How Do I Download Games on My PSP for Free

In this age of digital delivery, you may be asking, "How do I download games on my PSP for free?" Fumbling through all of those UMD cartridges can be a bit of a hassle, so wouldn't it be easier if you could just download games directly to your PlayStation Portable?

When the App Store arrived on the iPhone 3G, we were shown a remarkably easy way to get new content on our favorite portable electronics. For smartphones in the past, you had to download the application from the Internet on your computer, connect your phone to the computer with a USB cable, and then send the program over to your handheld. The App Store is just so much easier.

Even if you don't quite take it to this level, it can be a lot easier if you can simply load your content onto a memory card and plug that into your portable device. This way, there's no need for a USB cable and you probably won't need to deal with complicated software. This is the typical route taken to put videos on the PSP.

As it turns out, digital delivery is very much possible on the PSP as well. It doesn't fully replace the need for regular UMD-style PlayStation Portable games, but it does open up the opportunity for new forms of fun and easy entertainment.

If you are looking to download games to your PSP, you'll find that there are three main methods that you can try. Two of these are fully legitimate and endorsed by Sony, whereas the third treads quite deeply into areas that may have legal ramifications. Gaming piracy is a very touchy subject, as you know. When you ask, "How do I download games on my PSP for free?", be wary of any guides you find online that may lead you down a possibly illegal path.

The fully legitimate path will lead you to the PlayStation Store, a virtual store when you can download and purchase content for your PSP. This is fundamentally the same idea as WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade titles, so you'll get your fair share of puzzle games and other "small footprint" titles.

Although some people experience Internet browsing problems on the PlayStation 3, the vast majority don't have too much trouble connecting the PS3 to a home Wi-Fi network. Through this connection, you will be able to connect your PS3 to the PlayStation Network. There, you gain access to all sorts of content and interactivity, including the PlayStation Store.

So, what does this have to do with downloading games to the PSP for free? Going through the PlayStation Store on the PS3, you will find that there is content available for the Sony PSP. This includes both full games and game demos. In effect, the PlayStation 3 acts as a gateway and the content is then transferred to the PSP over a USB connection.

In late 2008, Sony issued a firmware update for the PSP that allowed the handheld to connect directly to the PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store, effectively bypassing the need to use the PS3 as an intermediary. You'll first need to connect the PSP to the Internet, but from there, you'll be able to download selected games to your PSP for free.

The third way to put free games on the PSP is through modification of your handheld and possibly some specialized software. Pirated game copies are available through Internet sources, but know that these can lead to all sorts of legal problems. We do not condone this kind of practice, so we encourage you to stick to the PlayStation Store for the PSP.

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