I made an epic PSP

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:01]When the PlayStation Portable hit the states in 2005, it blew my mind. The promise was console quality graphics and a handheld form factor, and it did not disappoint. It entered a Nintendo dominant market, and it was praised as a technical marvel, but for me, it was magic. Now, I've made videos with all types of electronics, large, low complexity to small ones that are much more complicated, but this one, this one [music] deserves some special treatment.

[00:00:29]These were so used and loved over the years that you really can't find one in good condition these days. [music] And I'm going to aim to fix that. And I'm not just going to make another reproduction case. I [music] want to elevate this one. Something that really does the design justice. [music] So, for this case, I'm going to be using some different materials, maybe some brass, some acrylic, and I'm going to go down a rabbit hole or [music] two, kind of like I always do. Now, my videos are never really about the finished product.

[00:00:57]They're about the process. They're about the tools, the techniques, the engineering, [music] the learning that comes along with deconstructing something and then building it back up [music] again. And this video is going to be no exception.

[00:01:10]And before we get started, I want to thank Fantic [music] for sponsoring this video. I'm constantly looking for highquality tools that just fit naturally within my workflow. More on them later, but now, let's go see if we can do [music] this thing some justice.

[00:01:32]The tearown is usually my favorite part of the builds, and this PSP is no exception. But I wasn't kidding when I said it's hard to find these things in really good shape. There are a ton of them for sale on eBay in lots of different models because they made a bunch of them over the years. But people kind of abuse these things. I mean, think [music] about it. Because of the form factor, people threw it in their pockets, threw it in their backpack with their keys. So, you're never going to find a pristine screen unless you buy an aftermarket one. And you're going to probably find cracks in the case, and a lot of these aren't working.

[00:02:05]When I start a project like this, I really don't know exactly what I'm going to do with it. Now, I have an end goal in mind, but how I get there and what it ends up looking like is still a really big unknown at this stage.

[00:02:18]That's why you're going to see me taking a good amount of time to do things like preserve labels, categorize screws, [music] and I even use the video footage that I shoot in order to understand how to deconstruct it so that I can put it back together again, too. I'm [music] constantly referencing old footage.

[00:02:35]When you're tearing down something, if you think about it as not just a means to an end, then it becomes more of an archaeological dig almost. You're really [music] learning about how the industrial designers thought about how to construct it, put it back together, what their constraints were, what components to use, where to place the components, and you kind of get a cool look or a window into their mind when they were building the product in the first place.

[00:03:03]As I'm working through this, I'm remembering that Sony was known for miniaturization. They had a history of miniaturaturizing products like radios and cassette decks [music] back in the 80s and '9s, and this thing absolutely shows their chops.

[00:03:18]One of the parts of the process [music] is to make sure that I'm noting down all of the things that are broken or possibly missing. [music] So, I'm looking for pieces of plastic that it looks like something may have split off from or some rails or posts. Now, some of these it might not matter based on what I'm going to do and how I'm going to rebuild it, but some of it might because it may be a pin that is holding down something that needs to be held down that maybe broke off over time. So, I'm really taking my time [music] looking through all of the surfaces, all of the parts and pieces, and just being really methodical about it. Another [music] thing that Sony was notorious for was not really designing for consistency in components as [music] a leading principle. That's why you're going to find so many different connector types and screw types all over this thing.

[00:04:11]Now, this is just a guess, but I assume that Sony's design philosophy was more about the right tool for the right job.

[00:04:17]Rather [music] than trying to get economies of scale by saying, "Okay, we need 5,000 or 500,000 of this one screw, so let's use this screw everywhere." It was all about what is right for the product at this point in order to get the best outcome.

[00:04:34]What that [music] also translates to for a company like Sony is proprietary parts like that power connector we just saw.

[00:04:41]Now, I'm going to want to standardize that [music] by using something like a USBC connector so that nobody has to go on eBay or fish around for a power adapter that hasn't been made in decades.

[00:04:52]As I start to get to the end of this process, [music] it's really easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of components that are involved. But I need to remind myself that taking things step by step, one thing at a time, going back and referencing, [music] it's all doable. The other thing to remember is that these are consumer grade electronics. They were designed to be beat up, thrown around, and to really be put through the paces. I'm not going to design something like that. I'm designing something that [music] is completely functional, but is more of a showpiece and more of a homage to the design. And so there's a lot that I'm going to be able to leave off when we come to the end of it.

[00:05:34]So with all the components taken apart, categorized, and put away, it's time to get to modeling. Some might disagree, but I'd like to start off with photos and image scans. [music] Now, a lot of you have been yelling at me for using 3D scanners for a long time now, and actually, we're going to get to that. I'm going to show that process in this video, but not just yet, and you're soon going to find out why.

[00:05:57]The very first thing I do is to try to [music] make basic shapes to try to get a outline of the product or at least parts of it [music] in order to understand the geometries of the overall thing of what I'm working with.

[00:06:13]Now, I got to say it's [music] a lot easier to work with 80s and '90s laptops because, well, they were boxy. There wasn't a lot of intricate geometries to them. This PSP is the first thing [music] that I've modeled for a case reproduction that has a huge amount of subtle organic curves. And I'm going to show you some techniques on [music] just how I deal with those.

[00:06:36]Once I'm satisfied with the basic shape and the normal cutout holes, that's [music] when I can start to take a look at the profile of the object and start to cut away at some of the more contoured designs around the sides. So, I'm using my tools here in order to create some nice organic curves based on measurements that I taken. And then I start to take slices out of the side.

[00:07:00]I'll slowly carve away at all of the side profiles of the device until I'm happy with the result.

[00:07:08]Prototyping and modeling are kind of handinand. It's the same process, [music] just different sides of it. This is the main board of the PSP and I'm going to use it in order to try to help cut out the insides of the piece. So, I need to know how it's going to sit within there and the dimensions to be perfect. Now, you're going to see me using this scanning spray, which is designed to sublimate over time or essentially evaporate and disappear off the product without having to wash it.

[00:07:37]Now, a lot of 3D scanners work the best when [music] products are white or at least non-reflective.

[00:07:45]The way these scanners work is to project a pattern onto an object. And if that object is, say, reflective or dark, [music] so it absorbs too much light, and the camera can't pick up the pattern correctly, then you're going to get a bad scan and it's going to have trouble mapping the object in 3D space.

[00:08:05]And what can I say? Some sprays sublimate better than others. Actually, this is just my own impatience.

[00:08:12]Now, at the [music] end of the scan, you're not actually left with a solid object itself. It's a detailed point cloud. And if we zoom in, you can see the individual dots.

[00:08:26]I'm going to continue to repeat this process. And [music] not just for the things that I want to model, but for everything that I need to put inside the case to make sure that everything fits when it's all said and done.

[00:08:39]So, here you can see what one of those models look like from the 3D scan. And I need to level it out and position it pretty much over top of my basic model that I made from the image [music] scans.

[00:08:57]When you model an object from scratch, you define lines and surfaces and holes that you can push and pull and change the dimensions. You can't really do that in one of these models that's generated from a scan. So, it's much easier just to use it [music] as a reference on your own model so that you can make sure to get the dimensions right and that you have all of the features.

[00:09:20]So now you can probably see how this would be overkill for something that's basic, but for an object like this that has [music] all of these tabs and cutouts and holes and standoffs, it would have taken me a huge amount of time to be able to do this just with a pair of calipers.

[00:09:42]Now, when I get a model to a place where I want to test fit something, usually I'm trying to fit a specific thing like that PCB or maybe it's a battery or something else. [music] But when I'm ready, I'll just send it off to the printer and then start to work on something else.

[00:10:01]I'll generally have one thing that's always printing and then working on a separate model. Then when that one's done printing and I can test fit to know what I need to change, then I'll just switch it up. So [music] always something printing, always something modeling, it's rapid prototyping at its finest.

[00:10:19]It's kind of crazy how much I use my 3D printers. Even when I'm making something to where the end result is [music] not going to be 3D printed, it is still a very crucial part of my process. I use it all the time.

[00:10:34]And because it's so quick, I will probably [music] want to get something out uh way before I've modeled all of the things that I know that I need to in order to do a test fit. So, what I'll do is, for example, I'll take this PCB. I'll lay in the basic stuff. But I already know that there are holes and cutouts that I haven't even modeled yet. But what I'm going to do is I'm actually going to take marks on the physical object itself and then use those in order to measure distances and things like that. I know it seems a little bit counterintuitive because I actually have the fully scanned [music] 3D model, but there's absolutely something to be said for working off both a digital object and the physical object um when it's when it's actually sitting in front of you.

[00:11:22]And it's about this time in the modeling process where [music] things start to look really good and I start to get excited again. There's a little bit of a lull in my excitement of a project when you're really just in the details. But when things start to come together and you start looking at [music] a fully realized digital object that you know that you're going to be able to hold in your hand, it gets kind of exciting after that.

[00:11:47]Let's talk about screwdrivers for a second. I mean, I have dozens or so, but when Fantex sent this one over, I was intrigued. And not just because it has a cool popup feature, but because it is one of the smallest compact electric screwdrivers that I've had the chance to test. Not only does it have a really wide assortment of bits, but it has an assortment of bit lengths as well, which is really important for me. I also love the fact that they include these tweezers and a metal spudger, so I don't have to go hunting in multiple kits. And out of all the electric screwdrivers I've tried so far, this form factor just feels really nice. It's compact and solid. The LED is nice and bright. The magnetic bits seat really well. And this thing's got five torque settings. One of them is enough to shear the head right off a brass screw. Ask me how I know.

[00:12:34]And if you'd like one for your own collection, you can get one using my code below for just 50 bucks. Now, let's get back to it.

[00:12:42]Here's where things go off the rails, and kind of on purpose, but hear me out.

[00:12:47]Remember that proprietary power jack and how I said that I wanted to replace it with a USBC connector? Well, this is it.

[00:12:54]And look, I know I don't have to draw up my own schematic and mill out a custom PCB on my CNC machine. And I know that there are a ton of USBC powered delivery boards that you could buy off Amazon or eBay or a ton of other places, but I want to.

[00:13:11]And that's how I learn.

[00:13:14]Now, admittedly, [music] even in this little project, I still try to go overboard and push the limits.

[00:13:21]Ultimately, what we're looking for here is 5 Vs. [music] And you can do that by drawing up an incredibly simple diagram with two resistors. The first steps are to [music] mill out the traces and then drill the holes.

[00:13:39]Then you come in with a multimeter to make sure that all of the things that [music] you want connected are and the things that you don't want connected aren't.

[00:13:49]After that, you need to apply solder mask. This [music] helps protect the copper from oxidizing, but it also forms a boundary layer to help guide [music] the solder on what to stick to and what not to.

[00:14:01]And I like to add a little flare.

[00:14:02][music] So, instead of using a basic sheet of film in order to help cure the mask, I'm going to use a piece of film [music] that has a diffraction grading applied to it. This grading splits light into its component colors, kind of like a flat prism, and has the side effect of making things look super cool. And fun fact, [music] this texture can be imparted onto anything from chocolate to PCBs.

[00:14:27]Now, you may have noticed that my PCB got a little bit more [music] complex than the two resistors.

[00:14:34]Now, these components are incredibly small, and I don't know too many people that [music] actually prototype their own PCBs with these kind of surface mount components, but can't blame a guy for trying.

[00:14:45]They seem to solder okay on my hot plate, but after testing, I couldn't believe that they actually worked.

[00:14:55]With modern technology, it's actually quite [music] easy to get the basics down for CNC machining and start producing some parts.

[00:15:03]But as you get more advanced and want to do more, things get exponentially [music] more complicated. If you're only doing one operation or machining one side of a part, you can often get away with your stock not being completely square. [music] But when you need to flip it, things tend to get a little bit more complicated. Oh, and don't mind my broken endmills. There's going to be a few of these while I get to know the material. I got to say, I've really taken to machining because it's [music] almost like the opposite of 3D printing.

[00:15:29]Well, actually, it is opposite. While 3D printing is an additive process, machining is subtractive. You're removing material away in order to get the part that you want. And it comes with its own unique challenges.

[00:15:40]There's not really a lot of software where you can just upload a model and the CNC mill cuts it out. It's an iterative process with multiple operations. You cut away a little bit, cut away a little more, break some [music] more endmills. You know, part for the course.

[00:15:55]And I think that because it's a more manual process, [music] the resulting parts are just a lot more rewarding.

[00:16:02]Now, you'll notice along the way that I've broken up the models into multiple pieces. I've done this for multiple reasons. The first of which is that this is an expensive [music] process, and I mean that both from a time and materials perspective. If I were to be 10 [music] hours and multiple operations into one piece and screw it up, that's a lot of wasted time and money. So, I guess you could say I'm hedging my bets. The other reason is I really want this thing to look handmade. And so I'm building this in a way where I'm going to use [music] brass screws to kind of put it all together. And I got to say, I have developed a lovehate relationship with machining cast acrylic. It is [music] absolutely beautiful, but frustrating at the same time. Unfortunately, there's [music] quite a bit of cast acrylic that's in the parts graveyard right now, but when it comes out good, man, does it look good.

[00:16:51]Now, I've done my finishing [music] passes with a ball endmill that gives it this really cool texture, but that means I've got quite a lot of work to do in order to get it clear enough to be a functioning screen.

[00:17:05]I got to say, I was pretty proud of myself breaking up the part into multiple pieces, but what I didn't plan on was integration hell. I had inadvertently upped the level of complexity of the design tfold. Well, okay, maybe not tfold, but it sure seemed like it at the end of it. Getting all the parts to fit together nicely.

[00:17:24]Screwing and tapping and filing took a long time, a lot more than I'd planned.

[00:17:29]I also wanted it to look a certain way, which meant counter sunk screws. Now, I know in the comments I'm going to get asked, why didn't I do this in the CNC?

[00:17:37]Let's put it this way. Two operations, front and back, were more than enough for my level of skill and patience right now. So, I decided to do the third operations manually. And look, once all was said and done, it looked really good. At this point in the project, I'm about 4 months in now. I am only working on this nights and weekends, and there was a studio move in there, too. But seeing it all come together like this felt really good. And it almost made me forget about how much more there was still to do. And to be honest, there's another part of me that dreads fit testing because when you put all the pieces together, it becomes glaringly obvious about all the work that you still have ahead of you. The satisfaction of holding a somewhat finished part in your hand goes away pretty quick and then it's back to work.

[00:18:22]In the beginning of the video, I mentioned that I didn't really know what I was going to do until I got there. And that's kind of a superpower. Because I'm making this for myself, I can delay decisions until right before I'm about to make something. Like, do I actually mill out the back in brass or do I mill it out in cast acrylic and then add a brass ring?

[00:18:42]Now, it may seem a little chaotic, but this kind of decision-making process is a lot less stressful than having a whole plan ahead of time and then needing to change it mid-stream.

[00:18:53]You learn as you go, and the process is built in the ability to adapt because you actually haven't made the decision yet. And look, if this hadn't have worked, I could have gone in a different direction. But the fact that it did is just another checkbox.

[00:19:10]Coming to the end of a long project is a little bittersweet.

[00:19:14]On one hand, I'm ready for it to be done. I'm ready for my tools to be cleaned up and on to the next thing that I've probably been thinking about for the last month.

[00:19:24]On the other hand, these are the kind of times when I can just sit back and reflect while I'm [music] sanding for what seems like hours. I look back and reflect on the skills that I've honed, [music] the tools that I've used, and the fact that I can't wait to show this thing off. And I'm probably delirious and getting too deep here that I'm doing my voice over at midnight, but sanding is a really good metaphor for learning.

[00:19:46][music] Each layer you sand down, each grit that you use is forming a really solid base for what comes [music] next. Stepping up a couple hundred grit at a time and finishing with this acrylic [music] polish, I was actually really amazed at the optical clarity I was able to get out of a CNC [music] part. And speaking of polish, there's more to do on the brass side. brass begins to oxidize the moment that it touches the [music] air.

[00:20:10]So, right after machining, things start to get dull. The best thing I found to bring it back is honestly a little barkeeper's friend. Giving [music] it a gentle scrub with a soft brush and water. It has enough abrasive in order to remove that oxidation, but you're going to need to seal it pretty much immediately afterwards. [music] And to do so, I swear by this wax. The microcrystallin structure means that it's dense. It's a lot less permeable to air and water and acts as a really good sealant. And it's also reversible and optically invisible, letting the material shine come through. And now to deal with our power plug.

[00:20:47]You may have noticed that I CNCed a notch inside the brass that the power board can fit snugly in. But before we do that, we need to connect it to the original power cable.

[00:21:00]And since it's going to be sitting in conductive material, we need to make sure that nothing is shorted out.

[00:21:10]And now this is when we get to the fun part.

[00:21:14]Having all of the pieces nulled and laid out in front of you and assembling it like a kit that you just picked up from a model shop.

[00:21:21]Now, this is actually the first time that I'm putting this all together. Of course, I've done fit [music] testing on a lot of the components, but when it all comes together, there's lots of things that could go wrong. And yeah, there were one or two issues that I'll talk about [music] later, but for the most part, this thing turned out fantastic.

[00:21:38]And one of the big concerns I had is ground loops. When I screwed all of the PCBs into the board, I needed to make sure that [music] the ground loops were preserved. When designing a PCB, essentially, sometimes there are ground planes that are purposefully separated.

[00:21:53]And if those ground loops were shorted together by, I don't know, putting it in a brass case, that could create issues with the sound, video, [music] and sometimes even data transfer.

[00:22:05][music] And luckily, it seems like I dodged a bullet because this board just had one common ground. [music] So when I powered it up for the first time, it came to life.

[00:22:28]Well, here we are. And after that, this thing looks absolutely sick. The brass looks incredible. It looks almost like a handmade jewelry piece. The cast acrylic, the way it was machined, looks really, really cool. And I was actually able to get a pretty good optical clarity as I was polishing it up. Now, this thing is not flawless. There are some issues with this that I'm going to address. First off, I completely forgot about the top bumper buttons. So, we're going to have [music] to do that. The second thing is is where the USBC port is supposed to [music] be, it's not there right now. That's because I didn't take into account [music] enough space for the power button uh in order to bump up against the USBC [music] connector. So, that's something else that we're going to have to take care of. One other thing to note is that this is a milestone video [music] for me.

[00:23:18]This is the first project that I did after passing 100,000 subscribers [music] and in my new studio. There's a lot more space and a lot more things that I can do that really help with my creative process [music] and are going to help me make more videos and release them more often. So, thank you very much for watching. If you made it this [music] far, please like and subscribe and comment down below. All of that engagement tells YouTube to push my channel to a larger [music] audience so that they can see these projects and I can do more of these, which I really am excited about doing in the future. And I [music] want to thank Fantic again for sponsoring this video and sending over their next E2 Ultra. It's genuinely a screwdriver [music] that I enjoyed using and it's going to become a daily driver in my projects moving forward. Now, I know that there's a bunch of you out [music] there that really hate when I end the video before actually playing with these things [music] and showing off the system and the games and stuff like that.