psp battery options?

[ninjainspandex]

New Original psp batteries are going for ludicrous money now, especially the extended play ones ($140 new?!), now there are countless number of cheap Chinese batteries on ebay and amazon, they can't be all bad can they? What is the option for us psp lovers? Especially in 5- 10 more years? how many years will unused psp batteries last? Should I go back in time and buy up all the extended play batteries?

[Exhuminator]

now there are countless number of cheap Chinese batteries on ebay and amazon, they can't be all bad can they?

I would strongly, strongly recommend only using PSP batteries manufactured by Sony. Even if you have to buy used non-extended life ones. That's better than damaging your PSP or starting a fire. As a rule of thumb, always only use officially manufactured proprietary batteries for devices that require them.

What is the option for us psp lovers?

Cheapest option is to buy used official PSP batteries that are the non-extended life version. They will work fine, but they'll only last about 3 hours a stretch on average. If you need more time than that, bring an extra already charged and swap it out on your trip. Sony made an official battery charger that you can charge PSP batteries with outside the PSP itself. You can buy it off Amazon: link <--charges PSP 1000 & 2000 style batteries

Especially in 5- 10 more years? how many years will unused psp batteries last?

All lithium ion based batteries have a shelf life, even if they are never used eventually they will degrade to the point of being unusable after X amount of years. The best way to extend their lifespan is to keep them in temperatures ranging 40f-70f with low humidity, at about 40% charge capacity. When in use it is better to charge a lithium ion battery before it is fully depleted. Full deep cycle charges wear lithium ion batteries out faster due to accumulated heat fatigue, so charge them as often as you can, instead of waiting until they are empty. All the same there will come a time when every PSP battery no longer functions. At that point you are stuck running a PSP off the power charger plugged into a wall. This is true of any device with proprietary lithium ion batteries though.

Should I go back in time and buy up all the extended play batteries?

I bought three of them myself a few years ago, because I am crazy. Realistically it would do you no good to hoard them for future use, as eventually they all die anyway. Your only payoff would be if you were selling them still sealed right now at $140 a pop. If that's what you meant, than yeah, would have been a good idea.

Also for my fellow Vita believers, this is worth owning: link

[prfsnl_gmr]

There are countless number of cheap Chinese batteries on ebay and amazon, they can't be all bad can they?

I bought a cheap Chinese battery off of eBay for $5. (The original Sony battery included with my $20 PSP 1001 had swollen, and would not stay in place or hold a charge.) It is OK. I get 2-4 hours out of a charge, which isn't that great. (Strangely, the NES emulator seems to wear it out really quickly. I can play PicoDrive for hours, but I need to plug it in if I am playing NesterJ. ) It is certainly better than what I had, however, and it is worth all of the $5 I paid for it.