Becoming PSP - Software

by Brad Larson  |  June 15, 2008

The System Software, or OS, of the PlayStation Portable has the ability to be updated either through direct download from the Internet using the Network Update feature, either by accessing the official PlayStation website and download the updates available there to a computer, have them transfered to a Sony Memory Stick Duo, and installed them on the PSP system. Another possibility is to run updates from UMD game discs that require the respective update in order to run the game on the PSP.

Although the official recommandation is to use the system software updates corresponding to the region of purchase of the PSP, one can use for a PSP console downloaded system software updates released from any region. Such updates have included over time features like a web browser, Adobe Flash support, additional codecs for images, audio and video, PlayStation 3 connectivity as well as patches against several security exploits, vulnerabilities and deploiment of homebrew programs. The current update has reached version v3.96.

The XrossMediaBar or XMD, pronounced "Cross Media Bar", is the PSP's graphical user interface and includes six categories of options, such as Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game and Network. The PSP software capabilities start with the ability to play photo slideshows and audio and video files stored on a Memory Stick, send and receive photos wirelessly with other PSPs while in ad-hoc mode, and monitor and save content from RSS channels.

The XMB can also be customized with different colors, photos or themes. One thing to be remembered about the PSP's graphical user interface is that it can not be viewed, or returned to, unless the current application is closed, except for photo slideshows. So it is a good thing to save any game a user might be playing before pressing the Home button which will automatically exit the user from the application. The screen appearance can also be changed through "theme" files, although there are few legitimate official ones, being user made.

The Internet browser of the PSP came once with version 2.00 of the system software update and consisted of an embedded microbrowser which supports most common web technologies, such as HTTP, cookies, forms, CSS and basic JavaScript capabilities. Along with version 2.70 of the system software basic Flash capabilities were introduced to the browser. Despite constant release of updates the PSP's Internet browser is still subject to some limitations such as running Flash version 6 behind three iterations of the current desktop version making, thus, some websites difficult to view. The browser also has limited tabbed browsing support, with a maximum of three tabs.

The PSP benefits from Remote Play, which allows it to access many features of a PlayStation 3 console from a remote location using the PS3's WLAN capability, a home network or the Internet. Such features include viewing photos and slideshows, listening to music, watching videos stored on the PS3's HDD and several other features. The Remote Play function allows the PS3 to be turnet on and off remotely and enables the PSP to control audio playback from the PS3 to a home theater system without having to go through a TV set. There are, however, certain features that can not be accessible throgh Remote Play, like playback of DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, PlayStation 2 games on DVD, most PlayStation 3 games and copy-protected files stored on the PS3's hard drive.

Next articles in this series:

1. Becoming PSP - Introduction
2. Becoming PSP - History
3. Becoming PSP - Hardware
4. Becoming PSP - Software
5. Becoming PSP - Slim & Lite
6. Becoming PSP - PlayStation Portable Vs. The Nintendo DS
7. Becoming PSP - PlayStation Portable Vs. Creative Zen Portable Media Center

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