Spacecraft call signs and PlayStation Portable: Difference between pages

Revision as of 22:33, 1 April 2005

Revision as of 01:10, 27 October 2005

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:'''''"PSP"''' redirects here. For other meanings, see [[PSP (disambiguation)]]''.

Most American space flights, with the exception of those of [[Project Gemini]] and early [[Project Apollo|Apollo]] flights, have had their spacecraft officially named. Calls to ground facilities by radiotelephone use the name of the spacecraft (e.g., "The ''Eagle'' has landed") as the call sign.

The '''PlayStation Portable''' ('''PSP''') is a [[handheld game console]] and a product of [[Sony Computer Entertainment]]. It is [[Sony]]'s third installment in its successful [[PlayStation]] line of [[video game console]]s and their first entry into [[handheld game console|handheld systems]]. The PSP was first announced during [[E³]] [[2003]] and was unveiled on [[May 11]] [[2004]] at a Sony press conference during E³ 2004.

The spacecraft of the Soviet Union were not individually named, nor are those of Russia today. Only the general type of spacecraft, e.g., "Vostok," "Soyuz," or "Soyuz-T" is publicly announced after launch, usually followed by the number of the flight of that type. The Soviet and now Russian call signs are more nearly [[code words]], for they are not disclosed before launch. Each is given to a particular cosmonaut who commands a spacecraft, generally staying as his or her designation from spacecraft to spacecraft. The other crew members use the same call sign with a number of their rank in the chain of command suffixed. Russian popular journalism refers to the crew by the plural of the call sign (e.g., "the Fotons").

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==Functionality==

''Kedr'', meaning "cedar," was the call sign of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. It would have disclosed nothing to a listener concerning the momentousness of the flight. The rest of the call signs of the [[Vostok]] series were the names of birds. The call sign of the launch facility itself for Vostok was nearly a code word: ''Zarya'', meaning "dawn."

The PSP can play [[video games]], [[video]], and [[digital audio]], as well as display [[digital photo]]s. Instead of being distributed on traditional [[Read-only memory|ROM cartridges]] with battery-backed [[Random access memory|RAM]] for saves, games and other content are sold on Sony's new 1.8 [[Gigabyte|GB]] [[Universal Media Disc]]s (UMDs). The [[Memory Stick]] Duo (regular or Pro, but the high-speed mode of high-speed Sticks is not supported) is [[PlayStation 3]] compatible for transfer of game saves and media to and from the PS3's hard drive, and could possibly be implemented as a "video enabled game controller" (a similar feature links the [[Game Boy Advance]] to the [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]).

Early [[Soyuz]] flights intent on practicing docking procedures were given call signs elaborating on the first few letters of an alphabet. [[Soyuz 4]], which had the call sign ''Amur'', docked with [[Soyuz 5]], called ''Baikal'' - the names derived from a railway project of that era, intending to link those two geographical features. [[Soyuz 6]] was given a call sign equivalent to "Antaeus," which referred to the largest aircraft of the era, the Antonov 22. Its mission in a group flight was to film the intended docking of [[Soyuz 7]] (called ''Buran'', which means "snowstorm") with [[Soyuz 8]], called ''Granit'' ("granite") - standard Soviet military call signs. The equivalent for the letter ''A'' was ''Aktif'', meaning "Active"; it would be inappropriate for the mission of Soyuz 6.

==Variations and accessories==

Later Soyuz flights to the [[Salyut]] space stations and [[Mir]] had less noteworthy call signs: ''Foton'', meaning "photon", etc.

In all territories but Japan, the PSP is only sold as part of a "Value Pack." This package contains the console, battery, AC adaptor, a 32MB [[Memory Stick Duo]], earbud headphones with remote, a slip-case, screen cloth, and a wrist strap, for USD $249.99 or ¥26,040.

[[Category:Call signs]]

[[Category:Human spaceflight]]

In Japan, another, 'basic' package is available. It contains the console, battery, and [[alternating current|AC]] adaptor for [[yen|¥]]20,790.

On [[July 21]], [[2005]], Sony announced in an event in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] there would be a white version of the PSP released on [[September 15]] in Japan. The new PSP will be the same as the black one, with the strap, box, system and case now in white. Sony has released the white PSP in Singapore.

On [[October 20]], [[2005]], Sony announced the PSP Giga pack, which will contain a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, a USB Cable, and a stand. It will also contain all of the other accessories found in the standard PSP Value Pack, except for the hand strap. The suggested retail price is ¥29,800 in Asia, $299 in North America, and £214.99 in the UK. The Giga Pack will become available worldwide November of 2005.

==Sales and Competition==

[[Image:PSP and DS.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sony PSP pictured above a [[Nintendo DS]]]]

The PSP's major rival, the [[Nintendo DS]], is considered to be in the same market as the PlayStation Portable (though representatives from both companies have stated that each system targets a different audience). Currently, the Nintendo DS is the leader in total worldwide unit sales with over 6 million units sold (as of September 29, 2005).

As of Friday October 21, 2005 the PSP had shipped 10 million units worldwide. These are only figures for the number of PSP units shipped to retailers, however; actual sales figures of the system are unavailable. Sony is expecting a large boost in sales by the end of the year with the creation of the Sony Giga Pack, which will debut at the start of the holiday season. By hitting 10 million units shipped in 10 months it marked the "fastest penetration speed" of any PlayStation platform. [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6915]

SCEI has shipped the greatest number of PSPs in North America. Shipments there totaled 4.5 million units and are followed in the ranking by Japan, at 3 million, and then Europe, at 2.5 million, SCEI said.

==Features==

===Games===

[[Image:Psp04.jpg|right|thumb|''Gran Turismo 4 Mobile'' and [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]].]]

''See also [[:Category:PlayStation Portable games|PlayStation Portable game articles]] and [[List of PlayStation Portable games]].''

The PSP's inputs are geared for gaming rather than [[multimedia]], with two shoulder buttons (triggers), the iconic PlayStation face buttons, ([[Image:tri.gif]]), start and select buttons, a digital 4-directional pad, and an analog input. There is also a row of secondary controls along the underside of the screen, for controlling volume, music settings (either switching the audio off and on in games or selecting different [[graphic equalizer|equalizer]] presets in the OS), screen brightness, accessing the system's main menu, as well as the standard Start and Select buttons. The UMD disks are small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket, and superficially similar to [[Sony|Sony's]] earlier product, the [[MiniDisc]], but for the lack of a protective shutter and slightly different cartridge shape.

The PSP's analog input, sometimes called the ''"analog nub,"'' is not a traditional stick, but a sliding flat panel; its odd placement initially led to speculation that it was a speaker. Concerns existed regarding the practicality of the input (its position requires a slightly asymmetrical grip on the unit to adequately use, with the left hand being lower than the right). While it is used in the same way as the analog thumbstick of a modern console, the resistance springs are calibrated differently: they are softer, making quick, coarse

adjustments a bit easier, but fine-grained ones a bit more difficult.

The graphics and audio capabilities of the PSP lie somewhere between those of the original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2. While most of the available games are less complex than games available on [[PS2]], the graphics tend to be much closer in quality to PS2 than PS1. This is probably in large part due to the small size of the screen, combined with the fact that unlike the PS1, the PSP's graphics chip performs [[texture filtering]].

<center>

Screen Shots

<gallery>

Image:926258_20050316_screen002.jpg|NHL Gretzky

Image:grand-theft-auto-liberty-city-stories-20050909060005548.jpg|Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories

Image:920824_20050316_screen002.jpg|NBA 06

Image:0431.jpg|Burnout Legends

Image:marvel1.jpg|Marvel Nemesis: Rise of The Imperfects

Image:mga_ss01.jpg|Metal Gear Ac!d

Image:20050112200646591.jpg|Fifa Soccer

Image:tony-hawks-underground-2-remix-20050321011705809.jpg|Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix

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===UMD movies===

''Main Article: [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]]''

Because of the UMD's relatively large storage space (1.8 gigabytes), and the PSP's large display screen, some film studios have released feature films in the UMD format with pricing comparable to [[DVD]] videos. Companies releasing UMD movies (or will release) include [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], [[Twentieth Century Fox]], [[Lions Gate Entertainment]], [[Sony Pictures]], [[New Line Cinema]], [[Paramount Pictures]], and [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]]. Anime companies, such as [[Bandai]], [[Geneon]], [[FUNimation]], and [[Viz Media]] are planning to release anime series, such as [[Samurai Champloo]], [[Trigun]], and [[Gungrave]], and movies, such as [[Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz]], The [[Ah! My Goddess]] movie, and [[Ghost in the Shell]].

Most releases provide alternate audio languages and content, subtitles, and special features. (Japanese releases have been somewhat more eclectic, and include UMD/DVD combination packs [http://psp.ign.com/articles/605/605073p1.html] and pornography.) On [[June 22|June 22nd]], [[2005]], Sony confirmed that both ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]'' and ''[[Resident Evil: Apocalypse]]'' have both sold more than 100,000 copies each[http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/06/22/news_6128001.html].

Movies on UMD were first made available in April 2005. The initial North American releases included ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]'', ''[[XXX (movie)|xXx]]'', ''[[Hellboy]]'', ''[[Once Upon a Time in Mexico]]'', and ''[[Resident Evil: Apocalypse]]'' from [[Sony Pictures]], along with ''[[Kill Bill|Kill Bill: Volume 1]]'' ([[Miramax]]) and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' from Disney Pictures.

The inability for the PSP to play UMD movies on a television via some output cable has been criticized by many users who currently own UMD-available movies on DVD. There is a third party hack to where you can get the PSP to display on a [[TV]] set

''A [[List of PlayStation Portable movies]] is available.''

===Multimedia & codecs===

The PSP is capable of displaying still image, movie, and audio files stored on the UMD disk format or a memory stick. The system supports [[MP3]] and Sony's [[ATRAC]]3 plus formats for audio, MPEG-4 for video on UMD discs, and [[JPEG]] images. The PSP also has the capability to decode [[MPEG-4 Part 2]] and [[MPEG-4 Part 3]] from the [[MPEG-4 Part 14|<tt>*.mp4</tt>]] container, if located on the Memory Stick. The file(s) must be placed in the '''/MP_ROOT/100MNV01''' directory on the Memory Stick, and be named in the following format: '''M4V#####.MP4''' (where "#" is any [[digit]]). In the Latest Fimware, users can upload movies with the AVC codec, by putting them in the '''/MP_ROOT/100ANV001''' Folder, and named as '''MAQ#####.MP4'''.A corresponding thumbnail image file (160x120 pixel [[JPEG]] files renamed with the .THM extension) with the same file name (besides the extension) of the movie file can optionally be placed in the same directory. Free software programs that can be used are DVD Shrink and 3GP Converter.

Sony has announced that ''Image Converter 2'', a piece of PC [[software]] for converting video files to [[H.264/MPEG-4 AVC|AVC]] for playback on [[CLIÉ]] [[personal digital assistant|PDAs]], will be available before the end of the year, and may be used with the PSP. A preview version was made available shortly after the PSP launch. It can convert <tt>*.avi</tt>, [[MPEG]]1/2/4, [[QuickTime]] and [[WMV|<tt>*.wmv</tt>]] movie files to [[H.264/MPEG-4 AVC|AVC]], as well as the "Giga Pocket" and "Do VAIO" files used by [[VAIO]] PCs to record television. It will also convert most common still image files into JPEG format. Sony's [[SonicStage]] software can be used to copy <tt>*.mp3</tt> and ATRAC files to the PSP as well.

Sony's software is not the only toolset for getting music or movies onto a PSP, and a [[cottage industry]] has grown around offering useful tools for converting and copying files for use on the PSP. Some popular alternatives include [http://psptransfer.com/ Xcopy9], [http://www.nullriver.com/index/products/pspware PSPWare], [http://www.kaisakura.com/iPSP/ iPSP], [http://www.makayama.com/mobilemediamakerpsp.html Mobile Media Maker], [http://www.pspvideo9.com PSP Video 9] and [http://sonypsp.sourceforge.net/ PSP Multimedia Extender] all simplify the task of converting and transferring files to and from the PSP's Memory Stick. Using these tools, nearly any digital video file (including movie files ripped from [[DVD]]s or digital video recorders like the [[TiVo]]) can be played on a PSP, after conversion to AVC.

Video file sizes largely depend on the audio and video bitrates. With reasonable settings (a resolution of 320x240, a video bitrate of 500 Kilobits per second, and an audio sampling rate of 22050 kHz) a 22 minute movie file is roughly 55 [[megabyte]]s. (This is enough for a 30 minute television episode with the commercials removed) This means that a 512 MB Memory Stick can hold approximately nine of these files. A hundred minutes feature film would fit a 256 MB Memory Stick.

Many movie files, both free-to-distribute and [[copyright|pirated]], have been encoded for the PSP and are available on the internet. Game and movie trailers, in particular, are increasingly available even from the studio's official site.

Additionally, Sony released firmware update version 2.0 on July 27, 2005 in Japan, August 24, 2005 in America, and in the retail box for European and Australian PSPs - this added the ability to play MP4 [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] audio files, [[ATRAC]]3plus audio files from a Memory Stick Pro Duo, [[H.264/MPEG-4_AVC|MPEG-4 AVC]] video files, as well as view [[GIF]], [[Windows Bitmap|Bitmap]] (BMP), and [[Tagged Image File Format|TIF]] image files. It also added the ability to send photos wirelessly to another PSP system and the ability to use an image as background wallpaper.

On October 3, 2005, firmware version 2.5 was added. This Update was to fix the image overload buffer, that allowed the PSP to be downgraded via a homebrew application. It also included the LocationFree Player. This means that if you have a LocationFree Base Station at home, you can play steaming movies, over the internet, from anywhere in the world. Also added were the Korean character set, the ability to play copyrighted movies, a new wireless security method (WPA-PSK), form history on the web browser and time and date syncronisation via the internet.

===Wireless networking===

[[Wi-Fi]]([[IEEE 802.11]]b) support allows the PSP to connect to wireless networks, other PSP units for multiplayer gaming, the Internet, and Sony's upcoming [[PlayStation 3]]. As the PS3 has only recently been unveiled, details on link-up features are slim, however [[Hideo Kojima]] has discussed the possibility of a link-up between ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear Ac!d 2]]''. Use of wireless network features increases the power consumption and lowers the battery life of the system.

A version 2.0 firmware update was released on July 27, 2005 for Japanese PSPs, and August 24, 2005 for North American PSPs. The update included a [[web browser]] and support for connecting to networks with [[Wi-Fi Protected Access]] (WPA) encryption.

====Ad-hoc networks====

Ad-hoc wireless networking allows for up to 16 PSPs within range of each other to communicate directly, typically for multiplayer gaming. The launch titles ''[[Ridge Racer]]'' and ''[[Lumines]]'', for example, support this. One unit can act as the host for a game, which is available to other PSP units within that systems range, and appears in a list when the [[Client (computing)|client]] PSP searches for available [[host]]s. Hosting a game in this manner increases power consumption and reduces battery life.

====Infrastructure networks====

The PSP's main menu allows the user to configure the system for use across the [[Internet]] via a wireless connection, known as [[infrastructure]] mode. The PSP's menu can recognize protected and non-protected wireless networks within its range, and attempt to request a firmware update from Sony's servers.

A handful of titles, including three [[United States|U.S.]] launch games(please note that Dark Stalkers: The Chaos Tower does not have infrastructure mode) and an as-of-yet untitled [[MMORPG]], have been announced which use this wireless network functionality. [[Packet tunneling]] systems are in development by third-parties which allow any Wi-fi game to operate across the Internet (see [[#External links|External links]]).

Use of infrastructure networks in PSP software began with a small number of titles at the US launch, supporting online play. [[South Korea|South Korean]] PSPs will ship with software providing web browsing and multimedia streaming features, but only through company-owned Wi-Fi hotspots, and with a monthly fee[http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/28/news_6121153.html].

====Infrared====

The PSP also features an infrared comm port located on the top left of the device. There are currently no known (non-homebrew) games utilizing this feature.

==Design and specifications==

===Technical specifications===

The unit measures 170 mm (6.7 in) in length, 74 mm (2.9 in) in width, and 23 mm (0.9 in) in depth, and weighs 280g / .62 lbs (including battery) . The most noticeable element of the PSP is its 110 mm/4.3" (diagonal) 16:9 ratio [[TFT LCD]] screen sporting a 480 x 272 pixel resolution capable of 16.77 million colours.

The PlayStation Portable's [[Central processing unit|CPU]] is a [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]] 4KE or 24KE series (32-bit MIPS32R2 architecture) CPU, split into two cores each operating between 1 and 333 [[Megahertz|MHz]]. During the [[Game Developers Conference|GDC]], Sony revealed that it has currently capped the PSP's CPU at 222, apparently in an attempt to lengthen battery life. It has been speculated that this was one of the reasons for the cap, because this speed cap was listed on the 'Power Management Features' slide. Overheating concerns have also been cited as a possible reason for the cap. Sony has not yet stated whether they will release this cap. The cap is programmed into all games and is not capped through the firmware as previously believed. The primary CPU core is responsible for traditional game processor functions; the secondary core, dubbed the "Virtual Media Engine", is responsible for decoding multimedia, for example the [[H.264]] decoder.

The system has 32 [[Megabyte|MB]] of main [[Random access memory|RAM]] and 4 MB of embedded [[DRAM]]. There is no memory management unit for the CPU. No evidence of a TLB has been found to date. The Coprocessor 0 that normally manages the TLB-based MMU seems to be a custom effort by Sony.

The independent 166 MHz 90 nm graphics chip sports 2MB embedded memory and through its 512 bit interface it provides hardware [[polygon]] and [[NURBS]] [[rendering]], hardware directional lighting, [[Clipping (computer graphics)|clipping]], environment projection and [[texture mapping]], [[texture compression]] and [[tessellation]], [[fogging]], [[alpha blending]], depth and stencil tests, vertex blending for [[morphing]] effects, and dithering, all in 16 or 32 bit colour, along with handling image output. Specifications state that the PSP is capable of rendering 33 million flat-shaded polygons per second, with a 664 million pixel per second fill rate. [http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1639250,00.asp]

Unlike Sony's [[PlayStation 2]] console, the GPU (PS2 Vector Unit equivalent) is not programmable, meaning that many effects that the PS2 can resolve in hardware must be implemented in software on the PSP. Nonetheless, the implementation of a GPU in the PSP is still a significant technological advance, in that it implements robust hardware-rendering for 3D graphics in the handheld market. The PSP was preceded in this regard by [[Nokia]]'s [[N-Gage]] in 2003, and the [[Nintendo DS]] in 2004.

===Power===

The PSP uses a rechargeable [[lithium ion|lithium-ion]] battery for power (an AC adaptor is included for charging and running from the mains). The system's [http://www.playstation.com/manual/pdf/PSP-1001K_1.pdf manual] states that the PSP is capable of 3 to 6 hours of gameplay, depending on the screen brightness or volume level selected.

Battery life is heavily dependent on the game chosen; technically simpler games such as ''[[Lumines]]'' tend to extend the battery life of the system, with graphically advanced games (or games that frequently access the UMD drive) such as ''Ridge Racer'' tending toward shorter battery life. [[Ken Kutaragi]], president of Sony Computer Entertainment, has compared the system to the [[Walkman]], in that battery life will be improved with each product revision, and has outlined some steps (switching to a different fabrication process, for example) which will be used to improve the system's endurance. Currently the PSP's CPU is fabricated using a 90-nm process, but Sony has 65-nm and 45-nm technology available.

In practice, tests using ''Ridge Racer'' have given between three and a half and slightly less than six hours of continuous gameplay, depending on screen brightness and volume. In one test[http://psp.ign.com/articles/574/574557p1.html], this dropped to approximately two and three quarter hours when using Wi-Fi multiplayer continuously. The system is capable of approximately ten hours of MP3 playback from memory stick on a full charge and around half this for AVC playback. While full-length movie UMDs were not available for this test, a repeating loop of the demo UMD bundled in the Value Pack provided a little over 4 hours of playback on a full charge.

The PSP's battery is removable for replacement by the end-user. This may be a response to the criticism of the non-removable batteries in other portable electronics such as the [[iPod]]. One is thus able to purchase extra batteries as an accessory; at the [[Japan]]ese launch, they cost [[yen|¥]]5,040 including tax (around [[United States dollar|US$]]47, [[euro|&#8364;]]37, [[pound sterling|£]]26, [[Australian Dollar|AU$]]62). A Sony high speed charger is available as an optional accessory. There is also a variety of third party batteries that have more than twice the battery life compared to the standard Sony battery. Additionally, in late 2005, Sony released a new battery in Japan that has a 20% higher charge capacity. It is currently unknown when this battery will be released in the US and Europe.

The system ships with a multivoltage power supply for recharging the battery, allowing it to be charged in any country with the appropriate power lead. This multivoltage power supply is internally and externally similar to but not compatible with similar ones used with Sony's [[CLIÉ]] [[personal digital assistant|PDA]]s, and the power lead is a standard figure-of-eight cable similar to the power cable used with the [[PlayStation]] and [[PlayStation 2]]. The PSU itself is about the same size as a deck of cards.

A number of companies are now offering other chargers for the device. These are typically either USB charging cables that allow the PSP to charge from any PC with a USB port or are simply a series of AA batteries with a voltage regulator. These are similar in concept to the cheap battery life extenders available for mobile telephones.

===Interface===

The PSP's main menu interface is the XMB ("Cross Media Bar") used by recent Sony TVs and the [[PSX]] hardware. It consists of a horizontal sequence of icons (Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Games, Network (added in 2.0; for now only features the tab-supported web browser and the LocationFree Player)) which when highlighted show a vertical sequence of sub-icons (for example, selecting Games allows the memory stick or a UMD to be selected).

The main menu system allows the user to, amongst other things, adjust settings such as date, time, and the PSP's nickname for wireless networking, play video or audio files from the memory stick, load games or movie UMDs, check on estimated battery life, and set the PSP into a "link mode" which makes the inserted memory stick available to a PC via USB. In firmwares from 2.0 it's also possible to change the wallpaper and other settings. The OS may be accessed at any time in a game by pressing the "Home" button on the console.

The default background colour of the menus is blue, however it changes colour depending on the current month of year, as follows:

* January: Light blue

* February: Yellow

* March: Green

* April: Pink

* May: Dark Green

* June: Purple

* July: Aqua

* August: Sky Blue/Blue/Dark Blue

* September: Violet

* October: Gold

* November: Light Brown

* December: Red

Firmwares from 2.0 can have the montly-based color scheme, or then you can specify a wallpaper.

User skins can also be made available from game publishers within their game discs, an ability that publishers have yet to take advantage of.

There are a few homebrew programs out there which can modify the flash firmware so that you can change the wallpaper of your PSP (v1.0 or 1.5). Such programs are called PSPSet or PSPPersonalise.

===Firmware===

The PSP's [[firmware]] is updatable via [[Wi-Fi]] infrastructure connection to a [[Sony]] server, by downloading the update application with a [[IBM PC clone|PC]] and transferring to the PSP via [[USB]], or from a UMD disk (allowing games to update the firmware automatically). The current firmware version is 2.50. Version 2.50 firmware is currently available for PSPs in Japan and America as of [[October 13]], [[2005]]. A European version is available using the Network Update feature and by using the portal. Each update is universal, but Sony recommends to not download firmware updates from other regions. Various updates have included [[WPA-PSK]] encryption; a built-in web browser; keyboard input mode for Web input; [[H.264/MPEG-4 AVC|AVC]] video playback from memory stick; audio switch function and 4:3 mode for memory stick video; [[GIF]], [[Windows bitmap|BMP]], [[PNG]], and [[TIFF]] image viewing; [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] and [[WAV]] playback from memory stick; wallpaper function; [[ATRAC3plus]] playback from [[Memory Stick]] PRO Duo; an image sharing feature; region-free streaming television and higher security for a recently discovered exploit in the Photo menu. American PSP users who updated their PSP's to the Japanese 2.0 firmware were able to update to the U.S version of 2.0. Version 2.0 of the firmware was supplied on the demo disk inside the box of European PSPs, with version 1.52 preinstalled on the unit.

===Region locking===

The PSP supports region locking for games and movies, which limits which software may be played on each region's hardware. This scheme is based on the DVD CCA's [[DVD]] [[regional lockout]] scheme; Japanese PSP hardware already has a R2 logo on its box. However, support for regional lockout does not necessarily mean it will be used for all software.

Games for the PSP are currently being encoded as region-free, and an official Sony statement [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=58810] states that this will continue indefinitely. There will be no limitation as to which country's handheld can play which country's version of the game. This will open up the "portability" of the handheld, as well as enable gamers who buy a PSP game while visiting another country to play it on their native PSPs.

Movies, on the other hand, are region-locked, and while no music UMDs have yet been released, these will also be region-locked. There are ways around the region protection, through such programs as UMD Emulator.

The real experience is that the Japanese version of a game cannot be played together with another user using the Western version of the same game. For example, a user running the Japanese version of ''[[Ridge Racer]]'' cannot play (via wireless) with another user running the UK version of ''Ridge Racer''. Similar cases also applied to the game ''[[Coded Arms]]''.

==Launches==

:''Main Article: [[PlayStation Portable launches]]''

The PlayStation Portable was released on [[December 12]], [[2004]] in [[Japan]]. It was later released in [[North America]] on [[March 24]] [[2005]] and in South Korea on [[May 2]], [[2005]]. Ten days later this was followed by a joint launch in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan on [[May 12]], [[2005]].

The European and Oceanian launch took place on [[September 1]], [[2005]] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4481991.stm]. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe had delayed the launch date originally set for March to meet demand from other regions. This resulted in PSPs being imported without authorisation, from Japan and the United States into Europe.

Sony Europe took legal action against small importers [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1657664,00.html] in the UK citing trademark infringement. One such importer, Electricbirdland Ltd., claimed they had sold several PSP consoles to SCEE staff [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=59501], they were subsequently singled out and taken to court and were represented by their managing director [[Dan Morelle]] [http://www.danmorelle.com/]. UK is the only European country in which Sony has taken any form of legal action against importers of the PSP prior to its European release.

==Homebrew development==

:''Main article: [[PlayStation Portable homebrew]]''

In [[May 2005]], it was found that PSPs using the 1.00 version of the firmware (meaning Japanese PSPs that were not updated to the latest firmware) could execute [[Digital signature|unsigned code]]. What this meant in practice was that these PSPs could run homebrew software, as the mechanism for checking to make sure that software has been approved by Sony hadn't yet been activated. Later exploits have allowed for PSPs using version 1.50 of the firmware to run homebrew software nearly transparently, and a weakness in the image display software of version 2.00 of the firmware has allowed later versions of the firmware to be downgraded to 1.50. The current version, 2.5, has no known exploits.

<!-- Please DO NOT add additional homebrew information to this section. Instead, add new information to the main article linked above. This section is meant to be a summary of that article. -->

For more information on this go to http://www.pspupdates.com

==Gallery==

<center><gallery>

Image:PlayStation Portable (white).jpg

Image:PlayStation Portable (white2).jpg

Image:PSP_Value_Pack.jpg

Image:Umd_front.jpeg

Image:Umd_back.jpg

Image:PSP-Memory.jpg

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</gallery></center>

== See also==

{{dedicated video game handheld consoles}}

*[[PocketStation]]

*[[Comparison of handheld gaming consoles]]

*[[History of video games]]

===Other current handhelds===

*[[Nintendo DS]]

*[[Game Boy Advance]]

*[[Game Boy Advance SP]]

*[[Game Boy Micro]]

*[[Gizmondo]]

*[[N-Gage]]

*[[Gp2x]]

==External links==

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===Official===

*[http://www.us.playstation.com/psp.aspx Official Sony PSP Website (English, US)]

*[http://www.yourpsp.com Official Sony PSP portal (various countries/languages)] [http://community.yourpsp.com/ Community]

*[http://www.feedyourpsp.com/ Official ''FeedYourPSP'' online magazine]

*[http://www.us.playstation.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=207 SCEA PSP Specifications press release]

===Reviews===

*[http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/5002/psp_review.html Sony PSP As Personal Media Player] - Detailed review on [[MP3 Newswire]] focused on the PSP's movie and audio abilities

*[http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/psp.ars/ Sony PSP Handheld Entertainment System] &ndash; In-depth 8-pages review, [[Ars Technica]], 28 March 2005

===News & community===<!--

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* [http://planetmg.com/psp PlanetMG Download Site] &ndash; Sony's Entertainment Portal offering a download section for PSP users with movie trailers, short films and instructions on how to transfer files onto your psp.

*[http://www.psp-vault.com/ PSP Vault] &ndash; Community for trading and sharing game save files; how-to's on music and video transfer

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