What was the clock speed of the PlayStation Portable's CPU?

The PlayStation Portable’s CPU had a clock speed of up to 333 MHz. Its main Allegrex processor was based on the 32-bit MIPS32 architecture and worked alongside a secondary processor in the system’s Media Engine.

The PSP did not always run commercial games at the full rate. Sony initially capped the CPU at 222 MHz for licensed software, partly to control heat and battery consumption. That limitation was removed with firmware version 3.50 in 2007, allowing future games to use the full 333 MHz speed.

This history explains why some older specifications and discussions list 222 MHz instead. That figure describes the original software restriction, not the processor’s maximum clock capability. Homebrew software could also run the PSP at 333 MHz before Sony officially lifted the cap.

The higher clock speed could improve frame rates and responsiveness, but it also increased power use and reduced battery life. PSP-2000 and later models added more main memory, yet their CPU architecture and maximum clock speed remained broadly the same.