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Mad Catz USB Data/Charge Cable for PSP review

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CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars Very good
Review Date:

Average User Rating

0.0 stars No reviews. Write a review

The good: Allows you to charge your PSP and transfer files via USB simultaneously; can be used to charge many cell phones and PDAs, as well; compatible with all PSP models; works with standard iPod AC adapters.

The bad: Eight-foot cable is overkill for the average user; you need to supply the power source.

The bottom line: A dirt cheap price tag and ultimate convenience makes the Mad Catz USB Data/Charge Cable a must-have PSP accessory.

We recently took a look at the Kensington USB Power Tips for Nintendo Game Boy and Sony PSP, which made for a convenient solution for charging on the go. While the Mad Catz USB Data/Charge Cable for PSP ($10) won't work with any Nintendo products, it is quite possibly the only cable you'll ever need for the PSP.

On one side, the Mad Catz cable offers a standard USB plug; the other side splits into two, Y-style, with one branch offering a standard mini-USB interface and the other a PSP-style AC plug. Plug the standard USB cable into your PC and the other mini-USB and power nubs into the corresponding jacks on the PSP, and you're good to go--no special software needed. It works equally well for charging the PSP, transferring data (music, videos, photos, game demos, what have you), or doing both tasks simultaneously.

In addition to working with powered USB ports on any computer (PC or Mac), the Mad Catz cable can also handle PSP recharging duties from any standard AC charger that offers a USB port. So if you're traveling without a laptop but you have your iPod charger--be it Apple's or one from a third party--you can leave the bulky PSP-charging brick at home.

Even better, the Mad Catz cable had no trouble charging two devices at once. Using the Apple iPod charger, we were able to juice up the PSP and the Sprint Mogul smartphone simultaneously--that's yet another power adapter. We imagine that any PDA/Smartphone with a USB-charging interface will accept the Mad Catz cable, too. If you have a portable device that recharges via the mini-USB jack, chances are it'll work just as well--deleting yet another charging cable from your travel inventory.

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date11/17/11
  • Cable Game console charging / data cable - USB
  • Connector(s) 1 x 4 pin USB Type A - Male
  • Connector(s) 1 x Mini-USB Type B - Male 1 x Power DC jack - Male
  • Length 8 ft

Before covering video games and gear for CNET Reviews, Jeff Bakalar worked in film and video production. He's a gamer, comic book nut, and a diehard New Jersey Devils fan. Off the ice you can catch him live every day as the host of CNET's infamous daily podcast, The 404 and every Thursday in CNET's first-ever tech comic, Low Latency. Full Bio

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