BudgetGadgets PSP battery review

BudgetGadgets.com sent me a couple PSP accessories to review. They're a wholesaler in China, as far as I can tell, similiar to Deal Extreme or sites like that. Free shipping.

I've noticed there's a lot of interest in PSP batteries... the owners of the original PSPs (PSP-1000) are finding the life cycle of their battery may be winding down. And owners of PSP-2000/3000 are looking for alternatives since Sony has taken the Stamina battery off the market... it's hard to find an official PSP battery that isn't super-expensive because of importing. And can knock-offs or fakes be trusted?

Now comes my review of the 2nd item BudgetGadgets sent me : The 2200 mAh Stamina battery for PSP-1000.

As I said in my previous review, it took 2 weeks to ship the items to me in Canada. And shipping is free. The battery is certainly a good price. But is it any good? Read on.

As I mentioned in my review of the PSP controller grip, both items were sent without any packaging.

The first thing I noticed with the 2200 mAh battery is that it's much lighter than my official Sony 1800 mAh battey that came with my PSP-1001 back in 2006. Hmmm.

Sorry for the blurry picture. On the left is the 2200 mAh battery, on the right is my PSP's 1800 mAh battery. I noted the serial number on the 2200 mAh battery: 5105AKC and Googled it. Most of the links led to forum posts where people were saying it was a counterfeit. Oddly enough, my original PSP battery serial number came up with no hits....(but I know it's official since it came with my PSP I bought from Future Shop in 2006)

Anyway, not a good sign. Still, I wanted to determine how this 2200 mAh battery would perform.

From what I can tell it is the exact same size & shape as my original PSP battery.

I popped it into my PSP-1001 to charge it. I immediately checked the battery information in System Settings, and it said 96%! I was surprised it was so full of charge, since most rechargable batteries come with less than 50% charge straight out of the box. So charging took about 30 minutes.

I played Resistance: Retribution, I find that Sony Bends games are heavier on the battery use then other games because they have such high production values. With my normal 1800 mAh battery, I get about 3 hours of game time with Resistance: Retribution. I'm not a battery expert, but if this Stamina battery is really 2200 mAh, I'd expect about 4 hours approximately. I got 1.5 hours of gameplay from it. Yikes. And when it died, it didn't give me any warning; no flashing green power light. I was checking the battery indicator, it never went below 1 bar, even 10 minutes before it died.

I thought, maybe it was because it hadn't had a full charge. So I charged it again, and did another playthrough. Same results, about 1.5 hours of gameplay. What's bad is that as soon as you plug in the AC adapter & check the Battery Information, it says something like 76% when the battery's dead.

I played through a few charges worth, and got the same results. I also made sure to check to see if the battery heated up during charging, and I found no heating issues.

Then I tried out the 2200 mAh "Stamina" battery in my PSP-2001. I get about 3 hours of gameplay with my 1200 mAh PSP-2001 battery. It's a lower charge than my PSP-1001 battery, but the PSP-2000's need less power, so it basically evens out.

The "Stamina" battery gives about 2 hours of gameplay in my PSP-2001.

Some might be wondering if this battery can be used as a Service or "Pandora's" battery to downgrade a PSP's firmware. I don't hack or use homebrew on my PSPs, so I can't be sure, but I've read some reports that this battery can't be "Pandora-ized", so if you're looking for that, you may need to look elsewhere.

Like I said, I'm no battery expert, but from my findings I've come to think that this "Stamina" 2200 mAh battery is actually about 900 mAh. Definitely less than the official PSP battery (PSP-1000 & PSP-2000)

Still, it is an inexpensive battery for those looking for the cheapest alternative. Unfortunately I have to chalk this one up to "you get what you pay for".

Pros:

+very cheap, especially with free shipping.

+works in both PSP-1000 & PSP-2000 (I don't have a PSP-3000 yet so I couldn't test that model)

Cons:

-probably fake.

-About half the power of the official battery.

-battery meter inaccurate.

If you're looking for a really cheap battery, then this could be for you. But don't expect it to have the battery life of your official one. On the other hand, other than below average battery life, I haven't had any problems with it, it does work.

If interested, the battery can be ordered here:

http://www.budgetgadgets.com/-p-1752.html

Also you can use coupon code: DM5OFF14 to get a 5% discount site-wide.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this review to be informative.

NOTE: BudgetGadgets.com sent these 2 items speficially for review. But anything posted in my review are 100% my opinions, and do not necessarily reflect those of BudgetGadets.com or anyone other than me. I do not work for, nor am I affiliated in any way with them.

later
don

PSP deals at Wal-Mart

Saw a few good deals at Wal-Mart for PSP games tonight.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Socom: Fireteam Bravo 2

$10.00 each.

Resistance: Retribution - $19.98.

If there is any PSP who's a fan of shooters out there that hasn't picked up Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, I'd be surprised. It's a must-have if you ask me, especially at that price. When I was talking about Socom: Fireteam Bravo 1, I mentioned that I'd like to have gotten Socom: FTB 2 for that price ($10.00) and lo & behold.. it finally arrives! So I picked that one up.


Y'know, it's an "interesting" time for PSP owners/fans.... on one hand, there can be some pretty amazing deals to be scooped up. When I first bought a PSP in 2006, most PSP games were in the price range of $50.00-$60.00! It was brutal. Not having any prior experience with handheld gaming consoles, I was shocked... I expected home console games to cost that much, but handheld ones?

But as we all know, the PSP has fallen into some hard times the last couple years, despite having some gems come out. I blame Sony for a portion of the problem, they keep undercutting their own gains with moves like releasing the PSP-3000 shortly after the PSP-2000, which killed the momentum that the PSP-2000 started. Now everyone is scared of touching anything PSP-related, retailers & consumers alike... and it feels like we're looking at the decline of the system. Will it soon be replaced by PSP Go!, or a "PSP 2"?

But because of this fear, there's some clearance/liquidation sales out there, and those $50.00 games of 2007 are turning into $10.00 games of 2008/2009. I guess I can be somewhat happy for that at least. Sheesh... I sure didn't mean to bring this topic down, I was originally posting just to inform of a good deal. So yeah, yay for deals.


later
don

New Clone Wars: Republic Heroes game coming

It's funny, 'cause I've been thinking about the Clone Wars Wii game recently. It gets pretty mediocre reviews (so did the Wii version of Force Unleashed, which I really love) and from what I've seen the Clone Wars game doesn't have much meat in it in terms of single player. But I'm a huge Star Wars fan, and it's always been on my must-buy list... I just want to get it at a budget price. So I've been looking out for it, hoping I'd see it drop to at least $20.00.... but I've never seen it less than $50.00, in fact it's gone UP in price to $55.00-$60.00 at a lot of places.... that burns me...


So now developer Krome Studios is doing a second Clone Wars game, Clone Wars: Republic Heroes.... the details on it are sketchy right now, it's scheduled to come out in September 2009..... the trailer looks cool enough. If they make the single-player campaign more robust, and maybe more of a cross between their Clone Wars and Force Unleashed games, it could be very promising. At least the first one should drop in price.....

EDIT: Joystiq's posted some images from the games! There's Wii version and DS version.... uh-oh.... what's missing...... crap-- I hate how the PSP gets left off of all the platform lists.... oh well.

Wii screenshots

DS screenshots


I know I'll be talking about it more as more info is revealed.

EW news story & trailer here.



later
don

PSP in Smallville

I was watching some of tonight's Smallville... I tape it (and Supernatural) on my Neuros Recorder II+ & transfer it to watch on my PSP.... I just happened to catch a bit of it while recording, and I was somewhat shocked to find a cameo by... a PSP!











Apparently Clark used it to track down another super-powered girl.... he finds her, they have an argument, and he whips out a PSP to show that he was using it as a GPS to track an implant in her head. And the irony of Clark using a PSP as a GPS is not lost on me.... come on already Sony.....










I brightened up a couple of shots, screencaps of the MP4 video. They might've done a few things to hide that it's a PSP, but you can see the PSP ring on the back in one of the shots.

Oddly enough, earlier in the ep I'm pretty sure they were using an iPhone/iPod Touch disguised with a silicone cover as another "high-tech device" of some sort... I think it was to make those head implants explode or something. I know that the PSP shows up in lots of movies/TV shows, but I'm just a geek about seeing gadgets onscreen.



later
don

Games going back UP in price???

What the.... why are games going back *up* in price?? It's one thing for them to go on sale, then go back to regular price when the sale's finished, but...

Secret Agent Clank was $20.00 at Future Shop for the last couple months. I just checked and it's back at $40.00! Admittedly, Future Shop was the only store that had it at that price, everywhere else (including Wal-Mart which is supposed to have the lowest prices) kept it at the $40.00 range. I thought it dropped in anticipation of it becoming a Greatest Hits title; that's usually the pattern with price drops like God of War: Chains of Olympus, Daxter & Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, etc... Still, why did the price drop for so long, then go back up??

Another game I noticed is MadWorld (Wii). The price dropped to $40.00 at Wal-Mart, then Best Buy, even EB Games, and finally Future Shop all had it at around $40.00 for the last few weeks. But when I stopped in at Wal-Mart, the price has suddenly gone back to $54.00! And Future Shop has it at the $40.00 range, but it says "Sale Ends: 5/15/2009". So we'll have to see if it also goes back up.

I've been buying games long enough to know that prices fluctuate, and sometimes they do illogical, stupid price changes. But I've come to expect some level of consistency from the major chains. And in general, prices for games go *down*, maybe after a certain timeframe (6 months, 1 year) or if a sequel is released, the first game drops in price. And of course there's the Canadian exchange rate... don't even get me started on that.....

Maybe it's some kind of supply & demand issue? I know that's what EB Games uses to justify their prices changes.

I hate games pricing. On one hand, there's this shell game policy, and while it can be nice to get some good deals, it's so punishing for those who want to buy a new game. On the other hand, there's Nintendo's first-party games policy: PRICE DOESN'T DROP. EVER. EVEEEEEERRRRRRR...... aside from some flukey doorcrasher sales, their games stay at the same MSRP for *years*. Mario Kart DS has dropped maybe $5.00 in price since it game out, years ago??

Drives me nuts.




later
don

PSP battery - why so damn tight????

Ok, I just have to get this off my chest.

The PSP-110 battery, the one that goes in the PSP-1000 model, can be a real sunnovabitch to get out. Sometimes it pops out easy, but sometimes the PSP battery gets stuck..... it's just wedged in there so damn tight.....


I've switched the Budgetgadget's PSP-1000 "Stamina" battery over from my PSP-1001 to test in my PSP-2001, and getting it out of my PSP-1001 was... sheesh, my thumb STILL hurts 30 minutes later.

It seems like a no-brainer, that the battery just pops out. Maybe I'm just a dope. Hey-- I can't discount that possibility. But now I've taken a really close look at how the battery fits into the PSPs, there are 2 tabs at the bottom, but also 1 tab at the top. Hopefully I'll be able to get this battery out of my PSP once I'm done.

So far, my tests with this "Stamina" battery have been disappointing-- it has much less power than even my normal 1800 mAh, even though it puports to be 2200 mAh. I got about 1.5 hours of gameplay out of it on my PSP-1001, while I can get about 3 hours from my regular battery. So I don't expect much better with my PSP-2001. I'll elaborate when I post my review.


later
don

BudgetGadgets PSP controller grip review

BudgetGadgets.com sent me a couple PSP accessories to review. They're a wholesaler in China, as far as I can tell, similiar to Deal Extreme or sites like that. Free shipping.

I got the package 2 weeks after they notified me that they sent it. 2 weeks to Canada... about average delivery time. Neither great nor bad.

Inside the small box was the two items: controller grip for PSP-2000, and Stamina battery for PSP-1000. I know there's a *lot* of interest in PSP batteries right now, and I'm in the process of testing the Stamina battery they sent me. I'll post a review on it soon.

Both items came without any packaging, just packing foam. Odd.......

I've always been curious about PSP controller grips. For people who have big hands, the PSP could be hard to play. I don't have big hands, but I do like console controllers, so the idea that the PSP could feel something like a console controller is appealing to me.

This controller grip is listed as being for PSP-2000, but it will probably fit the PSP-3000 if it's the same size. Can't confirm that though.

So it grips the PSP by snapping onto the top of the sliver band that goes around the PSP:

I noticed that one of the "huggers" had some plastic flashing sticking out. I cut that off with a box cutter-- I certainly don't want my *baby* getting any scratches on it.

The grips of the controller are slightly scalloped to provide extra grip. And as you can see, it slides apart. A nice feature that makes it a little more portable. But it does NOT lock when slid in or out.

There's a space that looks like it's for the extended battery. I don't have the official extended battery covers, mine are 3rd party, and I don't believe they'd fit. The space isn't very deep, it almost looks like it's for the battery without the cover.

With the PSP attached, it looks very DualShock-ish, but it is wider than an average console controller.

The "huggers" hold on to the PSP really well-- I was surprised how securely they do-- but because it's so tight, it's really hard to get the PSP fitted on so that all 4 prongs are snapped over the silver band:

One of the features of this controller grip is that it allows UMD access while the PSP is attached. When the PSP is fully snapped on, yes it's true, but the door can't open up all the way. It does open enough to change UMDs though.

Like I said, the PSP is pretty secure when attached properly:

I should also note that once the PSP is attached, there is full access to the wi-fi/power switches, memory stick door, UMD drive, USB port, and headphones/remote port.

So how is it to play? As I said, it is wider than a regular console controller, since they don't have screens on them. I spent some time playing Resistance: Retribution because some have complained that the game forces you to contort the PSP trying to play it (I've never personally had that problem) and there seems to be a feeling that it would be better played on a DualShock. Personally, I found it to be neither better nor worse. I had a bit of a harder time with sniping, like using the FarEye, because the grips put some distance between the analog nub and up on the D-pad.

Then I played Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, which because of the faster pacing, I find it does cause my hands to contort while playing. (I use the same controls as Resistance: Retribution; the face buttons to look) Maybe it's because I play the console versions of Star Wars Battlefront, but I found the controller to be really fun to play with this game! I find the D-pad presses like left/right to be much more accurate, maybe because my hand isn't cramped over the PSP possibly causing mis-button presses.

It's basically just a plastic shell, so it's really light. Definitely doesn't add any weight to the PSP. And the way you hold it during play, it takes a lot of hand pressure offof the PSP.

One thing I am concerned about is that because it grips the silver band SO tightly, I'm a bit worried it might've distorted it slightly?

These are my two PSP Slims, the one in the back is the one I used for the controller grip. It seems like there's a very slight bend in the silver band... it might've always been there, but I play my PSP every day so I tend to notice small details about it.... when I compare the area between my 2 PSP Slims, the other PSP doesn't have any sort of gap like that. Could be my imagination.

Pros:

+grips the PSP really well.

+handles give the PSP more of a console controller feel.

+good for players with large hands who feel the PSP is too small to play comfortably.

Cons:

-really hard to click the PSP into place because the grips are so tight.

-may pull on the silver band & damage the PSP?

I'd reccomend this controller grip for anyone who feels the PSP-2000 is a bit small, or anyone who wants more grip to their playing. But I'd caution about the little things like plastic flashing sticking out, and the general build quality of the grip.

If interested, the contoller grip can be ordered here:

http://www.budgetgadgets.com/-p-2045.html

Also you can use coupon code: DM5OFF14 to get a 5% discount site-wide.

NOTE: BudgetGadgets.com sent these 2 items speficially for review. But anything posted in my review are 100% my opinions, and do not necessarily reflect those of BudgetGadets.com or anyone other than me. I do not work for, nor am I affiliated in any way with them.

later
don