About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Not long after I got my PSP, I took a cross-country trip that resulted in me spending something like 24 hours straight in airplanes and airports. I recently made a similar round-trip during the holiday season, and in both of those cases Blue Raven Technology's 15hr Extended PSP Battery would have been a fabulous thing to have. Sure, I was able to plug in the PSP charger in airports, but there was nowhere to recharge on the plane.


If this product had been available then, I'd have bought it and happily gamed my way across North America.

Pros

• Easy to attach and detach.
• Comfortable to hold.
• Fits well with the PSPs looks.
• Long-lasting.

Cons

• Rather heavy for long-term play.
• Can't access UMD drive while it's attached.
• Lousy instruction manual (but apparently being improved).

Description

• Item: PSP 15hr Extended Battery
• Type: Power supply
• Manufacturer: Blue Raven Technology
• More Info: Images -- Blue Raven Technology Website
  

Guide Review - PSP 15hr Extended Battery

Blue Raven claims that the battery will last 8 to 15 hours, depending on what you're doing with your PSP. There are probably some hardcore gamers who play for that long at a stretch, and not having to stop to recharge the battery would be a welcome capability. Though I've never played anything like that long, I have often spent enough time on a game that I had to stop and plug in the charger to keep playing. I much prefer being able to keep playing cord-free than to have the charger cord getting in my way all the time (I've even accidentally unplugged my PSP while playing).

It's So . . . Big

One small drawback with this battery is that it's big. It weighs 5 ounces, and added to the weight of the PSP it makes the whole pretty hefty for long gaming sessions. It just feels big, too, especially if you've got girly hands like mine. Gamers with manly hands might actually find the battery makes the slender PSP more comfortable to hold.

Despite the size and heft, the battery actually feels pretty good to hold. It's got a satiny-feeling rubberized coating that doesn't slip, and because it clips over the whole back of the PSP it feels much more balanced than battery packs that only clip over the battery compartment.

Instruct Me

While the size and weight was only a small quibble, and well worth it for the extended play time, the Instruction Manual was a bigger annoyance. To be fair, it's not hard to figure things out, but the manual is only a single sheet mostly filled with warnings. The actual instructions are only 4 short points. Information on the locations of the plug-in, charge light and on/off switch would have been welcome.

According to the box, this battery takes "as little as 5 hours" to charge--it took less than 4 to charge the first time for me.

Unlike many add-ons, this battery is something I can actually see myself using fairly often.