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2. Components Required

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othermod edited this page Jun 2, 2026 · 2 revisions

A quick overview of what you'll need before starting your PSPi 6 build.

PSP 1000 Parts Needed

The PSPi 6 is designed exclusively for the original PSP 1000 series. It replaces the motherboard inside, so you'll need a donor PSP to source the shell and other reusable components.

Supported PSP Cases

  • PSP 1000 Series Only
    • Compatible with original fat PSP 1000 series
    • Includes models: PSP-1000, 1001, 1002, etc.

Incompatible Models

  • NOT compatible with:
    • 2000 series
    • 3000 series
    • E1000 series

Required Parts from Donor PSP

You'll reuse the following parts from your donor PSP:

  1. Shell - Front and back casing. Genuine PSP shells are recommended as aftermarket versions tend to be lower quality.
  2. LCD Bracket - Metal bracket that holds the LCD and retains the back cover.
  3. Control Panel - Located on the LCD bracket, includes the Display, Mute, and Volume buttons.
  4. Power Board - Houses the power switch and LEDs on the right side of the shell.
  5. D-pad - The directional pad assembly.
  6. Button Membranes - Rubber membranes under the buttons.
  7. Shoulder Buttons and Membrane - The L and R trigger buttons.
  8. Internal Speakers - The original PSP speakers.
  9. Joystick and Rubber Interface - The analog stick and the rubber interface underneath.
  10. WiFi Antenna - The stock PSP WiFi antenna is compatible with CM4.

It's best to buy a complete broken PSP 1000. The motherboard and LCD will be replaced anyway, so they can be broken or defective.

Raspberry Pi Options

40-pin Models

The following Raspberry Pi models fit directly into the PSP shell:

Raspberry Pi Zero Raspberry Pi Zero W Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
Raspberry Pi Zero Raspberry Pi Zero W Raspberry Pi Zero 2W

Pi 3 and 4 are electrically compatible with the PSPi 6 board but physically too large to fit inside the PSP shell. Pi 5 is also pin-compatible, but not recommended because of power requirements.

Compute Module 4

CM4 (with eMMC)

  • Slightly faster bootup
  • Fixed storage size (no flexibility)
  • Cannot use SD card

CM4 Lite (no eMMC)

  • Uses SD cards for storage

Both require the CM4 Carrier board for installation.

RAM Considerations

  • For Emulation: Any RAM amount is likely sufficient for retro gaming.
  • For Full Operating Systems: At least 4GB RAM on CM4 is recommended, with more being better for multitasking and heavier applications.

Performance Comparison

Feature Pi Zero Zero 2W CM4
Gaming 16-bit era games well, struggles with PS1/N64 Smooth 16-bit, many PS1 games play well Wider emulation compatibility, plays PS1 and many PSP games
Battery Life 4-18 hours depending on usage 3-12 hours depending on screen brightness 2-4 hours normally, up to 6 hours in some cases

The Pi Zero 2W is my personal favorite, balancing performance and battery life well.

othermod Components

PSPi 6 Board

The main board of the project.

Battery

The board uses a standard JST PH 2.0mm connector for 3.7V LiPo batteries.

LCD

The PSPi 6 uses an aftermarket 4.3" 800×480 LCD driven directly from the Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins. The original PSP LCD is not compatible due to pinout and resolution differences.

Optional Accessories

CM4 Carrier Board

This adapter board lets you use a Compute Module 4 in your PSPi 6. It provides a solder-free setup for CM4 installation.

Headphone Board

This board enables headphone use with the PSPi 6. It uses pogo pins to make contact with the PSPi 6 mainboard, so no soldering or wiring is required.

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