The PSP uses a proprietary 3.6V (1800mAh) lithium ion battery that fits into the back of the handheld. Weighing around 40 grams, the battery is light and doesn't effect the overall weight of the system. Unlike with general alkaline or NiCad batteries, you won't have a problem inserting the PSP's battery since it's keyed to prevent you from orienting it improperly. This notch also works as the battery's connection to the system, and you can see three metallic connectors if you check the place where it fits into the PSP. Though it's been previously reported that the PSP would charge up by being placed on a special charger rack (like with some digital cameras and shavers), the package came with a standard AC adapter. Charging the battery completely took two hours and 24 minutes, and we'll have an additional report on the overall battery life soon.

To turn the PSP's power on, you'll slide a switch on the right side of the handheld. You can put the handheld into sleep mode at any time by sliding this switch again. In order to turn off the PSP's power completely, you'll need to hold the switch for about 10 seconds. The power switch also features a hold mode, which allows you to lock the buttons on the PSP so that you won't accidentally press them while watching a movie or listening to music.