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Sony PSP - Is there really a difference between the US version and the Japanese version?

I am thinking of buying a used PSP and see some people are selling Japanese versions usually for less. I read that the Japanese versions will play all games just not U.S. UMD movies. However, if I download the newest US Firmware (or any US Firmware for that matter) won't that enable me to use it just like a US version system? Is there something I am missing or a question I am not asking while contemplating this decision?

Public Comments

1. Just because you can download the US firmware doesn't mean that you can play US movies. The region locked out is built into the hardware, so that's why people have to mod their PSX/PS2 when they want to play Japanese PSX/PS2 games. You also risk the possibility that the US firmware may not work on the Japanese PSP. Sony recommends that you download the each country's PSP's respective firmware.
2. buy one off of ebay u can get the u.s version way cheap oh and if u buy the japanese version your probably taking a chance on it being fake ;] trust me i knooooooooooooooowww
3. I've had a PSP for awhile now and used it in many countries. It plays most games worldwide, however....the movies are only the ones produced by sony. The best bet is pay the lil extra for the US models. Ensure once you get the device you check for updates regularly as they are always updating the OS on the PSP.