How Does a PSP Mod Chip Work?

Purpose

A mod chip for the Sony PSP is a tiny device that adds a plethora of additional features that were not intended by the designer and publisher of the system and its games. Installing a mod chip requires the user to open the case of their PSP and properly solder the chip to the unit's CPU. This tiny device overrides the main instructions that the PSP runs and allows the user to install any version of the PSP firmware, which allows the playing of "home brew" (games designed by third parties and not officially licensed) and unsigned video games. Mod chips for other systems such as Microsoft's XBox also allow users to play games from all regions; the PSP however, is already region free.

Emulation

One popular feature that a Mod Chip allows a user to do is emulate other video game systems on their PSPs. What this means is that by using an emulator, which is a digital representation of a video game console, and "roms", which are digital representations of video games, you can play games from classic systems like the NES and SNES and Sega Genesis on your PSP. This is related to the modded PSP's ability to play homebrew software.

Legality

As one of the selling points of a mod chip is the fact that it allows you to play "home brew" software (which while can sometimes be legitimate oftentimes includes pirated copies of licensed games) they are illegal in many countries. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (or DMCA for short) in the United States, for example, makes reference to not the existence of the mod chip being illegal but its use as a venue for running pirated software. Similar laws exist in other countries throughout Europe and Asia. As a result, opening the case of your PSP and soldering on the mod chip will void any kind of extended or factory warranty you may have.