Sony's latest handheld gaming device has a beautiful screen, and can play some wonderful games. However, it is capable of more, maybe a lot more with some, oh, how shall we say...tweaking. Actually, it's more like hacking, but tweaking sounds a lot more socially acceptable. Users willing to risk their warranty can get the handheld to display ebooks, play classic arcade games like Pac-Man, and even watch mobile video files.
No thanks to Sony, which is notorious for limiting the functionality of its products with proprietary formats and restrictive protections, the PlayStation Portable is now the must-have gadget of the year, even for those whose lives don’t revolve around the latest first-person shooter. The gorgeous device feels good in your hands, has a stunningly sharp screen, and plays some pretty sophisticated games. It took a bunch of amateur programmers, though, to invent tools that unlock the PSP’s full potential as a portable media powerhouse. Below, learn how to convert any video file—whether home movie, free trailer or recorded TV show—to play on the PSP. (Converting your DVDs is legally murky, although the same programs will do it.) Then turn the page to see how to run free games, such as Tetris and Pac-Man clones, from the PSP’s Memory Stick. But that’s just the beginning. Now that the PSP has been cracked, new tricks are popping up every day. Head to popsci.com/h20 to see the latest creative uses for this multitalented device.
While Microsoft, Sony, and the likes debate their latest digital rights restrictions, it's nice to see the "home brew" movement enabling functionality on a nice device.
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