How to Play PlayStation Portable Games on TV Screen
Enjoying your favorite PlayStation Portable games on a higher screen can bring in a more immersive experience. Your TV can obviously act as an external display, just like a classic monitor.
Now, given the PSP resolution, don’t expect the graphics to get much better just because the display is bigger. In fact, based on the size of the display, graphics can get a bit worse and pixelated.
However, many small elements will be much easier to see on a large display. With these thoughts in mind, here are the steps to play PSP games on a TV screen.
What you’ll need
Here’s everything you’ll need to broadcast your PSP games on a large screen:
- PSP, with 2000 and 3000 series models being the most popular ones for broadcasting
- AV cable, whether original or not
- TV with the right AV ports for the cable
- AC adapter for the PSP, yet it’s not essential for a good operation
- PlayStation Portable ISOs, usually on a memory stick
Step-by-step instructions to play PSP games on your TV
Chances are you’ll get hooked in, and you’ll spend hours playing PSP on the TV. Make sure you plug the PSP in, or at least make sure you have enough battery to support your games. The last thing you want is shutting down out of nowhere.
Also, the battery tends to lose its capacity with time, so your old PSP battery may no longer be as durable as it was in its good days.
Second, you’ll have to establish some connections.
Get the AV cable to plug it into the PSP. Look for the out port on the bottom of the console. You want it out of the PSP and into the TV set.
You don’t have to be too technical here. To keep it simple, this is the only port that the end of the cable will actually fit in, so there’s no guesswork involved.
Now, it’s time to hook it up in the TV set. Go to the unconnected end of the cable and find similar ports on the TV.
It depends on what type of cable you have. If you have a component one, it has five colorful plugs. Chances are you’ll have a composite one, though, which only has three colorful plugs.
If you’re planning to do this more often, you can simply leave the AV cable attached to the TV and rolled up nicely behind it. You can then unroll it and reconnect it to the PSP whenever you want to stream games on your big screen. It’s just a matter of convenience.
Turn on the TV and choose the input. It depends on what type of TV you have. If not sure, check the user manual.
Turn the console on and let it start completely. To switch from the small screen to the large one, you’ll have to press the display button located on the front side of the PSP. It’s the one with a TV screen on it. You normally use it to adjust the brightness.
Hold this button for a few seconds. As the output is transferred to the big screen, you’ll notice the console screen will go black. Meanwhile, everything will go on the TV.
At this point, playing games depends on where you have them. If you’ve managed to find ISOs of your favorite games online, you can get them on a memory stick, which goes into the respective slot. You can also insert old UMD games if you have any.
Either way, go to the Game menu using the console, find the game you’re after, and press X to start it.
There are no differences in how you play the game. Use the same buttons for the exact same controls. The only difference is you’re using a different display. It’s like changing the monitor on your computer, for example, just a plug and play device.
On the same note, you can also save games like you do it normally. Once you’re done with a game, save it, and feel free to disconnect the PSP.
Disconnecting it is just like connecting it. Hold the display button for a few seconds, and the TV screen will go black, while the console screen will capture the image. Disconnect all the cables, and you’re done, no need to go through any settings.
As a short final conclusion, playing PlayStation Portable games on your TV screen is a fairly simple process. It may sound a bit unusual because back in the day, you didn’t have this kind of option.
However, PSP is quite advanced and easily accepts the transition to an external display without messing about with too many settings. Transferring the image from one display to another is only a matter of hooking a cable and making the switch.
