Updates add new functionality as well as security patches to prevent unsigned code from being executed on the system.

System software updates have added various features including a web browser, Adobe Flash Player 6 support, additional codecs for images, audio, and video, PlayStation 3 connectivity, as well as patches against several security exploits, vulnerabilities, and execution of homebrew programs.

Users can navigate through them using the left and right buttons of the D-pad, which move the icons forward or back across the screen, highlighting just one at a time, as opposed to using any kind of pointer to select an option.

The basic features offered by XMB implementations varies based on device and software version.

On the PSP console, the XMB had top level icons for Photos, Music, Videos, Games, Networking (which allows the use of the web browser), Settings and Extras.

[4] The browser supports most common web technologies, such as HTTP cookies, forms, CSS, as well as basic JavaScript capabilities.

Additionally, the browser can be configured to run under a proxy server and can be protected by the security PIN to enable the use of web filtering or monitoring software through a network.

[9] Opera Mini can also be used on PSP through PSPKVM, a homebrew application which is a Sun Java Virtual Machine.

The service allows Skype calls to be made over Wi-Fi and on the PSP Go over the Bluetooth Modem feature.

Go!Messenger, a free instant messaging program jointly developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BT Group, was announced on August 22, 2007 at the Leipzig Games Convention, and was released on February 29, 2008, also with firmware version 3.90.

All legally and illegally obtained content can be played on custom firmware, assuming that it is at the latest version (currently 6.61).

During the early days of the PSP hacking scene, it was discovered that firmware 1.00 allowed unsigned code to run.

Firmware 1.5 acted as the standard firmware for homebrew until the creation of eLoaders (which use various exploits to launch a homebrew "menu"), savegame exploits in games such as Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Lumines: Puzzle Fusion and eventually DarkAlex's custom firmware releases, which all allowed PSPs shipped after the 1.51 update's release to run homebrew.

In July 2007 Dark_AleX officially stopped his work on the PSP, citing perceived problems with Sony as one of the reasons for his departure,[18] but other custom firmware versions continue to be developed or updated.

In 2015, a homebrew tool known as Infinity was developed which allows users to permanently install CFW such as LME or PRO on all PSP models.