How to take your PSP online with Ad Hoc Party

Ad Hoc party is a free app that lets you play PSP games’ local multiplayer modes over the internet, using your PS3’s internet connection. Ideal for Peace Walker…

We’ll start with a disclaimer: Ad Hoc Party will only work if you’re using a wired connection to get online. The PS3 only has one wireless card and it can’t connect to your router and PSP simultaneously. Sorry. Connected the old fashioned way? Read on.

Whether you need help to take down a Great Jaggi in Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite, or want to get some S-ranks in Peace Walker’s superb Extra Ops missions, Ad Hoc Party will make it possible, even if you don’t host regular meet-ups with similar-minded enthusiasts. You can even use voice and text chat. Once it’s set up, Ad Hoc party is easy to use, whether you want to host a private lobby with a few friends or find some like-minded gamers to join.

What you need:

1) A PlayStation 3
2) A PSP or PSP Go
3) A wired internet connection
4) A PSN account

Time taken: 5-10 mins

1) Get the app

You’re on a wired connection right? Just checking. First, you’ll need to download the application from the PlayStation Store. Click on Other Media, then Media, and then download Ad Hoc Party for PSP. It’s free and a mere 6MB, so it should only take a few seconds before it’s installed.

2) Get the party started

You’ll needto accept the Terms and Conditions first. Click on ‘Start,’ accept them, and then press Circle to get back to the main menu. Then select ‘Search for game.’ Load up a PSP game with local multiplayer and enable Wi-Fi in-game (e.g. host a mission in Peace Walker, or access the gathering hall in Monster Hunter). It doesn’t matter what you do really; this step is just about making your PSP and PS3 talk to each other. Your PS3 should pick up the signal, and show your PSP’s name in the menu (you can see that our PS3 has found our PSP, called ‘Bop’). Now you just need some buddies to play with…

3) Meet your friends in another world

Ad Hoc Party’s community is divided into ‘Worlds’. Each one has its own letter and number, but it doesn’t make any difference which one you pick. If you’re organizing a private session with a few friends, pick a letter and number beforehand (e.g. A1) and meet there by choosing ‘Start’ from the main menu. The color of the men you see before joining a world shows how populated it is.

4) Or find some random players

If you’re after random players who are playing your game, click ‘Search for Game’ from the main menu. Ad Hoc Party will bring up a list of applicable worlds. We decide to join a Peace Walker fan who’s planning a co-op session. He’s helpfully listed the channel his PSP is set to and the missions he’s planning to host. That’s responsible Ad Hoc Party protocol kids – take note.