The PlayStation Portable (PSP) was a handheld game console which was released on December 3, 2004 in Japan, and later in Europe and North America, mainly as a successor to the original PlayStation Portable released in 2000, with some new features.

It was a great improvement over the original model in terms of hardware, and while it didn’t enjoy the same success, it was still able to sell double the amount of the original PlayStation Portable when launched, making it the third best-selling handheld of all time and the eighth best-selling video game console. The device also enjoyed great software support, and an excellent graphic library.

Wasps are the most notable features of the system — they are lightweight, portable, and small enough to be attached to the PSP and stored in a pocket. In the first year after its release, it was sold more than 30 million units.

The development of the PSP seems to have gone through a major change, jumping from a processor based on the RSX chip to the newer one based on the PSE. This resulted in a much smoother user experience and better control over the gameplay. The PSP was also the first device to be commercially available with a 3G modem.

The original PS Vita is a remake of the original PSP, and is a great handheld gaming system with access to many of the best-selling games of the original PSP. It's not a direct successor to the PSP and is not backward compatible. Download free gamesPlayStation Portable ROMs at TechToROMs.