Reviewed: April 1, 2005
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Manufacturer
Sony

Type: Portable Game System
System: Sony PSP

Rating: 9.9

Value Pack Features

I’m not going to bore (or potentially anger) you with my personal quest for a functioning and flawless PSP system. You can read my launch day coverage for that horror story. You just about have to expect problems with a system this advanced and delicate, but considering the PSP had already released in Japan I was hoping some of the bugs had been worked out.

The PSP is an amazing piece of technology, capable of playing video games that rival the PS2, Xbox, and even a top-of-the-line PC. Of course much of this is due to the 16-million color capable screen that could easily be mistaken for a plasma screen, with its crisp clarity and rich saturated colors.

For you tech-heads out there, I’ll regurgitate some PSP specs from the Sony website:

• Dimensions: Approximately 6.7 in (W) x 2.9 in (H) x .9 in (D)
• Weight: Approximately 280g / .62 lbs (including battery)
• CPU: PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1 - 333MHz)
• Main Memory: 32MB
• Embeded DRAM: 4MB
• Display: 4.3 inch, 16:9 Wide screen TFT LCD
  • 480 x 272 pixel, 16.77 million colors
  • Maximum luminance 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using battery pack)
  • Maximum luminance 200 / 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using AC adaptor)
• Sound: Built-in stereo speakers
• Main Input/Output: IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi), USB 2.0 (mini-B), Memory Stick Duo™, Infrared Port
• Disc Drive: UMD Drive (Read only)
• Main Connectors: Memory Stick Duo™ Slot, USB connector, DC IN 5V connector, Headset connector
• Keys/Switches: Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), Analog Stick, Enter keys, (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Left, Right shoulder buttons x 1, START button, SELECT button, HOME button x 1, POWER/HOLD switch x 1, Display button, Sound button, Volume +/- buttons x 1, Wireless LAN switch (ON/OFF) x 1, OPEN latch (UMD) x 1
• Power: Lithium-ion Battery w/ AC Adaptor
• Codec:
  • [Video]: "UMD": H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile Level3
  • [Video]: "Memory Stick": MPEG-4 SP,AAC
  • [Music]: "UMD": linear PCM,ATRAC3plus™
  • [Music]: "Memory Stick": ATRAC3plus™,MP3(MPEG1/2 Layer3)
• Security: (Encryption) 128bit AES (Copyright protection technology) MagicGate™
• Access control: Region, Parental Control
• Wireless Communications: IEEE802.11b Infrastructure mode and Ad hoc mode (connection up to 16 consoles)

If I had to pick a single word to describe the PSP it would be “sexy”. This system is a real eye-catcher with its high-tech black and silver design. This naturally leads to the first and biggest problem – fingerprints. Fingerprints will literally leap off the fingers of passing strangers and attach themselves to the screen and button areas, but unless you want to wear velvet gloves you’ll just have to live with it and keep that micro-fiber cloth handy.

I wish Sony could have backlit the button. The games look really great when you play in the dark but the black surface and tiny button symbols are hard to see. Eventually you’ll learn the layout by feel but until then finding the volume buttons and knowing the difference between Start and Select is troublesome.

The analog stick (or disc as it should be called) works surprisingly well but it does take a bit of getting used too. The textured pad rests flush against the surface of the PSP so there is no stick-wobble action that we have become used to. Instead, the pad “slides”. This works better for some games like Spider-Man 2 but takes a bit of practice when you need the subtle finesse to steer your ships in WipeOut Pure or drift around turns in Ridge Racer.

The OS (if you can call it that) is really slick and consists of a row if icons you can scroll across with the D-pad then scroll vertically through any sub-selections. This allows you to setup your profile, view photos, or manage your memory card. The PSP allows you to copy data from one memory stick to another by using the PSP RAM as transfer space. Depending on the size of the file(s) this might require numerous swaps of the two memory sticks.

The PSP also comes with built-in wireless multiplayer for up to 16 players depending on the title. And while single-disc game sharing is supported, none of the current titles allow multiple PSP’s to run off a single shared copy of the game.

Two other particularly nice features are the Home button that ends your current game and takes you back to the OS, and the power button that actually suspends your PSP. This is a great feature since you can turn "off" the PSP to conserve power and when you turn it back on you will be right back at the menu or screen where you left the game. You can also position the button into the Hold position which locks the face buttons so you don't accidentally push anything if you have the PSP in your pocket. This is a great feature when you are listening to MP3's and want to stow the PSP.

The strongest thing Sony has going for their new system is an amazing launch line-up with no less than 15 titles on the shelf the day the system was available for purchase. That’s more games at launch that the Nintendo DS has, even today after six months, and no, GBA games don’t count.

The games cover multiple genres including strategy, fighting, racing, puzzles, and sports so there is certainly something for everyone. But the PSP just doesn’t play some of the best looking games currently available. It’s a fully functional multimedia entertainment center that fits in your pocket.

The PSP can be expanded with a variety of Memory Stick Duo cards. Sony starts you off with a 32mb stick which is plenty of space to save games, but if you want to take advantage of downloading game updates, MP3’s, or ripping your own DVD collection down to memory stick you will need to invest in a 512mb or even a 1gb card. Then all you have to do is connect your PSP to your PC with an optional USB (mini-B) cable and start filling up that memory.

The PSP is surprisingly dense, meaning a lot of weight in a compact package. While I haven’t conducted any “drop tests” I am fairly certain this system wouldn’t survive a fall from anything higher than 3-4 feet. I keep the wrist strap around my wrist, even while playing, just in case and it’s always in the tight-fitting soft protective case when not in use.

So at the end of the day you have to ask yourself, just how bad do you want a PSP. Personally, if I didn’t have to have one (to review the games) I would probably wait awhile for the price to drop and the bugs to work themselves out. Sure, it’s the coolest handheld system ever made and sure there are more than a dozen titles that are all likely to score 8 or higher, but you also have to consider that you are going to spend as much for the PSP as you would a full-size console and a pair of AAA titles.

Then you have to ask yourself how often you play games on the go, although I freely admit the PSP is the first portable system that I have actually found myself playing in my living room while an Xbox, PS2, and GameCube are sitting six feet away. And when it does come time to go on the road my DS is finding itself staying home a lot more these days.

So if you are rich, or already have every other console, or have had the foresight to have been saving your pennies for the past year or more then by all means go out and grab a PSP. As Kenny (from South Park) recently discovered, the PSP was created by God to test the mettle of next-gen gamers. Are you worthy?