PSP-Downloadable Games - FAQ

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

You can get PSP games from a variety of sources. What are the costs? Are there risks to any of the options available to you? With all of the choices available, it can be a little bit confusing about which sources to trust. This FAQ clears up the confusion.

FAQ #1: What are my options for acquiring PSP games?

A: There are two main options for acquiring PSP games. The first is by getting your hands on a Universal Media Disc (UMD), an approximately 2.5 inch disc which can hold up to 1.8 GB of games, movies, and music data. The second option is to download the games directly from the Internet to your Memory Stick Duo that fits into your PSP unit.

FAQ #2: What are the advantages to each option?

A: Some people claim better video quality when using the more traditional UMD disc, although purveyors of the downloadable game option claim equal quality to that of the UMD discs. The obvious advantage of the downloadable type is that you can gain access to them immediately. Also, the downloadable option is much cheaper: lifetime rights to unlimited PSP downloads can be bought for a one-time membership fee approximately equal to a 1 or 2 month subscription to a UMD rental Web site (see FAQ #3).

FAQ #3: Where do I go to gain access to games?

A: You can find out about the latest available games by going to Sony?s official Playstation Web site. This site is worth visiting as it is beautifully done, with great graphics and informative previews of soon-to-be-released games. You can also rent UMDs directly from rental Web sites that will allow you to rent as many games as you like, but they do limit the number you can have checked out at any one time. For downloadable games, you just sign up at a vendor site and pay a one-time membership fee, after which point you can download as many games as you like, forever.

FAQ #4: What else can I download to my PSP?

A: As you probably know, your PSP can also handle music and videos. The top downloadable PSP game sites also make available to members thousands of music and video titles that are ready for download anytime.

The Sony PSP is an exciting device that offers a great mix of portability and the power of being able to play multiple media such as games, movies, and music. Accessing downloadable games can be a way to get unlimited variety much more cheaply than when renting or buying UMDs.