Do You Have to Buy Games for PSP Go?

No. The PSP Go (PSP-N1000) is digital-only (no UMD drive), but you have multiple legal acquisition paths:

Ways to Get Games

1. PlayStation Store (via Web)
   • PSP Store on device closed 2021. Use store.playstation.com on PC/phone.
   • Buy PSP / PS1 Classics / Minis → "Download to PSP" → connects via Wi-Fi (auto-starts download).
   • Requires PSN account + Wi-Fi (802.11b/g, 2.4GHz only).
2. PS3 / PS Vita as Intermediary
   • Buy on PS3/Vita Store → Download → Connect PSP Go via USB → "USB Connection" on PSP → Copy from PS3/Vita /PSP/GAME/.
   • Works for PS1 Classics, Minis, some PSP titles.
3. Homebrew / Indie Games (Free)
   • Install Custom Firmware (CFW) – Infinity (6.61) or PRO-C2.
   • Sources: Brewology, Internet Archive, pspdev.
   • Apps: Emulators (NES, SNES, GBA), ports (Cave Story, Quake, Doom), original games.
4. Game Sharing (Legacy)
   • Activate on 2 PSPs per account (old policy). No longer supported officially.

What You Can't Do

• Play UMD discs – No drive. Physical games unusable.
• Buy new from Sony – Store purchases still work but no new titles added.

Storage

• 16 GB internal (≈10–15 full PSP games).
• Memory Stick Micro (M2) slot – up to 32 GB (Sandisk/Kingston). Essential for library.

PSP Go = digital library device. Buy on web store, sideload via PS3/Vita, or run homebrew. No physical media.