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Sony Explains Why You Can't Remove the Battery From the PSP Go

Thank those pirates!
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JasonXE - contributor
Published: 114 days 4 hours ago | News | Sony PSP | Tech
 
 

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Blaze929 - 114 days 4 hours ago
1 -
Wow...I didnt even know there was a internal battery this time around.
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masterg - 114 days 4 hours ago
1.1 - -
If I were Sony I would make the PSP update automatically when it entered a wifi area. Meaning if you didn't have the latest firmware it would download in the background and install when finished.

Even pirate masterminds wouldn't be able to keep up. Every time they hacked a PSP they would have to make sure it never entered a wifi zone not to be re-hacked by Sony.
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evrfighter - 114 days 4 hours ago
1.2 -
sure blame the pirates. Apple does the same thing with their batteries. Must be some nice pocket cash charging who knows how much for the battery and the service fee.
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indysurfn - 114 days 4 hours ago
1.3 - Yeah that's a good idea masterg.
But I'm sure that Sony has already thought of that. It is against the law to install firmware without permission.

To bad there is a fee, but it can be enough to make the games division profitable.

I'm not sure but I think the PSP is selling good, if there is only 30 million PSP's, and a 19 dollar fee. That will get Sony 599 million dollars! Sweet! That will mean enough money for another price drop next year to counter any XBOX360 price drop.
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Blaze929 - 114 days 4 hours ago
1.4 - @evrfighter
That's true but really, in the case of the PSP pirates ARE the reason.
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Kigmal - 114 days 3 hours ago
1.5 -
Sony is very smart. In order for me to hack my Darth Vader PSP, I had to use a PSP phat battery. Good to see them being on their game about piracy but hackers will always find a way.
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masterg - 114 days 3 hours ago
1.6 - -
@indysurfn

My Samsung Harddisk Recorder updates it's firmware without asking.
If it is a law problem you just make people agree to it when they buy it.
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superaktieboy - 114 days 3 hours ago
1.7 - @masterg: "Every time they hacked a PSP they would have to make sure it never entered a wifi zone not to be re-hacked by Sony."
or they'd just make sure the wifi switch is off..
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Baka-akaB - 114 days 3 hours ago
1.8 -
@masterg

it's a lousy idea , most psp hacks users are tech savvy enough to disable the wifi to begin with .

It could actually even open more doors , with hackers emulating a connection to the firmware servers . Even the ps3 at first had prog running on pc that fooled the PSN into thinking you had the proper firmware version , back when people didnt want to update , with the hope of some firmware downgrade tool .
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Rock Bottom - 114 days 2 hours ago
1.10 - @masterg
That's not the smartest idea, you know hacked PSPs works on custom firmwares, and not Sony's FWs, so when they manage to install their own Firmware they can just disable the auto update thing.

The trick is to stop them from hacking the system the first time, while I don't think built in battery is the best way to do it, it sure is good enough to halt piracy, at least for while.
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IdleLeeSiuLung - 114 days 1 hour ago
1.11 - How do people hack the PSP with an external battery?
....
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PinkUni - 114 days 1 hour ago
1.12 - @evrfighter
i agree with you

they're might start acting like the f**king cellphone buisnesses and start charging 40 bucks for a new battery or something completely insane

probably charge 250 for it and say "well you should just get a new one anyway lol"
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IdleLeeSiuLung - 113 days 22 hours ago
1.13 - How do someone disagree with my posting above that is just a question?!
....
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iamtehpwn - 113 days 22 hours ago
1.14 - One word.
Pandora.
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beardpapa - 113 days 21 hours ago
1.15 -
@IdleLeeSiuLung

I'm not going to go into details or be accurate about this, but if you get an external battery from someone with a homebrew-enabled PSP, you could use that battery + memstick-loaded custom firmware to 'lupdate' it into a newer model PSP (not sure about PSP-3000).

In other words, the battery was the key to unlocking the door.

edit: i see others have mentioned it. You can google the pandora battery.
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Sarcasm - 113 days 12 hours ago
1.16 -
Pirates will find a way, they always do. Just like the "un-hackable" lite-on 360 drives, that are now hackable.
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vhero - 113 days 12 hours ago
1.17 -
Pirates will get a regular PSP which do exactly the same job so whats the point?
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ProA007 - 114 days 4 hours ago
2 -
Sooo... what if the battery dies?
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Blaze929 - 114 days 4 hours ago
2.1 -
would have to send that sucker straight to Sony! Although I see why they did this, I gotta admit that's kinda lame. Unless itll stay free pass the warranty to get the battery replaced for what it wouldve cost for a external battery, I don't see it being a good thing for the consumers.

But I still got my PSP-1000 since launch and the battery still hold up from a full charge pretty damn long
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clixx33 - 114 days 4 hours ago
2.2 -
Charge it? I mean it's Sony, I haven't had any hardware problems with my PSP 3000 so I don't see why this would be any different.
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blind-reaper - 114 days 4 hours ago
2.3 -
No, I guess you could buy a new battery and open the PSP (like iPods)
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indysurfn - 114 days 3 hours ago
2.4 - @bind-reaper not sure if you read the article, but
if the battery dies the psp will not work. You can't open it and replace like a Ipod. The whole point is to stop piracy. If it was that simple it would not even slow down piracy. You have to send it in to Sony to get it replaced and pay the fee. The battery is not replaceable.
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rajman - 114 days 4 hours ago
3 -
Still pirated games will happen on this, hackers will find a way around it somehow as they always do
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Marceles - 114 days 4 hours ago
3.1 -
Yeah, so far the only way to hack the higher FWs is by Pandora's battery, so now this will make hackers work harder to find another work around.
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superaktieboy - 114 days 3 hours ago
3.2 - erm
somehow i doubt that, the only hack on the PSP3000 is the tiff exploit on 5.01.. which even then didn't allow downloaded games.. this tiff exploit wasn't even in the hardware but in the software.. somehow i think they have completely stopped hacking through the hardware unless it is a chip or sumit.. remember the PS3 isn't even hacked yet.. only hacks so far have been software exploits which were closed within weeks of it being on in the interwebs..
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Baka-akaB - 114 days 3 hours ago
3.3 -
it isnt such a sure thing actually . Lately it has been almost impossible unless you own an old phat or slim psp because of their motherboard. A solution appeared for newer slim and the 3000s , but it's something with quite some restrictions .

It's progressively getting harder and harder , wich is good . just Look at the people moaning because their psp wont play yet Soul calibur or the latest tales .

My only reasons to use firmware hack on the psp have been my hatred for umd , wich i wont have to deal with soon , and otherwise access via homebrew to ps1 emulation wich i can live without as long as the library gets really bigger .
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jivah - 113 days 23 hours ago
3.4 - @superaktieboy
nope chickhen on 5.03 is da latest so far which is technically like an emulator which gives u an opportunity 2 run homebrew n things alike
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bakaPX - 113 days 23 hours ago
3.5 - Totally agree
@rajamn:Yup. Even if it's not with a battery, there could always be another way.
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sukru - 113 days 22 hours ago
3.6 - It is doable
There is always a way. Even the latest hardware (last 2000s and 3000s) are hacked (and actually it's pretty simple).

The problem is not hacking (hacking opens doors to homebrew and also many small utilities - like youtube applications), but people using them for wrong reasons (i.e.: playing game backups, where the "backup" was not actually made by them).

Introduction of PSP minis may solve the problem, but it still is not open enough, and the development environment is not cheap.
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superaktieboy - 113 days 15 hours ago
3.7 - yeeh chickhen is the one i meant
and it is an homebrew enabler, but it still doesn't play downloaded games..
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Nexy - 114 days 4 hours ago
4 -
Any kind of battery loses some of its durability after some time... So there's nothing I can do if the battery life in PSP Go becomes too short after say two years or so?
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firelogic - 114 days 4 hours ago
4.1 -
That's right. Just like you can't do anything about degrading batteries in iphones/ipods/dsl/dsi, etc...
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spiderobert - 113 days 10 hours ago
4.2 - changing batteries is not impossible
currently with Ipods you CAN change the battery you just need the right kind of screwdriver :P probably the same with this, unless of course they glue it together (which would be even easier to open).

and the DSL/i are very easy to open, they have a battery cover for crying out loud
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f789790 - 113 days 8 hours ago
4.3 - All batteries can be replaced as all electronics have to open
Even the ps3 controller battery can be replaced.
http://www.amazon.com/nuLif...
(usb cord isn't included even though it's in the pic)
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ElementX - 114 days 4 hours ago
5 -
First Sony has internal batteries in the PS3 controllers and now the PSP Go? They're just looking for more money 2 years down the road when the batteries no longer hold a charge.

This is the reason I won't buy a cell phone without a user-replaceable battery. Not to sound like a fanboy (since I don't own one) but at least the 360 controllers have replaceable battery packs.

*EDIT*
I see the fanboys are disagreeing with me. It's true that Sony wants to make extra cash on accessories. Why else would they make an internal battery? Same with Apple and iPods. They want to create a market where you either have to buy a replacement device or send it to an "authorized service provider" which I'm sure sends Sony/Apple part of the profits just for being "authorized"

*EDIT*
I wish these phantom disagreers would give reasons for disagreeing. Sure I've been a fool and a jerk in the past, however these stupid disagrees because it's me posting is ridiculous. Grow the f#*k up.
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TheBand1t - 114 days 4 hours ago
5.1 -
Except I doubt the majority of people will be willing plunk down that kind of scratch for a 2nd PSP Go.

I think I'll just stick to my PSP-1000.
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MAiKU - 114 days 4 hours ago
5.2 -
Where on earth did you hear the controllers did that for the ps3?

Secondly, just take the damn psp to a techie if you're too stupid to do it by yourself to replace the battery via opening the system up. It would be past it's warranty anyway by the time the internal battery gives.

Oh just to let you know, i'm not a phantom. And it's not Fanboyism, it's logic.
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sunil - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.3 - @element
Although I too would like replaceable batteries, I dont think I will go as far as saying that I wouldnt purchase one...

We all know Sony is loosing money on the PS3, obviously they have to make money somewhere - accessories is one department they are making some money.

Microsoft has some good implementation (replaceable 360 batteries) and some bad ones (proprietary expensive HDD?) on the other had Sony has some good implementations (Laptop HDDs) and some bad ones (internal batteries)...

Also most of the devices from most of the companies feature internal batteries (iPod, Zune etc...) Its the direction most companies are heading to maximize their profits. Why would they want an accessories manufacturing company to take some the profits that these companies think are rightfully theirs.

Edit: 4 PS3 controllers, almost 2 year have past (for 3 of them) and they show no signs of dying... Sony makes Quality Hardware.

PS: I diagreed
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Microsoft Xbox 360 - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.4 -
LOL @ your tantrums for people disagreeing with you. I don't see why anyone should give a fvk about getting disagrees. It's a flawed system from the start especially on a site like this.
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ElementX - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.5 -
I'm just saying the average "Joe" would end up buying a replacement PS3 controller because he didn't know what to do with a dead battery. The same "Joe" might end up going to a "sony authorized service provider" to get his PSP Go battery replaced because he's not sure how to do it.

I just think that user-replaceable batteries should be commonplace. I know I can replace batteries, but maybe the average person doesn't, and so they get screwed.
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blind-reaper - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.6 -
you still can buy a non sony battery like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Replace...

and change it yourself, or with any authorize or unauthorize repair shop, it is not hard.

and it's not like you need to do it every year I have a 2 year old Sixaxis and still work good, there is no diference between this and any iPod.
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Redempteur - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.7 -
well i bought a sixaxis controller (used) i had problems 2 months later with it ... you know what i did ?

I openned it and REPLACED the battery ...
I admit that this operation was not user friendly ...BUT this was no problem for me ... ( you can do it on dualshock 3 too )

Now you know about one of your disagrees
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Marceles - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.8 -
Does anyone actually know anyone who's internal battery actually went out in their controller?

edit: never mind above, that's a first for me
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superaktieboy - 114 days 3 hours ago
5.9 -
actually, if the battery is open sony would make more money.. coz there are many people that buy multiple batteries, especially those that are planning to go on holiday (which is like every few months).. so no it's not to make extra money.. however, i don't think its piracy either, coz they hit the tip of the nail with the PSP3000.. the only hack for it so far is the tiff exploit.. which didn't even play hacked games but just homebrew programs/games..
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beardpapa - 113 days 21 hours ago
5.10 -
You're probably getting disagrees because you're suggesting that Sony is doing this to ensure making a profit with built-in batteries by forcing consumers to pay a fee (like Apple does) to replace it. Sure, that can be the case, but they would've made even more profit if the batteries were user-replaceable - consumers would buy extra batteries for on-the-go purposes. If you're aware of the PSP custom firmware community, you would know of why the battery is a problem. Only first step someone needed to do to start loading a custom firmware into their new psp was to find a battery from a homebrew-loaded psp.
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Sarcasm - 113 days 12 hours ago
5.11 -
Strange, my original SIXAXIS still works til this day.

Dang you Sony! This whole time I could have been buying batteries over and over again or plunk down another $25 on rechargeables.

If you don't see the sarcasm, then I pity you.
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jke82 - 113 days 8 hours ago
5.12 - the ps3 controller batts
are completely replaceable as long as you know how to work a phillips head screw driver. its kinda like replacing a battery in a cordless telephone and funny enough the batteries are cheap from a quick google search i found them for around 13-17$usd with shipping you fail element thats why you get these disagrees
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PirateThom - 114 days 4 hours ago
6 -
Wait... why would have you to buy a new PSP?

Do yo have to buy a new DS when it's battery stops holding charge?
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socomnick - 114 days 3 hours ago
6.1 -
Hopefully there is someway to open up the psp go for pandora batteries, and to replace the battery with a battery that holds alonger charge.

Ds is easily opened with a single screw, and the batteries are insanely cheap.

http://www.dealextreme.com/...

3 dollars for a battery that holds 3x as much charge as the regular ds battery.
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