Columbus Circle's PSP HDMI adapter is back in circulation

Japanese peripheral manufacturer Columbus Circle is currently distributing a dedicated HDMI converter for the PlayStation Portable. The adapter gives the 2000 and 3000 model handhelds a direct connection to modern displays. It might look like a brand new announcement popping up on social media this week, but I dug into it and found this is actually a restock and renewed push of a product they originally launched in late 2023.

The adapter plugs directly into the proprietary video-out port on the bottom of the PSP. It outputs a 1080p signal and includes a physical switch to toggle between a 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio. It does require external power via a micro-USB port, which makes the handheld a bit of a wire octopus while you play.

Columbus Circle has built a solid reputation over the years for these kinds of aftermarket retro solutions. They produce everything from Famicom clone consoles to Dreamcast video cables. Just keep in mind that this specific adapter only works with the PSP 2000 and 3000 models. The original PSP 1000 physically lacks the internal video output hardware, so no cable is going to help it.

I still have my component cables somewhere

Sony originally sold official component and composite AV cables to connect the PSP to a TV. I used them heavily to play Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on a bigger screen. The problem is modern televisions simply do not have component inputs anymore. We have all been there. You stare at the back of a new 4K display and wonder where the red, green, and blue ports went.

You could also use a PlayStation TV to play PSP games on a monitor. That micro-console works well, but it completely locks you out of using your physical UMD library. You are restricted to whatever digital PSP games are tied to your PlayStation Network account.

This Columbus Circle adapter bypasses those hurdles entirely. It takes the analog video out from the PSP and scales it to 1080p over HDMI. It does not do any fancy up-conversion or smoothing. You are going to see every single pixel of that 480x272 native resolution blown up on your living room wall, but the convenience of a single HDMI cable makes up for the raw pixelation.

No HDCP stripping required

I think this hardware is fantastic for streamers. Capturing PSP footage usually means relying on emulation through PPSSPP or dealing with the aforementioned PlayStation TV. The PlayStation TV enforces HDCP copy protection. That means you have to buy a specific HDMI splitter just to strip the signal before your capture card will even see it.

With the Columbus Circle adapter, you can capture gameplay directly from original hardware using your original UMDs. You just plug the HDMI cable into your capture card, power the adapter with a USB cable, and boot up the game. It is a much cleaner solution for archival recording or live streaming.

The 16:9 toggle switch is particularly useful here. PSP games natively run in a 16:9 aspect ratio, but the system's original video output often window-boxed the image on external displays. Being able to force the aspect ratio directly on the adapter saves you from having to crop and stretch the source in OBS. It works, which is the nicest thing I can say about any piece of retro video scaling hardware.