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“Downgrade Psp?” you ask, what the heck is that? Well if you have had your Psp for a little while now you might have heard of a Downgrade or downgrading you Psp. When referring to a Downgrade you are talking about returning your PSP firmware to an earlier version which had exploits that certain smart people could take advantage of, in this case we are talking about version 1.50.

When Sony found out that there were exploits that could enable people to play games that weren’t released by Sony themselves they released Firmware Updates (this was known as Upgrading your PSP) in the hope that this would make PSP users only purchase Sony UMD Games and Sony UMD Movies. Much to the annoyance of Sony when they started releasing firmware updates people started to try and find ways to hack the firmware so they could return the PSP back to a 1.50 which would once again allow them to play other games.

These other games and applications are known as “Homebrew” and are developed by programmers who want to release these games and applications free of charge to other PSP users around the world. This is the big attraction of a PSP Downgrade and is why people take the risk of downgrading their PSP. Currently there are 100’s if not 1000’s of homebrew games and applications available to download for free. Not only are there homebrew games available for the PSP user who has gone through the PSP Downgrade process but there are also 1000’s of “old school” games that you can play on you downgraded PSP, games like Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers and more.

”So can you downgrade any PSP?”, well at the time of writing you can downgrade any PSP that is firmware version 3.03 and below, this includes PSP’s with the TA-082 motherboards which up until a wile time ago were not able to be downgraded with ease. Unfortunately those with a PSP that is higher than 3.03 cannot downgrade as of yet but it is only expected to be a matter of time before a downgrader is made for those particular models.

All you have to do if you have one of the PSP’s that can be downgraded is find the correct downgrader. You must make sure that you use the correct downgrader or you risk bricking (rendering inoperable) your PSP. Once you have found the appropriate software to downgrade it, make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are printed. If you do not follow those instructions exactly you will again brick your PSP. Once you brick your PSP your only option is to get it Mod-Chipped which would cost you around $100 or use it as a rather expensive paperweight.

The benefits of doing a PSP downgrade are numerous, the free games and applications, the DVD collection that you can back up and watch on you PSP all make the risk worth the reward.

Downgrade PSP today!

PSP, or the PlayStation Portable, is one of Sony’s leading products, which has really caught on like wildfire among the gaming people of the world. It is only lately that PSP owners have realized that their Playstation Portable can be much more than just a handheld gaming console. It can be made to store music and movies, play them in any format, download games from the Internet and play them, and even be used as a worldwide remote control. All this can be done with the process known as downgrade.

Though the word ‘downgrade’ seems highly technical, it is very easy to downgrade PSP in reality. The whole process of downgrading a Playstation Portable doesn’t take any more than ten minutes. And you will want to have only a mini cable wire and a personal computer to do the task. In fact, downgrading a PSP is as easy as loading pictures from your digital camera to your computer. If you know how to do that, then downgrading your PSP will become a very easy task for you to do.

The following is a step-by-step instruction guide of how to go about downgrading your PSP:

(i) The first step to downgrade PSP is to check the version of the PSP. This can be done when the Playstation Portable is turned on. Go to settings, and then to system settings. Then click on system information. This will show the version of the PSP. Recognize that PSPs only under version 3.03 can be downgraded.

(ii) Then you want to connect the PSP to the computer with the help of the mini USB cable. The computer must give you the ‘new hardware found’ notification. Wait for the PC to identify the new hardware.

(iii) When this is done, you need to run the downgrader software (make doubly sure that the downgrader is the correct version for the PSP). Once this is done, the downgrader will install all the necessary files on the PSP.

Once the downgrade PSP files are installed on the PSP, the Playstation Portable has been suitably downgraded. Now the PSP is unlocked to play whatever homebrew games you may download, and perform all the features of that a full-fledged multimedia system can do.

Downgrading a PSP is a very simple thing to do, and you do not have to be hardware or a software expert to do it. The above-mentioned things are all that you have to do. In case you want this process to be simplified still further, then all you have to do is to open the site pspvideoguide and order one of their very simple demonstrative videos to tell you how to go about the downgrade PSP process.

The worst part of the Sony’s PlayStation Movable (PSP) is that you cannot play all formats of discs on it in the way it is purchased from the department store. You can play only discs that are in the Worldwide Media Disc (UMD) format, and these discs are costlier than the average discs available. So, if you want to watch the movies in your existing DVD assemblage on the PSP, it is not possible. You can not even play games from your old collection on this Playstation Portable. So, what do you do? Do you chuck out all the stupendous SEGA and Atari games you played on your GameBoy and Nintendos? Indeed not! There is a way by which you can make your PSP compatible with all these games, and much more! And that is, the PSP firmware downgrade!

Let us see what a PSP firmware downgrade actually does. The earlier versions of the Playstation Portable were compatible with all kinds of disc formats, such as DVDs. However, as newer and newer versions of the PSP began hitting the markets, they stopped using all formats. This happened after the version 1.50 and for this reason, the version of PSP 1.50 is called the original or classic Playstation Portable in some places. Now, if you have a PSP version higher than 1.50, then you can play only UMDs on it, according to the way Sony has programmed it. It is attractive to note that the UMDs are also a Sony product, and so by this Sony is ensuring a higher peripheral profit from the PSP.

But when we do a PSP firmware downgrade, we are pulling down the version of the PSP. That is, from a higher version we are taking it back to 1.50. This can be done in as less as ten minutes, with nothing more than a USB cable and a computer. However, it must be told that versions above 3.03 of the Playstation Portable cannot be downgraded yet.

So, when the PSP firmware downgrade is done, the PSP gets ‘unlocked’ to play discs of all formats. You can play all your Atari, Nintendo and SEGA games on this now, and plus you can play all the movies from your old collection. In addition, the Playstation Portab that has undergone a PSP firmware downgrade to the version 1.50 can store your files of movies and music, and you can play them whenever you want. And, as if that were not all, the downgraded PSP can be used to download and play all kinds of games that were not possible in the way the PSP was marketed by Sony.

PSP downgrade has become a very common marvel among population who own PSPs, for who wouldn’t like to convert their gaming consoles into elaborate multimedia centers that can play any type of games and movies, download homebrew games freely from the Internet, store and play music, be compatible with the PC and also be used as a handheld worldwide remote control device? Indeed, the many benefits of a PSP downgrade are making person reckless and go ahead with the process.

Websites like pspvideoguide provide good and easy videos for people who want to go in for a PSP downgrade. Even a high school student can comprehend these videos and use them to downgrade their PSP and enhance it immensely. But then, many times PSP downgrades go seriously wrong. Occasionally, the PSP gets totally bricked, i.e. blocked, and cannot be used at all any more. This happens when people do not take the due precautions necessary for the PSP downgrade.

Here are some of the things you want to keep carefully in mind before going in for a PSP downgrade. Read them carefully:

(i) Check and then doubly check that the downgrade process you are using is for the same version your PSP is. If you use a wrong type of downgrader, then you will end up blocking your PSP permanently, i.e. bricking it. For example, if your PSP is a version 2.6, and you are trying it with the downgrader for version 2.8, then your PSP will be bricked.

(ii) Observe the video provided to you very properly. You will need a PC, a USB data cable and, of course, the correct downgrading software program. If you mess up with any of these and in fact do not follow the instructions properly, then you may do something fearfully wrong and may lose your PSP for ever.

(iii) PSP downgrade can be done only if the PSP is of version below 3.03. You cannot attempt to downgrade any PSP which is of a higher version. First of all, there is no downgrading software for them. Secondly, if you use some other version’s downgrading software. You will brick your PSP forever.

However, despite all the risks involved, it is very useful to go ahead with a PSP downgrade. The benefits obtained by a PSP downgrade clearly outweigh all the risk factors involved. But you must bear in mind that with a downgraded PSP, you will be tempted to store much more data on it, so you will need to invest in a great capacity memory stick as well; the normal 32 MB memory stick provided with it will certainly not be worth much.

Sony’s PSP has certainly become a path-breaking and a record selling product that has enamored more than 27 million users universal. Though the Playstation Portable itself is a costly handheld gaming comfort and the discs that are compatible with it, the UMDs, are highly expensive, people are purchasing them since they have gotten addicted to their PSPs. In several cases, people with whole DVD collections also end up purchasing those movies and games in UMD format again, so that they can play them on their PSPs. And in the process, Sony is getting richer, since the UMD format is also a Sony patent.

The high cost of upkeep is perhaps the biggest deterring factor when one considers purchasing a Sony Playstation Portable. One could end up paying hundreds of dollars a month if they wish to buy the best titles that are released per month in games, movies and music. However, this is where a downgrade PSP process can save exorbitant costs. A downgrade PSP is a very simple thing to do, and it makes your Playstation Portable compatible with many other formats together with the DVD, which enable you to use all your previous discs on the PSP.

In short, a downgrade PSP is the best thing you can do with your PSP. By downgrading your PSP, you are making your Playstation Portable ‘open’ up to almost all kinds of media, which could be virtually an infinite stream of movies, music and games.

But the most important feature of the downgrade PSP software is that it becomes possible to download and play games on your PSP, which are known as the homebrew games. These games are designed by programmers all over the world to be played on the PSP, but are not sanctioned by the Playstation Portalbe developers in the way it is retailed. However, if you downgrade the PSP, it becomes opened up to all these games. Indeed, with such downloads you will never ever have to buy another game for your PSP. Imagine the savings that can mean in terms of money!

With a downgrade PSP, it can be used as a remote control for operating devices which are compatible with worldwide remote controls. This is a little-known advantage that you can get with a downgrade PSP.

Isn’t it wonderful how just ten minutes spent on downgrading your PSP can make it open up to so many features that you have never thought it capable of doing in the first place? However, there are some things you must know before going ahead with downgrade Playstation Portable installation. First and foremost, the downgrader you are using must be of the same version that the PSP is, or else, the PSP will become bricked and will not be able to be used for anything else. In fact, if you do any mistake, if you install the files wrongly on the PSP in some manner. Then you are going to lose your Playstation Portable forever.

But, advisably, you must go ahead with your PSP downgrade. It is the best thing you can do with your PSP, and it is well worth taking the risk.

The PSP, or the PlayStation Portable of the Sony Computer Recreation, has become a universal phenomenon, having sold more than 27 million units so far. The PSP has indeed got some extremely rave reviews for its functionality as well as its convenience of usage. No wonder then that the handheld gaming console has become the heartthrob of millions across the planet.

But those who own the PSP will be very agreeable with the fact that keeping up with the gaming console is a very expensive thing to do. For one thing, Sony’s PSP can use only the UMD format, i.e. the Worldwide Media Disc, due to which all the DVDs of the previous gaming consoles like the PlayStation 1, GameBoy, etc, become redundant on the PSP. As a result, the person has to buy a UMD, which is an unnecessary dual expense. A people owning a PSP does end up spending thousands of dollars on purchasing and downloading games and DVDs that would work with the PSP.

However, downgrading the PSP can simplify the problem drastically. If you have a Playstation Portable that is below the version 3.03, then it can be downgraded quite successfully to even a version 1.50. PSP downgrades are very common nowadays, because the PSP is quite useless the way it is originally retailed. The very fact that only UMDs can be worked on the PSP make it quite a costly affair. A person who has an existing DVD collection will have to buy the same movies and games in UMD format in order to make them functional on the Playstaion Portable. That is indeed too much of a cost. In addition, games from other consoles such as those of SEGA, Atari, Nintendo, etc. would not work on the PSP since the PSP requires a UMD format, which these consoles do not use.

By a Playstation Portalble downgrade, the PSP is taken back to its basic form. Due to this, the Playstation Portable becomes very capable of playing DVDs of movies and games from other formats. PSP downgrades open the PSP up for homebrew games also, i.e. the games that are designed by programmers and are available on the Internet for free downloads. It must be noted that in its retailed format, the PSP will not be able to play any homebrew games.

PSP downgrades can change the entire look of the PSP; it can convert the Playstation Portable from an expensive gaming console to a total multimedia center that can play all kinds of games and movie DVDs, can store movies in its memory and play them when needed, can download music, can download homebrew games, and can also be used as a very effective remote control for stuff like changing television channels.

This is the cause why people with PSPs are looking to PSP downgrades with such high regard. There are many sites that have full videos to show how to go about PSP downgrades. Several such videos are available from the site pspvideoguide at a nominal fee.

Downgrade your PSP easily and safely. If you wish to downgrade your PSP, this may be very possible. There are only a few versions right now that you cannot downgrade. If you currently own a PSP that is over version 3.03 then, unfortunately, you cannot downgrade (at the time of writing).

The good news is that if you own a PSP under 3.03, you can downgrade to 1.50. Now what’s so good about 1.50? Well, for one, it lets us play games, known as homebrew. These homebrew games are made by programmers for the PSP and are readily available to download to your PSP legally. In addition to being able to play homebrew games, we can also download emulators which let us play a range of “old school” games from other consoles like Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Master system, Atari, and even one for the Nintendo 64 (plus a stack more).

Aside from the thousands of games w can play with a downgraded PSP, you can also download homebrew applications, these applications let you do a wide variety of things with your PSP such as turn your PSP into a Universal Remote Control, Wi-fi Sniffer (lets you find wireless networks in your area), GPS and you can even stream media over the Internet through your Wi-Fi receiver on to your PSP.This is why many people make the decision to downgrade their PSP.

You should consider purchasing a bigger memory stick if you decide to downgrade your PSP, currently when you purchase a PSP, you are usually given a 32 MB memory stick, which is not a lot of room and if you really want to make the most of your PSP I would recommend you purchasing a 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB or even the recently released 4 GB memory stick for your PSP. Obviously, the bigger your memory stick, the more games, applications and DVD’s you can place on your memory stick.

To downgrade your PSP you really only need a couple of things. Firstly, you need a mini USB cable to connect your PSP to your computer. Secondly, you need the correct downgrader to run and install the correct files on to your PSP.

Be very careful, when downgrading your PSP and make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are presented. If you do not, the chances are you will brick your PSP (brick meaning, render it useless). It also goes without saying that if you try to downgrade your PSP with the wrong installer, e.g. using a 2.8 downgrader and your PSP is a 2.6, this will also brick your PSP.

While some people may think that downgrading their PSP is not worth the risk. I for one feel it is. Downgrading my PSP has changed it from the average run-of-the-mill PSP to a fully functional multimedia centre. I no longer have to purchase games if I want to as there are hundreds if not thousands of homebrew games that I can legally download and play, I can also back up my entire DVD collection and watch them on my PSP, and my favourite,change the TV channels with my PSP while everyone wonders who the hell keeps changing the channels, doesn’t it sound enticing?

I suggest you downgrade your PSP today, you won’t regret it and you’ll never look back.

I. Get ready (Reformat PSP memory stick)

Before you get started with the downgrade, you need to reformat your PSP memory stick. If you don’t know how to reformat it, you can refer to the steps below:

1.Press the HOME button on the bottom left of your PSP.

2.Use the arrow keys to move to the Settings area, then move the up and down keys to go to System Settings.

3.Push the “X” button (or the “O” button, depending on which button is the “Enter” button of your PSP) and scroll to find the “Format Memory Stick” option. Push the “X” button again to select this option.

4.Your PSP will now confirm that you want to reformat the memory stick, choose Yes and your PSP will be physically formatted in a few seconds

To do the downgrade, you also need to download an application pack. Click Download Pandora Battery Application Pack (Find the Guides label on the right side,which named Download for PSP downgrade application). After the downloading is finished, what you get will be a compressed application pack named “pandora”, decompress it to the root directory of a hard disc, say Disc H. In this “pandora” folder, you can see four folders including mspformat, msinst, battery and installer, and a file named UPDATE.PBP.

Now you are ALL ready to turn your PSP battery to a Pandora’s battery and use it to downgrade any PSP!

II.Turn your PSP battery into a padora’s battery

Step 1: Logically reformat your PSP

Connect your PSP to your computer. And your PSP will be recognized as a new hard disc, say K. Then click Start -> Run, input cmd in the popped up dialog box, and click OK to enter DOS system. Use the below commands one by one to run the mspformat file:

Input “H:”, and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard. (Here H is the disc where the “panndora” folder is located)

Input “cd pandora” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard.

Input “cd mspformat” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard.

Then input “mspformat.exe K” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard. (Here K is the name of the disc that your PSP is recognized on your computer.)

After these commands, your PSP will be logically reformatted in a minute.

Step 2: Open the recognized PSP hard disc on your computer, create a new folder and name it “psp”, open this “psp” folder, create a new folder and name it “game”. Copy and paste the “installer” folder and the “battery” folder into the “game” folder. Then copy and paste the UPDATE.PBP file to the root directory of the PSP hard disc on your computer.

Step 3: On your PSP, switch to the Game option, press X or O (depending on which is the “Enter” key of your PSP). Go to “installer” and press X or O to run it.

In a few seconds, a file named “msipl.bin” will be created on the root directory of your PSP memory disc. And now, you should take out your memory disc and then put it back in, which seems to be useless but is a very necessary step.

Step 4: Connect to your PSP back to your computer. Then enter DOS system as mentioned in Step 1. Use the below commands one by one to run the mspformat file:

Input “H:”, and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard.

Input “cd pandora” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard.

Input “cd minst” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard.

Then input “msinst.exe K K:msipl.bin ” and press the “Enter” Key on your keyboard. (Here K is the name of the disc that your PSP is recognized on your computer.)

When you see a popped up message asking if you are sure, click “Yes”.

Step 5: Go back to your PSP, switch to the Game option, press X or O (depending on which is the “Enter” key of your PSP). Go to “battery” and press X or O to run it, press X or O to OK every popped up message to finish running the battery application.

Now, your pandora’s battery has been created!

III. Use the created pandora’s battery to downgrade your PSP

After you turn your batter to a PSP downgrade battery (pandora’s battery), you can use it to downgrade your PSP by following the instructions below:

Take out your PSP Memory Stick and battery, then put back in your PSP Memory Stick first, and put your battery back in.

Turn your PSP power on, when you see three options; select the Downgrade option, your PSP will be downgraded in a very short time and it will be automatically shut down afterwards.

Turn your PSP on again, and you will see a blue screen. But no worries, you can just press the O key, and your PSP system is already version 1.5!

Note: The above process will turn your PSP battery to a pandora’s battery that can be used for PSP downgrade. But the pandora’s battery cannot be used to play PSP games, videos or music. And the process is not reversible. You will need to get an additional PSP battery for regular uses. However, you can use your pandora’s battery to downgrade any PSP to version 1.5 or even repair you PSP.

Most PSP users are unfortunate because they have to spend heavy dollars every month on getting new PSP games that hit the market that are specially made for the PSP consoles. Then they might also have to purchase all their favorite and music discs once more for the simple reason that the PSP is not compatible with the DVD format. Sony has quite intelligently made the PSP retail only with the compatibility of UMD, or the Universal Media Disc, which is once more a Sony product. With this smart movie, Sony ensures that PSP buyers will have to purchase from Sony again and once more.

This ruse of the PSP developers has come in for much flak, but Sony doesn’t mind, it has additional its business drastically. The brunt is borne by the PSP owners like you. However, let me tell you today, there is a great solution for this problem. Within ten minutes, you can convert your redundant PSP that works with only a few discs you have into a blazing multimedia center that can do things you never imagined. This magic is achieved through a PSP downgrade.

You can downgrade any PSP below the version 3.03 to any version up till 1.50. The biggest advantage of a downgrade is that you are making it compatible to play with all the games and movie and music discs that you did before the PSP even happened. In fact, you can use those same discs once again with your PSP.

When you go for a PSP downgrade, you are actually making your PSP more accessible to dissimilar disc formats. The people at Sony have put restrictions on the PSP in order to make it useless in playing any format other than the Universal Media Disc; but by downloading, you are removing these restrictions and opening up the PSP to all possible formats.

There are several other advantages that you can get with a PSP downgrade. These are as follows:-

(i) The PSP downgrade makes it possible for you to download homebrew games for your PSP and play them. Since there are hundreds of good quality homebrew games available on the Internet for download, it means that you might never have to buy any other UMD again.

(ii) The PSP downgrade enables the PSP to be used certainly like a PC. You can connect the PSP to your PC and swap data files from one device to the other.

(iii) You can play all your DVDs on the PSP. That means, you can also store your movies and watch them on the move.

(iv) With the PSP downgrade, it becomes possible for you to download whatever music (in whatever format you like) on your PSP and hear it when you want.

(v) With a PSP downgrade, you can use your PSP like a universal remote control.

These are but some of the advantages one gets with a PSP downgrade. We can review by saying that a PSP downgrade can convert your PSP into a total multimedia center.