Homebrew lets you play while USB charging

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 30th 2007 at 8:15PM }

The biggest flaws of the PSP-2000's USB charging feature is the inability to use the system whilst charging. Well, that's no longer a problem with a new homebrew plug-in from N00bz. The PSP Slim USB Charger plug-in will allow you to charge the battery AND use the system at the same time -- an obvious feature for the system to support. There are a few questions on whether or not USB can deliver enough voltage to make that possible, but user comments on N00bz's website seem rather glowing. Yet another great product from the homebrew scene. Hopefully, we'll see this feature find its way into official firmware before long.

Tags: charge, n00bz, usb

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

dapurplebyrd @ Sep 30th 2007 9:21PM

i have this plugin and it works great! I've tried putting both the usb and the charger at the same time and i think it charges a little faster

recon @ Sep 30th 2007 10:02PM

hmm, i love sony and all, a die-hard fan, but seriously, they must have the worst engineers ever. How can somethin' so simple as this be overlooked or denied. I mean really!

Edge @ Sep 30th 2007 10:06PM

Guys, anyone feel like something is being overlooked? I would think there should be a damn good reason why you can't play-n-charge at the same time.

LoyalistRevolt @ Sep 30th 2007 10:14PM

Right now it looks like homebrew is loseing to sony. Sony's new upgrade make people want to switch ti Official firmware but It looks like the homebrew community is trying to fight back.

Random1448 @ Sep 30th 2007 10:23PM

won't somebody please think of the children!

PSP_Amigo @ Sep 30th 2007 10:40PM

AS much as I love my mighty PSP the day to day war between Sony and Homebrew, I have been thinking about the new GP2x F400, well at least for custom software and emulation purposes. The Engineers that make it leave it to open source and openly embrace and help the homebrew community.

Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 10:55PM

I'd imagine a future firmware update would allow playing and charging to happen at the same time. Or you all could completely bypass both homebrew and Sony by simply buying a 9 dollar play and charge cable that has been out for almost as long as the psp itself. It splits into two ends one for the usb connection, one for the ac jack, and you can "GASP" do both at the same time.

Welcome to 2005.

Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 10:57PM

I forgot to mention its usb, so technically this functionality isnt all that necessary considering that I have been charging through usb for a year now.

GoBob @ Sep 30th 2007 11:00PM

@LoyalistRevolt

LOL WUT?

Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about. Sony's new firmware is making people want to switch from CFW to OFW? Hardly. The implemented themes. Color me unimpressed. CFW users have have custom themes for a long time. Sony finally does USB charging, but they can't even do that right, so the homebrew coders have to step up and do Sony's work for them. You know that Sony's going to claim that plugin as their own new firmware release... Sony needs to man up as a company and take homebrewers seriously and work together with them to make a really kick ass firmware. It's obvious that Sony's doing a poor job by themselves.

GoBob @ Sep 30th 2007 11:06PM

@Brandon

Lulz.

LoyalistRevolt @ Oct 1st 2007 1:14AM

@GoBob
Do you think before you talk rubbish? If a Custom firmware can run theme and a Official firmware can run theme and is also backed by a warranty...Well hell I should just take the risk....You surely see how quickly Sony is adding more and more things that make people want the official firmware. I have yet to see a Custom firmware that can run video quality the way sony's can. I'm sure its a matter if time but by then I'm sure sony will have something new....

LOL WUT.....

ruibing @ Oct 1st 2007 1:23AM

I'm tempted to try putting my new PSP slim to homebrew so I can use emulators to play games of other handhelds, but I'm afraid of voiding the warranty.

Brice @ Oct 1st 2007 1:49AM

Just look at this:

http://www.amazon.com/PSP-Data-and-Charging-Cable/dp/B000B6NIY8/ref=sr_1_12/002-8794980-0544866?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1191217154&sr=1-12

I've had it for 1 year and it works just fine. You don't need to change anything on your PSP, you can play games while it charges, and it's not really expensive, is it?

This is maybe why Sony doesn't care about a useless homebrew.

Lee @ Oct 1st 2007 5:52AM

@ruibing, thank you for proving my point that homebrew community is trying to put a silver lining over the cloud of emulators. Go to pspmod and you'll find most of the conversation there about emulators, a whole forum section dediated to it. EVERYONE DOES IT! Download illegal files! :O Chances are you do it but you aren't going to tell us you do it anyways and try to be all 'oh its all for the homebrew' well when did ROMS and homebrew become synonymous.

I hope Sony sets up a way that we can play originally made unplagerized games on the PSP WITHOUT allowing emulators or ROMs.

AND @Brice The whole PSP Slim not working with a USB must have slipped your notice. Does that thing work with the new SLIM model or just your phat?

Word.

GoBob @ Oct 1st 2007 6:33AM

@LoyalistRevolt
"If a Custom firmware can run theme and a Official firmware can run theme and is also backed by a warranty...Well hell I should just take the risk...."

Considering that I can uninstall the CFW on my slim PSP at any time, I have no worries about warranty issues. Also, my fat PSP is out of warranty and it cheaper to fix any issues with it than to sent it to Sony.

"You surely see how quickly Sony is adding more and more things that make people want the official firmware."

Hardly. Sony still won't allow me to run unique user created games and utilities. Sony won't allow me to back up my legally bought games so I can run them off the memory stick(this causes the games to run with almost no load time and this helps extend the UMD drive's life). I can copy a CD I bought through fair use, so why not a game I legally purchased?

"I have yet to see a Custom firmware that can run video quality the way sony's can."

This is a total lie. CFW uses Sony's firmware(including their video player), but with added abilities. You are making things up.

"I'm sure its a matter if time but by then I'm sure sony will have something new...."

What I want is Sony to make a firmware with all the features of CFW, that limits piracy as much as possible, while still allowing it's users the right to fair use.

@Lee
"14. @ruibing, thank you for proving my point that homebrew community is trying to put a silver lining over the cloud of emulators."

To be honest, I wish that Nintendo, Sega, Atari, etc. would make legal roms for download. Many of their intellectual properties(IPs) are no longer available for sale and people want to play them. If they made roms(official ones at that) of their games available for download for a couple of bucks, they would make a lot of money. I would honestly love to rebuy all my old games(in rom form) to my old systems. It would basically be free money, as there is no physical product. Buying old games on VC, Xbox live, and PSN is great and all, but people want the full libraries and people want a little more than just a license to play on a console.

"Go to pspmod and you'll find most of the conversation there about emulators, a whole forum section dediated to it. EVERYONE DOES IT! Download illegal files! :O Chances are you do it but you aren't going to tell us you do it anyways and try to be all 'oh its all for the homebrew' well when did ROMS and homebrew become synonymous."

1. pspmod is full of 13 year old kids.
2. Emulators aren't illegal, the roms are.
3. The games that people want to emulate are old games that you cannot buy any more, so this considered a gray area. Please see above.
4. Blatantly talking about piracy on pspmod gets you banhammered.

"I hope Sony sets up a way that we can play originally made unplagerized games on the PSP WITHOUT allowing emulators or ROMs."

Again, emulators are legal, roms are not. Instead of just preventing roms, why not find a way to sell roms to customers? Wouldn't this make much more sense? Give the people what they want. People like the nostalgia of playing old games. Gaming companies really need to start looking to their audience more.

Oh, and I was lulzing too much to mention this last night. The USB charger is not an official Sony product, so IF something happened because of it, you TECHNICALLY aren't covered under warranty.

Damn, this was long...

Brice @ Oct 1st 2007 7:18AM

@ Lee,

of course it works with the new PSP.

You plug the USB-end in the computer and the other end of the cable on the AC-connection of the PSP. You don't use the USB-connection on the PSP. You charge via the usual AC-connection.

And if you want to make it more tricky, you can connect your PSP-slim to a TV via USB, play games and charge your PSP via a computer. Isn't it great!?

This cable has been here for years!!!

glasseye @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:32AM

VOLTAGE over USB is pretty stable, the main issue is current. The USB standard only allows 12 mA of current to be delivered to each peripheral, which is pretty low. Especially for a gaming system...