PocketStation

PocketStation icon when connected to the PlayStation Card Adapter

Description[edit | edit source]

Colour	Model	Remarks
White	SCPH-4000
Crystal	SCPH-4000C

SCPH-4000

https://www.playstation.com/manual/pdf/SCPH-4000.pdf

The PocketStation is a peripheral (not only as egg easter haunting the ps3) for the PS1, PS2 and PS3 (and PS4?). Categorized by Sony as a miniature personal digital assistant (PDA). Connecting to a PlayStation through a memory card slot, the PocketStation also functions as a PlayStation memory card. It was released exclusively in Japan on January 23, 1999.

Software for the PocketStation was typically distributed as extras for PlayStation games, included in the CD-ROM, enhancing the games with added features. Stand-alone software could also be downloaded through the PlayStation console. The software is then transferred to the PocketStation for use. A built-in infrared data interface allows direct transfer of data such as game saves between PocketStation units, as well as multiplayer gaming.

The original Japanese ship date for the PocketStation was set for December 23, 1998, but it was delayed a full month. Sony only shipped an initial 60,000 units of the peripheral when it was released on January 23, 1999. It was initially available in two case colors: white and clear. It proved extremely popular, selling out all over the region. Sony planned to release the PocketStation outside Japan, engaging in promotional activity in Europe and North America, but the release did not occur. SCEA cited an inability meeting Japanese demand as the reason for the PocketStation's absence. Despite this, a few games, such as Final Fantasy VIII, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 and SaGa Frontier 2, retained PocketStation functionality in their localized versions.

The PocketStation's most popular game was Dokodemo Issho, which sold over 1.5 million copies in Japan and is the first game to star Sony's mascot Toro. The PocketStation was discontinued in July 2002 after having shipped nearly five million units.

On November 5, 2013, it was announced that the PocketStation would be revived as an application for the PlayStation Vita, allowing users to play PocketStation format minigames for any classic PlayStation games that they own. Originally it was only available to PlayStation Plus members, it was later released to the general public. It remains an exclusive to the Japanese PlayStation Vitas.

The PocketStation also shares similarities with Sega's VMU for the Dreamcast.

Technical specifications[edit | edit source]

Internal Graphical libs on PocketStation: During access by the PS3, PocketStation will display the word "busy"

CPU	ARM7T (32-bit RISC chip)
Memory	2K bytes SRAM, 128K bytes Flash RAM
Screen	2×2 cm , 32×32 dot monochrome LCD ( PlayStation logo "watermarked" not engraved)
Sound	1 miniature speaker (10-bit PCM = 62dB)
Switches	5 input buttons, 1 reset button (PCB design sightly different on Ver-2 for reset button)
Infrared communication & protocol	Bi-directional (supports IrDA based and conventional remote control systems?)
IR range	Short
LED indicator	1 (red)
Source power	Battery: 1 CR-2032 lithium battery 3V (original Sony battery has PlayStation logo) or independently when connected as memory card.
Dimensions	64 × 42 × 13.5 mm (length × width × height)
Other functions	Alarm clock, calendar, identification number...
Weight	Approximately 30g (including battery)
Colors	White, Crystal, Black.

Icons[edit | edit source]

There are different type of Icons who can be set/found on PS1 save after being transfered to PocketStation.

PS ICON:

From the regular icon displayed on the XMB interpolated (and so, can be visually rough) to monochrome 32*32 PocketStation Icon. This is the icon displayed per default on your PocketStation if there are no specifics PocketStation MCIcon (even on olders games than PocketStation such FF7).

PocketStation MCIcon:

Specific MCIcon for PocketStation on save data

Specific Icon for ours PocketStation (need the flags related to PocketStation on the PS1 save game) and can be found even on games not having specifics featuring with the PocketStation.

Icons be animated as similar than PS ICONS. Visual Content can be similar than the PS Icon but this is not the same.

Length is 128 (0x80), each byte (in binary big endian: this is the order who appear on PocketStation and some icon have letter design to indicate this is the right order) giving 8 pixels, there are 4 bytes used per line (total 32 lines) to obtain our drawing of 1024 pixels (32x32 monochrome).

0 = "white", 1=black.

E.g.: Chronos Cross PSN version (On the save data file: first come the PS Icon used for XMB and after the MCI icon displayed on the PocketStation) In this title, there are different set of icons used (PS & MCI), check your disc or your save data (next to the regular PS ICON) to find others.

PocketStation on PS3[edit | edit source]

Can be use (only) as memory card to transfer your PS1 game saves (but not PS2 no matter of size) when connected through Memory Card Adaptator.

With HUB USB : Sometime, need to reboot but it works with.

vmc_savedata_plugin.rco:

XML : PocketStation™

PNG : PocketStation

PS1_rom.bin :

           0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7   8  9  A  B  C  D  E  F    
...
002A6B00:  52 45 53 45 54 00 00 00  00 00 08 00 00 00 00 00  RESET...........
002A6B10:  52 4F 4D 44 49 52 00 00  00 00 54 00 10 01 00 00  ROMDIR....T.....
002A6B20:  45 58 54 49 4E 46 4F 00  00 00 00 00 C4 00 00 00  EXTINFO.....ﾄ...
002A6B30:  49 43 4F 42 44 49 53 43  00 00 08 00 85 2C 00 00  ICOBDISC....・..
002A6B40:  49 43 4F 42 43 44 44 41  00 00 08 00 50 16 00 00  ICOBCDDA....P...
002A6B50:  49 43 4F 42 50 53 31 4D  00 00 08 00 4D 0B 00 00  ICOBPS1M....M...
002A6B60:  49 43 4F 42 50 53 32 4D  00 00 08 00 CD 11 00 00  ICOBPS2M....ﾍ...
002A6B70:  49 43 4F 42 50 4B 53 54  00 00 08 00 B6 1F 00 00  ICOBPKST....ｶ...
002A6B80:  49 43 4F 42 50 53 31 44  00 00 08 00 59 10 00 00  ICOBPS1D....Y...
002A6B90:  49 43 4F 42 50 53 32 44  00 00 08 00 8F 21 00 00  ICOBPS2D.....!..
002A6BA0:  49 43 4F 42 44 56 44 44  00 00 08 00 34 2D 00 00  ICOBDVDD....4-..
002A6BB0:  49 43 4F 42 59 53 59 53  00 00 08 00 48 02 00 00  ICOBYSYS....H...
002A6BC0:  49 43 4F 42 46 53 43 45  00 00 08 00 8D 14 00 00  ICOBFSCE........
002A6BD0:  49 43 4F 42 46 4E 4F 52  00 00 08 00 C8 13 00 00  ICOBFNOR....ﾈ...
002A6BE0:  49 43 4F 42 46 42 52 4B  00 00 08 00 AD 00 00 00  ICOBFBRK....ｭ...
002A6BF0:  49 43 4F 42 51 55 45 53  00 00 08 00 7D 0C 00 00  ICOBQUES....}...
...