
When new models of PSP come on the market and new innovations in electronics, there may be new Alternative Ways of Charging a PSP. I will update this page as they emerge, if you know of any Please contact me via the Contact page.
