There are two fantastic mods for the 1000 series PSP console from the folks over at HiSpeedIdo (Hi-Speed-I-Do). One is an IPS screen replacement kit and other other is an HDMI video-out mod. Together with these installed into a PSP 1000, I think we can build the ultimate PSP, well maybe. Now I’ve actually covered an IPS screen mod before but this new one has some slight quality of life improvements, while the HDMI kit is all new.
The IPS screen mod addresses the original PSP screen’s shortcoming by providing improved brightness and reduced ghosting. And, like I alluded to earlier, one of the quality of life improvements is a simplified installation process, thanks to a redesigned ribbon cable, no longer requiring an adaptor ribbon cable to interface with the PSP’s motherboard.
Meanwhile, the internal HDMI video-out mod brings the PSP’s gaming experience to the big screen. Utilizing a HDMI micro port, this mod seamlessly connects your PSP to a TV, allowing for a home console like experience. Now while conceptually this is a very exciting mod, in practice, it has a few drawbacks. The three biggest being, in my opinion, the removal of the UMD drive to make space for the HDMI driver board, as well as the fact that you are tethered to the TV via a thick and heavy HDMI cable. I think it would have been fantastic if there was a way to integrate Blue Retro into the kit, or some how integrate wireless controller support to make it more comfortable when playing on a television. However, that essentially brings us closer to a full on consolizer kit which I would absolute love to see some day. The last drawback has to do with audio. For some reason, the kit was designed to to not have the ability to to individually control volume on the PSP itself or its output to the TV. Volume is controlled through the buttons on the PSP but both the PSP and the TV volume control are tied to each other. This is an issue because you will always have volume coming out of both the PSP and the TV at the same time which is very distracting. It would have been nice if you could turn the volume on the PSP off when it’s connected to the TV and have only audio coming from the TV.
Now when discussing the IPS screen mod, it’s overall very nice with its vibrant panel and reduced ghosting, providing a significant upgrade over the original display. Although there are slight differences in color saturation when compared to the original screen, the overall improvement more than compensates for this in my opinion.
So in the pursuit of the ultimate PSP, these mods represent significant advancements. However, there are a few drawbacks, especially with the HDMI mod. Something that I’d like to see in the future is a consolizing kit that allows you to keep the original UMD drive while also allowing wireless controller support. That would be amazing! The HDMI mod shows that we’re getting closer to that everyday!
Check out the video for more information of these two kits and if your interested in picking these up follow the links down below:
PSP Mods from Retro Game Repair Shop (Affiliate Links Below):
