Video: PSP beautifully modded to accept SNES controller

There's seamless, and then there's Foo's PSP mod. Easily one of the most remarkably clean gaming mods we've seen to date, this here hack involved an old socket originally intended for a cellphone, steady hands and an unwanted Super Nintendo controller (we're simplifying things, but work with us here). In the end, the mod left a nearly-flush port on the rear of the handheld where a hacked SNES controller could be plugged in for input, and better still, the connector doubled as a PSP kickstand. The whole concept was conceived after someone with limited use of one hand contacted Foo for help; needless to say, this workaround now has that individual in business. Hop on past the break to see it in action.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

[fistpittingnork @ Oct 30th 2008 9:06AM]

Ryu's about to feel the hurt!

[ProfessorKaos @ Oct 30th 2008 9:10AM]

That is pretty bad ass, although I wouldnt want to use just the connector as a kickstand.

[Flashpoint @ Oct 30th 2008 9:51AM]

UMMM

Isn't the SNES pad and the PSP pad the EXACT SAME LAYOUT?

How about a "beautiful mod" that adds a second analog stick so I can play "next generation games".

[hemmy @ Oct 30th 2008 10:20AM]

@Flashpoint:

UMMM

"The whole concept was conceived after someone with LIMITED USE OF ONE HAND contacted Foo for help; needless to say, this workaround now has that individual in business"

The lady can manage with a snes pad however, and that was the POINT of this mod.

[macgregger @ Oct 30th 2008 4:44PM]

bag of hurt?

[Grey Acumen @ Oct 30th 2008 2:31PM]

@hemmy

Dude, how can you possibly have trouble with your hand that leaves you unable to use the PSP controls yet causes no problems when using an SNES pad?

I mean, okay, theoretically, it might be some sort of paralyzing nerve damage maybe that just happens to still let your finger and thumb conform to an SNES pad but trying to do that with the PSP controls leaves you in unbearable pain? I'm just not seeing this as being a plausible reason otherwise.

I'm not knocking the mod. it's cool to add that, but i'm just not totally convinced on teh premise.

[hemmy @ Oct 30th 2008 7:13PM]

@Grey Acumen

Having one hand as a nub would be a pain if you had to sit hunched over the psp to get things working. Having the ability to prop the psp to a comfortable position while being able to use the snes pad in your lap for example, sounds plausible and more than reasonable to me.

[Oliver Strano @ Oct 31st 2008 6:38AM]

You would have the trouble because you wouldn't be able to see the screen when playing with one hand.

[Grey Acumen @ Nov 2nd 2008 12:15AM]

Ooooooohhhh!!!! Okay, wow, that makes so much more sense. I don't know why, but it never occurred to me that they would have adjusted to playing with one hand straddled across the entire controller. (thumb on Dpad, pinky on abxy?) I guess it's because in the demo, he was holding the thing normally, so I automatically used that in my assumption of how the person he had modded it for would be using the control as well.

Thanks for clearing that up, Oliver.

[xcrunk @ Oct 30th 2008 9:20AM]

The SNES pad was OK. But the creme de la creme, ESPECIALLY for Street Fighter, is the Sega Saturn 6-button pad and not the US launch version, the Japanese version that became the 2nd Gen pad here in the states. That is THE BEST fighting pad in existence. .

None the less, cool ass hack.

[phanbouy @ Oct 30th 2008 12:26PM]

why do i picture the comic book guy from Simpsons saying that?

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 30th 2008 2:20PM]

real fighters use joysticks. sanwa's at that.

[lol @ Oct 30th 2008 9:36AM]

I'd have to hold them both in my hands to see if this was really a reasonable improvement in ergonomics.

I second xcrunk's comment about the Saturn controller. It was fantastic, with the exception of those crappy trigger buttons. Thankfully, if you hacked that to a PSP, you wouldn't need to use them, since it's got 6 face buttons (though I suppose you might want to map it to be the home button or select)

[NovellTerminator @ Oct 30th 2008 10:33AM]

I personally find a six-buttons-on-face Genesis-esque controller best for Street Fighter. But due to all these four-buttons-on-face controllers, I suppose I'm the only one.

[Frank @ Oct 30th 2008 11:52AM]

why?

[TavisJohn @ Oct 30th 2008 12:00PM]

If you read more than the title, and a quick look at the pic, and MAYBE you would have a clue.
http://tavisjohn.dnsrd.com/smilies/myimages/cluepon.jpg
You are the first person who has deserved a Cluepon. Enjoy it!

[andrew @ Oct 30th 2008 3:33PM]

whats the freakin point did he not realize that there are "four buttons on face" on the dang PSP, retard, what a waste of time. Question: when was the last time he got some pooty-tang?

[Joseph @ Oct 30th 2008 3:55PM]

i read it, but i still don't get it.
I have limited use of a hand. So i am going to use the exact same layout to play a game and suddenly this fixes everything? Maybe a better solution would be fighting stick w/ a built in PSP stand. Then you dont have to hold it, just use your arm to control the joystick.

[aeotiu @ Oct 30th 2008 4:58PM]

here's a scenario. it might not be "the" scenario, but it's pretty bad that no one seems to have thought of it:
you have limited use of one hand, so you DONT USE BOTH HANDS to play. therefore, playing would be pretty hard since your one good hand would cover most of the screen.

[helixtimestwo @ Oct 30th 2008 6:07PM]

ZANGIEF FTW!

[Jonny @ Oct 31st 2008 2:19AM]

I love the pile of PSPs just sitting there in the video.