PSP Programming/Introduction

Introduction

A short introduction as to the subject of this wikibook.

The PSP

Sony's PSP (official acronym for PlayStation Portable) is a powerful handheld console. To read more about the hardware capabilities of the PSP, you should go to the next page.

Homebrew

Homebrew are applications which run on a system that wasn't designed to let the user program for it. What this means is that even though Sony did not plan to let users develop applications for the PSP, some people managed to find a way around which led to a toolchain which anybody can use to program for the PSP.

Why program on the PSP

There are several reasons a person might want to program for the PSP. First of all, the PSP is a handheld multimedia system, not just designed for games. Another reason is because it has been homebrew capable for quite a while, and thus has quite a community following because of that. Yet another reason, is because one might want to expand their knowledge to other platforms which might have their own limitations which the developer must program around.

Requirements

In order to program for the PSP you will of course need a PSP. How else would you look at your progress? Your PSP should also be homebrew capable, and you will also need to have a memory card from which you can run your programs. Aside from the material possessions which you will need, you also need to have acquired some knowledge of general programming in the 'C' language. Although this wikibook won't assume you are an expert in 'C' or 'C++', it won't go out of its way to explain to you the fundamentals of programming.