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PSPgo gutted, battery is 'unofficially' user-replaceable photo

Breaking: PSPgo dismemberment reveals battery placement chicanery!

You remember when Sony said that the PSPgo battery would be untouchable in an effort to curb piracy? Well, it turns out that the battery can be removed, but that Sony thought it could simply slap a warranty-voiding sticker over the thing to try and dissuade people, rather than employ some sort of competent security.

That's about the only reason I can think of for Sony doing this, effectively ending the warranty of anybody who feels the need to replace their PSPgo battery. The battery itself is not soldered in place, which makes this sticker a rather lazy (and likely ineffective) way of discouraging homebrewers from screwing with the machine's innards. Not to mention the fact that iFixit believes patient pirates will be able to slip the battery out while leaving the sticker intact. 

In other news, the PSPgo has no metal framework whatsoever, meaning that its entire structural integrity is provided by a thin plastic shell. The original PSP never exactly felt durable, but you can expect this one to require as much care as a baby with brittle bone disease. One wonders how much this $250 device actually costs to make. 

Still, that battery thing is hilarious. Just whacking a sticker on the thing? Come on, Sony -- even the constant, irritating firmware updating is a better idea than this, and that idea was sh*t.

[Thanks, electro lemon]


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33 comments | showing # 1 to 33

Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:21
Everyday Legend
The failsaga continues...Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:27
Monodi
With Sony products in general, I am worried about the batteries, and this is not that pretty. All those Vaios...
SAMUSiAM's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:29
SAMUSiAM
BEEP BEEP BEEP Here comes the Faildozer
Jetsetlemming's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:31
Jetsetlemming
Is there any good thing about the PSPgo at all? A new iteration of the last place handheld that is completely incompatible with the old games unless you re-buy them online, costing far more than the original device, as well as the vastly more popular competitor, and it turns out to be a poorly slapped together piece of crap despite the price.
Ganjookie's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:39
Ganjookie
or instead of complaining....you could download the games you legally purchased and then pop them onto a memory card after the first hack comes out for this today or tomorrow.
Nic128's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:40
Nic128
And it's even more useless in Canada, where we get 0 content whatsoever for video service and stuff.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:42
Monodi
For all this, I think the product could be a miserable failure, they need a trump card to make this evoution of the PSP a success. The PS3Slim idea was FUCKING EPIC WIN, but they need to do something about this.
masteraero's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:47
masteraero
While I had no intention of buying one in the first place, I truly had high hopes for the PSPGo. The ability to carry around a decent chunk of your PSP library with you without having to switch UMDs or purchase a massive memory card was indeed a very enticing offer on Sony's part. That being said, Sony literally screwed themselves over on every single purchasing point for this iteration of the PSP.

Sony, we wanted an internal flash drive to install our games to so that we could increase the system's battery life due to the massive energy drain the UMD drive is. By having the battery life be even worse than a regular PSP playing games of a memory stick, you already neutered a decent portion of your target audience.

The only people that I can see buying this iteration of the PSP is those who have yet to purchase any past iteration of the PSP and/or those who have plenty of expendable income.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:52
Sexualchocolate
I'll see how much it costs and how big the online game library is in a year. Then i might pick one up, depends how my unadulterated, up-to-date firmaware'd Phat-1000 model is doing then.
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 09:59
Xzyliac
Nice. Good job Sony. The original PSP did feel really cheap. I dropped it harshly on several occasions though and the worst thing that happened was my d-pad acted a little funny. So to be fair it could be durable.

Still the PSPgo is evil.
Super Drybones's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 10:15
Super Drybones
Just wait to the PSPgo Plus

With a strongly worded questionnaire to determine piracy

Sony: Did you pirate this
Not Idiot: No
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 10:21
whormongr
actually the irritating firmware is a worse idea it actually discourages those like me me who are CFW users from buying games- good example- I would drop the bones on beaterator this second if it didn't have a FW requirement- I use my psp (and ds) for music and the tradeoff is rhythm, lsdj and lgpt for beaterator no it is no dice for me until a CFW option is available
IV Backstab MC's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:11
IV Backstab MC
Lolz talk about lazy
Spectreman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:14
Spectreman
* Smart. Is like the old "donīt copy this floppy disk, please".
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:15
atastysammich
Just get that sticker off the old-fashioned way--hold your PSPgo over some steam!
galagabug 's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:15
galagabug
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

please tell me the battery is the same size as the current gen psp. wow.
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:16
Qraze
what more could they have done anyway? they know it'll get cracked in two weeks so they can only void the warranty, i one day when i do get a psp, it'll be a custom one i can play whatever i want on.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:25
Midgetsnowman
Honestly. as a legit user who doesnt hack their beloved psp-3000?

I fucking HATE firmware updates. Nothing pisses me off more then "hooray, my copy of Dissidia is in, lets pop it in on the way home to play i-"FIRMWARE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED< INSTALL NAO?"

FFFFFFFFFFFF!!!
wutang4ever's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:32
wutang4ever
hacking will always be an issue. No matter what. People who download and play games illegally will find ways to do it anyway. You can blame the poor psp game sales on that. Having an all digital device will combat that but sony shouldve done that to a new device like the next gen PSP. Doing it on the current PSP is only going to bring people who have never owned a PSP.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:36
Midgetsnowman
The poor sales of games imo, has less to do with hacks, as it does with the fact Sony's support for the psp has been anemic at best from the start. Theyre too busy coming up with a new firmware weekly to be cracked than to actually pump advertising dollars and development dollars into making more kickass games like Patapon to sell the system on its own merits.
Buddyleej's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:36
Buddyleej
If people are able to hack this thing up. I hope Sony gets out of the handheld market all together. They cannot keep up with the DS or the Iphone. Trying to keep a 10 year life cycle on an handheld without adding significant features in today's market is just moronic.
Vanilla Gorilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 11:40
Vanilla Gorilla
Another point that proves Sony made the Go for pirates!
linuxguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 12:48
linuxguy
whormongr: funny you should speak about the firmware requirements. PSPGEN is promising some news tonight
whormongr's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 13:28
whormongr
@linuxguy I hope it is good news, I still haven't moved off of m-33 but I will if there is 5.55 compatibility
Bigmoose85's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 14:42
Bigmoose85
it will be cracked soon
Dan CiTi's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 15:07
Dan CiTi
If it gets cracked, I don't see why it wouldn't be the best PSP out there.
Volgin13's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 15:18
Volgin13
Sony is just retarded at this point.
Redeye's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 16:45
Redeye
The pure, undiluted comedy that is the PSPgo stumbles ever onward, like a drunken horse with twenty-seven legs.

If there were such a thing as a nuclear-powered facepalm, this piss-poor excuse for an ill-conceived clusterfuck would be deserving of at least a dozen.
Roager's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/29/2009 18:48
Roager
@Dan CiTi

The fact that its held together with nothin but plastic might be a reason.

Then, you know... cracked... dur hur pun.
Pudgy Ninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/30/2009 08:09
Pudgy Ninja
I don't plan to get one, due to the fact that they've made it very unattractive to people who already have a PSP, but I really do not understand the vitriol that has been directed towards this product.

It just seems like the ever time I read about it on this site, the writer is taking whatever problems the system has very personally.

I understand that this is one of those "personality" based blogs, but dial it back a bit, please?
Pudgy Ninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/30/2009 08:18
Pudgy Ninja
To clarify, I'm certainly interested in the writer's opinions and analysis. I'm just not interested in hyperbole and hysterics.
Kma23's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/01/2009 20:25
Kma23
HAHA my biology teacher had two kids with brittle bones disease got pregnant and prego-raged at me everyday. I applaud you Mr.Sterling your use of irony never fails to astound me.
Wolfrider's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/02/2009 14:07
Wolfrider
Can Destructoid please fire this guy? Why is it that a simple positive story for the homebrew community has to turn into a foaming-from-the-mouth rant. Man, no wonder people don't take video game journalism seriously anymore. Jim Sterling is changing what was once a solid gaming website into a giant RSS feed filled with self-loathing induced nerd rage.
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