The last week of December is a time for families to get together – and it’s also a time when a large number of gamers will join the PlayStation Family. So every day this week we’ll highlight a bit of functionality that new PLAYSTATION 3 or PlayStation Portable owners might not know they had at their fingertips. While some of what we talk about over the next week will be familiar to the hard core, I’m thinking at least one of these tips will catch you by surprise. I know I learned a few things while putting together this list.
Tip #1: PlayStation Portable Podcast RSS
If you’re reading the PlayStation.Blog, you’re probably also a frequenter of sites like IGN, Kotaku, Destructoid, PS3Fanboy and others who cater to those of us with an insatiable thirst for gaming news. And if you’re anywhere near as hungry for up to the second info as I am, RSS is your friend. But what about those few, unfortunate minutes of the day when you’re outside of a Wi-Fi hot spot? Enter the PSP’s RSS channel. With this feature (instituted in firmware v2.60), you can easily save podcasts from gaming outlets (or any kind of website, really), and play it back anywhere, Wi-Fi hotspot or not.
Here’s how to get started, using IGN’s Podcast Beyond as an example:
* Point the PSP browser to http://feeds.ign.com/ignfeeds/podcasts/games/ while connected to the internet via Wi-Fi.
* You’ll be asked if you want to add the channel. Select Yes, obviously.
* Then go to RSS under Network
* Press X on IGN games podcasts, and you’ll see a list of all their podcast offerings.
* Select Podcast Beyond (they’re up to episode 26 as of this writing) and you can either play it immediately by pressing X, or hit the triangle button and choose to save. If you’ve got enough space on your Memory Stick Pro Duo, you can then go back and listen at your leisure, regardless of internet accessibility.
Note that podcasts tend to be lengthy, so if you’re a hoarder you may need a multiple gigabyte Stick.
Here are a few other podcasts that you may find to be worth a listen (feel free to share your faves in the comment section):
*PlayStation Nation Podcast
*Insomniac Games’ Full Moon Show
*Sony Online Entertainment Podcast
*PlayStation Fancast
One thing I particularly like about PSP Fanboy (well there’s not just one thing – but one thing pertaining to this conversation) is that they have a mobile-friendly browser that loads very quickly on the PSP: m.pspfanboy.com
For more info on the PSP’s RSS features, head over here. See you tomorrow with another tip, and Merry Christmas Eve!
nice, i get to unwrap my psp slim tomorrow, probably with a hangover :)
happy xmas y’all
Good idea with the tips!
Or you can enjoy awesome sites like http://www.platformnation.com Your premier video game podcast community! :)
Let’s not forget the dedicated PSP Podcast I run from The Podcast Network – imaginatively titled ‘The PSP Show’ it clocks in at around ten minutes a show, once a week, with regular news, features, game reviews and competitions! Just plug http://psp.thepodcastnetwork.com/feed into the browser… or type in http://tinyurl.com/37azao which is a lot less work
This is a very good idea. I like how Sony is helping those new to the platform. I hope that these will also include tips for those new PS3 owners as well.
So does this support text-based RSS feeds yet or still just podcasts?
Not complaining, but does it? :P
hey does anyone know how many people are playing star wars battlefront 2 online right now with a ps2????
I knew about this already,but cool tip nonetheless.Merry XMAS Eve to you too!
Thanks, Jeff. I knew we could have audio RSS feeds, but I didn’t know of all these sites offering them!
Sir,
I use these features EVERY DAY! I would like thank you and Sony for putting items like this on the PSP!
One question, is there any way to use RSS Text feeds on the PSP? That is the one feature that I need and miss on my PSP! The PSP Media Manager 2.0 had a document transfer in it, (but, it was removed on the 2.5 update) i used that tap to get my Sony and world news on my PSP. Hell, I even had a few books converted over to fit on PSP this way!
The PSP, is the one thing that I take with me every where I go…and i travel a lot, (even to work for lunch). adding this would really help.
Thank you,
Let me join the choir asking for text based RSS feed support in the PSP. It’d make reading multiple blogs on-the-go easier (such as this one, even, the PlayStation.Blog) and make the RSS feature vastly more useful.
Yes there are lots of RSS feeds that support podcasts, but there are probably at least 10:1 more that support simple text.
Would also be cool to see RSS on the PlayStation 3 (including text based support, not just podcasts).
Looking forward to more tips. =)
Good read Jeff.
One quick question though, and you might not be the one to ask this. How come the PS3, a media center console, doesn’t have a RSS feature. Having GBs of available data saving usage, while the PSP, could have possibly, 8gb at the uttermost. We still don’t have this great feature on the PS3?
like my friend says.
Verryyy Nicceeeee
i really love the rss feature of the psp, great job.
i recommend that you guys check out the video game outsiders podcast.
just type this into you psp internet browser http://zerocommit.com/files/music/vgo/video_game_out_1.xml
very entertaining show that covers all consoles.
Thanks for the tips!
and merry Xmas tomorrow everyone!
Thanks for the mention Jeff!!!!
Glenn
Playstation Nation Podcast
ps3nation.org
@Youlikeyams (#5) – as of now it does not. You can use other web-based RSS readers, but not integrated within in the system as the podcast RSS. Pics and video RSS feeds *are* compatible, however.
Aw, Jeff, you’re workin’ on THE Holiday? Take it easy and just post two on the 26th. I won’t mind- and, clearly, as long as I approve it’s okay. :P
Great tips. The audio/video RSS support is much appreciated, but I’m going to have to second #’s 9 and 10 in their request of text RSS support.
The PSP already has the RSS parsing libraries it needs to save feed content, and it’s already got a web browser for use as a display interface. Putting the two together should be a no-brainer.
Merry Xmas Jeff! LOL man why are you in on Xmas eve?
@Jeigh
He probably has it written already. It would take him at most a couple of minutes to post it on the blog.
And thanks for the tip. I never knew this about my psp.
I don’t mean to advertise, but PSP-Vault is another fine example for PSP-specific websites. If you visit it on the handheld, you get a totally different website (without typing a different URL) that loads much cleaner on the PSP, yet features almost all of the main website’s content.
Pretty cool, eh?
Hey Jeff. This is a neat way to end the year. A nice way to start the year would be a way for us to vote on PS1 games that turn up on PSN :) I’m sure lots of people have some game that they would have loved to play on good ol PSX that if they saw in a poll they would vote on it. I know that you have a poll already in place but I guess since this could actually run the entire lifetime of the PS3 maybe it could negotiate it’s own spot on the sidebar?
By the way where do we send you things that we love about the Playstation family to get included in this list? Hope you have a Ultimate post at the end linking to all the ones before so we can have a one link URL to explain to anyone who asks “Why would I want…?”
Good work Jeff you are a great face for this blog and community
Merry Christmas :)
@ Jeff Rubinstein
The new tips post is a awesome idea, however I think Sony can take it a step further. Why not produce how to videos to be posted here as well as made available on the PSN store. That way, people who don’t necessarily come to this blog can see and find out ALL of the amazing features the PS3 has to offer. It can be done on a weekly basis and you guys can have visual how tos on everything from how to install Yellow Dog Linux on the PS3 to how to stream music and movies off of a USB based HDD.
You guys should also maybe have a weekly video podcast made available on the PSN and on this blog with interviews, and all that other cool stuff.
Just a suggestion
Pretty nice bonus, with the RSS feeder on the PSP. I am sure, work if being done to improve it even furthre.
What would be nice, if we can manually add RSS feeds, through our PCs, like a text file of some sort.
It really is a pain to get RSS feeds throught the PSPs very limited browser, because of the memory issues. At times, when you get to the page you want to capture the RSS feed from, you run out of memory.
Then you have that great keyboard, which makes typing out URLs or so fun.
Otherwise, pretty decent.
I love the rss reader on the psp. I would also love to see it on the ps3 not only audio and video but text as well that would be great.
Yes, full RSS support on the PS3 would be awesome.
Hey, Jeff. Happy Holidays to you. Thanks for keeping us posted. Greatly appreciated. Why no official discussion of the ability to remote play PS1 games on the PSP through the PS3? I thought this was so cool, but don’t understand why SONY never really mentioned it in the latest update notes? Any insight? Thanks, and all the best for a great 2008
Well, it is pretty telling that IGN’s “Podcast Beyond” and 1UP’s “EGM Live” and “1UP Yours” are not on that list.
If you want some nice podcasts that avoid the pressure of it being “pro” or “con” PS, check out these two. Star Ship Sofa (www.starshipsofa.com/rss) which is a very fine Sci-fi podcast. Also check out GeeksOn (www.geekson.com/GeeksOn.xml) which is a great podcast about movies, tv, games, and culture.
Text rss would be cool, but youtube would be killer! Everyone ask for youtube and the nice ppl at sony might give it to us in the next fw.
Also i love the ps store keep up the good work. Internet radio is cool too.
from a ps3 owner since the beginning would like to welcome you newcomers….cream always comes to the top and ps3 is now on the fast trac3k with games and blu ray galore. knew when there were so many naysayers that sony knows what they are doing. happy new year and good gaming