Since Sony discontinued production of the PlayStation Portable (PSP), it is no longer possible to download games from the store directly to the console. Instead, you need to transfer games to the PSP from a PC or PlayStation 3 using a USB cable. The operation is easier than it looks. Read on for an easy way to copy games from your PC or PlayStation 3 directly to your PSP.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Transfer a PlayStation Store Game from PlayStation 3 to PSP
Step 1. Log in to PlayStation Network (PSN) with PlayStation 3 (PS3)
Make sure you are using the same account you downloaded the game with from the store.
Step 2. Connect the PSP to the PS3
Use a USB cable to connect the two systems.
- If you want to copy the game directly to the Memory Stick you use with the PSP, you should plug in the memory now. If the memory is already installed and recognized by the system, the game will be transferred directly into it.
- The largest Memory Stick you can fit into a PSP is 256GB, using the two-slot PhotoFast Pro Duo adapter and 2 Micro SD cards of equal size. With the PC, use the Fat32Formatter program on both SD cards before formatting the Pro Duo in the PSP.
Step 3. Open the USB link on the PSP
Select the Settings icon, which looks like a toolbox, then press the USB link icon.
Step 4. On the PS3, choose the game you want to copy
In the Games folder you can find the complete list of titles available for copying. Press Triangle on the console controller after choosing a game.
Step 5. Select "Copy"
In this way, you will transfer the chosen game to the PSP.
Step 6. Start the game
Open the Game menu and select the Memory Stick or system storage space. Select the title you want to play.
Method 2 of 3: Transfer a PlayStation Store Game from PC to PSP
Step 1. Download and install Sony MediaGo
Visit mediago.sony.com with a browser and install the program.
- Make sure your computer is compatible with the program. You need a Windows computer with Vista SP2, Windows 7, Windows 8 / 8.1 or Windows 10 operating system; you will also need at least 1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended) and 400 MB of free disk space.
- Once you have downloaded and run the MediaGo installation file, you will be prompted to install other programs necessary for the software to function. MediaGo will guide you through this operation.
Step 2. Connect the PSP to the PC
You can do this with a USB cable.
- If you want to copy the game directly to the Memory Stick you use with the PSP, you should plug in the memory now. If the memory is installed and recognized by the system, the game will be transferred directly into it.
- The largest Memory Stick available for the PSP is 32GB.
Step 3. Open the USB link on your PSP
Select the Settings icon, which looks like a toolbox, then press the USB link icon.
Step 4. See the list of downloads on MediaGo
From your PC, open the application and click on the store icon. Choose "Download List" to see the options available to you.
Step 5. Download the game
Once you have decided which game to download, click on "Download" next to the title.
Step 6. Click on "Find it in the library"
When the download is complete, the link you downloaded earlier will change to "Find it in your library".
Step 7. Copy the game to the PSP
The following step varies depending on where you want to save the game.
- If you want to save the game in the PSP system memory, just select it on the PC and drag it to the PSP (left).
- If you want to save the game to the Memory Stick, right click on the game, select "Add to", then Memory Stick.
Step 8. Click the Circle button on the PSP
The device will exit USB mode and you can disconnect the cable.
Step 9. Start the game
Open the Game menu and select the Memory Stick or system storage space. Select the title you want to play.
Method 3 of 3: Transfer Other Downloaded Games to a Modified PSP from PC or Mac
Step 1. Make sure your PSP is modified
Devices of this type have custom firmware. You will only be able to follow these steps with a modified console.
- Modifying your PSP can damage your system and get you into legal trouble. Some users find it worth the pen to take this risk, so that they have the ability to download free games from any website.
- If you want to learn how to modify your PSP, read the article on how to Unlock-a-PSP.
Step 2. Connect the PSP to the computer
You can do this with a USB cable.
Step 3. Turn on the PSP
Step 4. Browse PSP files from your computer as if it were a hard drive
- Once the PSP is connected to your computer, it will appear in the Computer / This PC folder as a disk drive. Double-click the This PC / Computer folder on your desktop (if you removed the icon, you can still find it in the Start menu). Under "Devices and Drives" you will see your PSP. Double-click on its icon to open it.
- If you are using a Mac, open Finder and you will see the PSP under Devices. Double-click the console icon to open it.
Step 5. Open the Memory Stick folder, then double click the "ISO" subfolder
If you can't find it, press Ctrl + Shift + N (PC) or Shift + ⌘ Cmd + N to create one. Make sure that the name of the new folder is written in capital letters only.
Step 6. Drag the game files to the ISO folder
The file extension should be. ISO or. CSO.
- You can copy videos from PS3 or computer with the same method, but make sure you move them to the Videos folder and not the ISO one.
- If you get an error warning you that your disk space is out, you need to free up memory to save more games on the Memory Stick.
Step 7. Click on the PSP Circle button
The console will exit USB mode and you can unplug the cable.
Step 8. Open the Games folder on the PSP to find the title you just copied
You will be able to start it like all other games.
- If you don't see the game, restart your console.
- If you don't see the game you copied, your PSP is probably not modified.