The Pandora Battery was a huge promoter for piracy on the PSP as it allowed owners to install custom firmware and boot ISO files directly from the memory stick. The new PSP Go is Sony’s next move in their ongoing battle against piracy on their gaming handheld. From firmware updates to the non-removable battery, it seems Sony has really done the research. Speaking to PlayStation Insider, Sony’s John Koller conceded that earlier PSP models, from the PSP-1000 to the supposedly unhackable PSP-3000, weren’t piracy-proof, but the PSPGo will be a different beast altogether.
“You won’t be able to rip your games and play them on the system, the firmware precludes that,” he said. “There’s no external [PSP Go] battery, so there’s a number of protections put into place on the system.”
Curbing piracy on the handheld is all well and good (and should result in more games), but the non-removable battery could still act as a deterrent for some. Replacing the battery is a much harder process and requires owners to send the PSP to a service center. Futher more, if the PSP is out of warranty, you will end up paying more for a replacement as you need to account for labour as well as parts.