Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Repairing a Water Damaged PSP

By the RestorationSOS Educational Staff

Handheld video game consoles like the Sony PSP are designed to take the home gaming experience on the road or pretty much anywhere and allow for high quality game play. Because they are so popular among young people, especially kids, they have to be built to withstand a considerable amount of abuse. Unfortunately, the units are not waterproof, which means exposure to rain or immersion in puddles or sinks may cause serious damage to the unit. In many cases, the unit will withstand water damage, however, there are steps you can take to try and salvage the unit and keep it in playable condition.

The first rule of thumb when addressing a water damaged PSP is to leave the unit turned off. It is common for people to make sure the unit hasn’t been damaged by powering it up immediately after exposure to water. This is unwise, since powering up a wet unit may fry what is left of the circuits or motherboard, rendering any hopes of repair null and void. Instead take the time to properly dry out and repair the unit. Sacrificing a few days of game play may mean that you get to enjoy the PSP for a long time to come.

Clean off the water that is in, on or around the PSP. Remove any UMD that is in the unit and remove the battery pack and memory cards. Use a soft cloth to dry any water affecting the unit. If the unit was damaged by dirty water, then make use of some isopropyl alcohol to clean the damaged areas. The UMD slot will need to be cleaned with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol, taking care to not bend any metal or inadvertently cause any additional damage. You may shake the unit to remove water, but do not bang it on anything as this will damage the unit.

As mentioned, the single most effective solution for cleaning your PSP is time. Wait and allow the unit to dry thoroughly on its own. Do not try to use heating elements to dry it out. After a period of 5 - 7 days, recharge the unit and attempt to power it back up.

Hopefully, the PSP will now function as normal, and if the exposure to water was minimal and the water involved was clean water, then there is a good chance that the unit will function as it should. In some cases it may only partially function.

If the unit is not working, then you still may be able to sell the unit to recoup some costs. Damaged PSPs can sell on auction websites for $20 - $30 and are normally purchased by other gamers or repair shops who want to salvage the unit for parts.

Recommended Reading
Clean, Dry, Repair and Disinfect Electronic Media
How to Fix Water Damage on a Nintendo DSi