I’ve recently become obsessed with the PSP again, and I’ll tell you why. I’ve not picked one up for a while now, what with Switch having so many amazing games and handhelds like the Trimui Back taking me back to some of my favourite N64 classics. But after a recent visit to my friend’s house where I saw his partner working on cleaning up an old PSP to sell and us all sitting down to play Crash Tag Team Racing once it was ready to go, it put the handheld back at the front of my mind once more.
I guess it’s fitting then that I’ve discovered via The Verge and Macho Nacho that there’s now a Miniature PSP home console from Retro Mod Works called the PSP Placeable. Essentially, it’s a consolized version of the PSP 2000 and 3000, taking advantage of that video output and allowing you to hook up to your tv. The best bit, it looks like a miniature PS2, the kind of thing that Wesk Mods might make like the Kawaii.
One main feature of this nifty little console is that it still allows you to use the disc tray and use original PSP UMD discs. And as you can see from the pictures of controllers above, it allows users to hook up any Bluetooth controller, giving gamers the option to see their games on the big screen and use the PSP the same way that we might use an Apple TV box to play games on the TV with RetroArch.
Like so many small companies in the Retro Gaming world, Retro Mod Works seems to be a one-person-band, with the creator Dan making it because he wanted to play physical copies of old games in a way that keeps the PSP’s UMD drive operational, even when using broken PSPs. The Mod itself is perfect for people who have a broken PSP, giving new life to a console that might be otherwise ready for the scrap heap in the sky. Still, at $274.99, it’s not a cheap mod to buy.
It’s a lot of money to spend on a small PS2, but the PSP Go which also has video output and controller support costs around the same price on second-hand sites like eBay and doesn’t come in a cool shell, so if you love the PSP and want a quirky feature piece for your room, then the price probably won’t matter at all. You can also send in your own broken PSP and pay $184 or buy a Bluetooth MOD kit for $39.99, so there’s an option for everyone depending on your level of expertise and budget.
Demand seems to have been big, however, as the Retro Mod Works website now bears a message stating that the shop has sold out after receiving 100 orders in just 24 hours. ‘In 24 hours I have received over 100 orders,’ Dan writes, ‘I am honestly shocked and that is the complete stock of broken PSPs I have squirreled away for over the past year for this project. Please know I am still willing to work on your PSP and will aim to stock more of these.’ New customers can fill in the form on the website to show interest!
