Beyond UMD - Flash Games for Your PSP

Sony has made many updates the functionality of the PSP with its firmware, most of it in the form of security protocols. But a few very beneficial features have been added to the PSP as well, including a web browser, an RSS reader, Playstation One emulation, a LocationFree player (which allows you watch television on your PSP if your TV is equipped with a LocationFree device), and support for Flash files.

"What's that?" I hear you ask. "Flash files? So I can punch the monkey and win a prize wherever I am?" Why yes, the very same flash files! And you can certainly punch the monkey, if you're into that sort of thing. But Flash programs are a great addition to any PSP, as they are small enough to fit on just about any memory stick.

If your PSP's firmware is 2.70 or above, or you are running a custom firmware such as 2.71 SE-C, you are fully equipped to run Flash files. Simply take any FLV files that you have collected and drop them into a folder entitled FLASH on the base of your Memory Stick Pro Duo. From there, all you have to do is use the PSP's media crossbar to navigate to the Flash program, and away you go!

There are a number of flash programs that were developed for the PSP when homebrew functionality was lost with 2.70, which can be used to organize your PSP in various ways, such as emulating the Windows Vista interface. This can expand your PSP's functionality greatly, as many of these program sets include standard operating system fare, such as scheduling programs and calculators, all encoded in Flash!

These programs can be found at http://pspupdates.qj.net. Most flash psp games are protected in some way by their authors, but games created specifically for the PSP are usually fine. http://www.pspflashgaming.com has several free games available to download after registration.

The Flash integration is best experienced within the PSP's browser, however. No browser is complete without a Flash player, and now all your favorite Flash enabled sites are accessible. Additionally, online embedded Flash games will also play, which extends your PSP gaming library to all the silly flash games we have come to expect all over the internet, from Newgrounds.com on.

Flash films can also be filmed, and many online media sites such as Youtube use flv files to display their media. Using download programs to download these flv files can net an immense amount of material to play on your PSP. This is a great deal easier than the process of encoding videos to play on your PSP natively. Of course, assuming you have a stable internet connection, you can just as easily view these same files online within the PSP's browser, just as you would from your home computer.