What is the point of hacking a PSP?

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 04:53 AM

When I first got my PSP, I thought it was kind of cool. I mean it's kind of thick and heavy and cumbersome to fit in your pocket, so I stick it in one of the pouches of my laptop case. I don't really use it for listening to music or watching movies since my laptop is always around when I have it.

I went online to kind of see how people felt about it, and what accessories and things you can get for it, and everytime I tried googling something PSP related, all I ever see are websites and tutorials about hacking it.

Whenever I whip out my PSP to play on it, there's always someone that comes up to me just to mention they have a friend or they themselves have "hacked their PSP with ChickHEN" or something. So I google what ChickHEN is, and I read it's like Pandora's battery. So then I google what Pandora's battery is, and it's related to JigKick or something, and is used to unbrick something of something, and something about downgrading, and hacking motherboards. It's like there's all of these made up terms just for a 333 MHz bulky ass handheld gaming device that isn't capable of doing a whole lot. Even the full screen qwerty keyboard on it sucks.

It's like, there's all of this retarded proprietary jargon like CFW and dozens of websites who's soul purpose is to "hack" a PSP. I mean really, how far can you "hack" a PSP?

The extent of what I can think of is maybe emulating some old ass Nintendo or Super Nintendo game, which are so outdated, they're not even fun anymore. What else can you change about a PSP, really? Can it even render Nintendo 64 games without being choppy as hell?

I'd be impressed if you could hack a PSP and turned it into a GPS that worked anywhere for free without having to buy the physical antenna, or a cell phone, or if you turned the antenna into a packet generator that could be used to crack WEP networks without the use of Backtrack 3 and a laptop. Or even if you could emulate higher console games like Xbox, or something worthwhile. I mean I've even seen the stuff you have to BUY like the modded touch screen which isn't even fully supported for most things, and it works half assed. But buying things to hack something completely defeats the whole point of hacking something.

I'm thinking the whole point of this PSP hacking subculture is just so people can run some retarded ass old game and go "hey check out how cool I am, I hacked this thing, I'm such a bad ass hacker, watch out for me because I'm edgy". Fuck even a low end netbook could be more useful and efficient at doing something than a fully hacked, modified crazy ass PSP, and even thinner.

So please impress me with something worth my time. Anything less than some custom firmware that allows the PSP to morph into a robot is pointless, and I'm going to assume that all the "psp hackers" out there are just attention whoring script kiddies that don't actually know how to hack something and turn it into something useful.

Geek9 · 09-27-2009, 04:57 AM

look its for homebrew, and making ISOs of your UMDs, emulating, and a few apps, its not that hard to see, if you don't want to don't waste your time

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 05:04 AM

So basically, anything you can do on a computer/laptop/netbook, but more troublesome, laggy, buggy, and time consuming?

Geek9 · 09-27-2009, 05:08 AM

not really I find it very simple, and so would anyone that can follow directions, and I love the portability of the emulators, and using my fat to control my tv, and its got some fun homebrew

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 05:36 AM

I don't know what you consider portable, but something that is over half a foot long and weighs half a pound is not portable in my opinion. Also I can't control a television with my PSP, since infared capabilities were removed from the PSP 2K and beyond, though even if I could use my PSP as a remote, I'd rather use my remote as a remote, especially considering my remote control weighs a fraction of the PSP. But then again, that's just me.

Geek9 · 09-27-2009, 05:37 AM

My psp is smaller then anything else that can do it what it can, I mean you could always use your computer, but its not as portable, but like I said you either want to or don't

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 05:42 AM

Try googling the Pandora console.

Geek9 · 09-27-2009, 05:43 AM

heard of it, not out yet

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 05:46 AM

Okay, how about this one.

An iPhone.

Edit: Never mind, this isn't a fair battle, the iPhone is better in every possible aspect while weighing less, being thinner, and having native touch screen support.

Editedit: I'm just getting way off topic now, really. Please list something more useful my PSP 3K can do before I get bored of it and sell it on Craigslist. Really, pull out all the stops, because I really want to believe it's better than my iPhone.

Geek9 · 09-27-2009, 06:51 AM

3ks are crap the original is good, and yes the iphone is good, but it had to be jailbroken like the ipod, but its got shit battery life, look if you want hack do it if not sell not?

.ChAoS-FaCtiOn. · 09-27-2009, 07:19 AM

Sell the 3k. Get an old skool PSP 1000. Various things you can do are: GPS, iR Remote, ISOs/CSOs, Emulators, Homebrew, custom XMB themes, listen to music during gameplay, and much other stuff... Plus, if you like being Captain Jack Sparrow, then you'd be happy to know that the PSP is probably to easiest platform to pirate games on... I suggest actually buying the games, but whatever floats your boat. And it's incredibly easy to get custom firmware... Even 12-year-olds have been able to do it.

Jast3r Rogu3 · 09-27-2009, 08:46 AM

I used to like it, but my PSP 2000 won't load ChickHEN anymore for some reason.

EngrishKiller · 09-27-2009, 09:01 AM

As you said it can be cumbersome. Taking your PSP and your UMDs is even more cumbersome. Having the option to be able to make copies of your own UMDs to iso/cso makes it even less cumbersome. So, hacking it to your needs is a overall excellent option.

mrbob3 · 09-27-2009, 10:23 AM

Ive just read this post and its on of the most bizarre threads.

You either want a psp or you dont. Its a portable games machine, it plays games. My tv remote changes channels perfectly well, it doesnt play UMD`s but thats what my psp is for.

Interactive · 09-27-2009, 11:08 AM

This thread isn't about owning a PSP, it's about hacking a PSP. If this thread was about owning a PSP, I would've named it:

"What's the point of owning a PSP?"

My argument is why do so many millions of people spend so much money, time, and effort hacking their PSP and take so much pride in it when their gain is minimal.

Senior members already pointed out the extent of what hacking a PSP yields, and I guess it's kind of worth the effort. But personally I can think of better handhelds worth tinkering with.