This weekend on Japanese Twitter, “PSP バッテリー” (PSP battery) started trending. Owners of the Sony handheld began noticing that the batteries were swelling up, and in some cases bursting open.
The original PSP 1000 and later slim models are reportedly experiencing battery swelling. The PSP first launched in 2004 in Japan, and as IT Media points out, the older handhelds might have been collecting dust. Perhaps, neglected, unplayed PSPs are the cause? [Update 7/28/20 6:50 AM: Or as Twitter user Takunomi points out, lithium batteries do eventually experience this over time.]
As you can see, the swelling is noticeable.
Not every PSP owner is experiencing battery swelling as evident in the tweets below.
But those PSPs that are experiencing this issue... Yikes!
IT Media reached out to Sony for comment and was told that batteries have life spans that decrease over time. “Please refrain from using [the PSP] when the battery has experienced swelling,” stated Sony, adding that it the handheld should not be used without the battery cover.
Be sure to check your batteries!