I still remember the quiet hum of the PSP loading screen in the middle of the night, long after my parents thought I had gone to sleep. That little handheld console was more than just a machine to me—it was an escape, a way to carry entire universes under the covers with nothing but a pair of earbuds and the slot gacor dim glow of the screen. At the time, I didn’t know I was holding a piece of history in my hands. Today, when people talk about the best games, my mind doesn’t immediately jump to the PlayStation 5’s latest blockbuster; it jumps back to the PSP games that kept me company during those restless nights.

Some of my fondest memories involve Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a game that didn’t just expand the world of a classic but gave it heart. I can still hear the music, feel the weight of Zack Fair’s journey, and recall the heartbreak of its ending. For me, that was one of the best games I had ever played, not just because of the story but because of where I was in life—a teenager trying to find meaning in stories larger than myself. Other PSP games like Monster Hunter Freedom Unite filled my weekends with laughter as friends and I huddled together, hunting monsters like our lives depended on it. Those portable adventures felt as grand as any console epic.

Of course, I also grew up with PlayStation games on the big screen. The sweeping landscapes of Shadow of the Colossus, the cinematic brilliance of Uncharted 2, and the emotional devastation of The Last of Us are titles I’d easily rank among the best games of all time. Yet the PSP was different. It wasn’t about spectacle—it was about intimacy. It was about sneaking in just one more mission, one more battle, one more chapter, before sleep finally won.

Even now, with shelves of PlayStation discs and a PS5 humming in my living room, there’s a special place in my heart for the PSP. Its games didn’t just entertain me; they grew up with me. And when I think about the best games I’ve ever played, I can’t help but smile at the thought that some of them fit in the palm of my hand.