Internet PSP Problems

Browser Design

• Because you are accessing the Internet on a small screen and without a mouse or touch screen, viewing and navigating the Internet using the PSP becomes cumbersome. Users have three viewing mode options. The first is a "Normal" mode which displays websites as they would appear online. This can lead to scrolling both horizontally and vertically around the page in order to access the content and navigate through menus. Choosing "Just Fit" will adjust the size of page elements to fit the contents on the PSP screen. The user has no control over what content is shrunk, so text can be too small to read. Finally is "Smart Fit" which loads the page in the order in which the code was written, creating a vertical column of stacked content.

Internal Memory

• When using the Internet feature on the PSP, the console relies on its internal memory of between 32mb and 64mb to load and store website information. This means that even if you have an additional 4gb memory stick inserted into the handheld, there will still be limitations to websites that you can visit. Image heavy websites will eat up most of your PSP's memory, and while loading you may receive an error message that the console is out of memory. When you receive this error, you can either leave the website or choose to clear your cache. Regularly clearing the cache on the PSP's Internet browser will make memory errors less frequent.

Initial Setup

• PSP users have reported difficulties connecting their consoles to a home network due to problems with how the PSP is identified by the router. In order to access a security-enabled home network, you need the WEP or WPA security key, information you might not have if you didn't set up the network. In addition, you may need to log onto your router settings through a computer to add the PSP as a secure device before the network will grant access. These start-up issues prevent the PSP from being able to simply connect to the Internet out of the box.

WiFi

• While the PSP is meant for on-the-go gaming, the portable device cannot access the Internet from every location. Unlike devices such as the iPhone which accesses the Internet through a wireless network, the PSP needs a Wi Fi hot spot to make a connection. This means that you cannot be riding in a car or train and be connected to the Internet. While public locations, such as libraries and some restaurants and book stores feature free wireless Internet, other locations require customers to pay to connect. This limits when and where the PSP can be connected to the Internet.

Flash

• Fans of watching videos on websites such as YouTube will find that viewing videos on their PSP's Internet browser can be difficult. The PSP uses an older version of Flash (version 6 as of 2009) that is no longer supported by YouTube. If you want to upgrade your PSP to watch newer videos in Flash, you'll need to install additional software onto the console, a process that is not supported by your PSP's warranty. If this additional software damages your console, you'll need to purchase a replacement PSP.