PSP Go review

[Jonny]

PSPgo Review: A Peek Into the Future of Gaming [Review]
28 September 2009, 8:00 pm

Smaller, easier to use and completely devoid of a disc drive of any sort, the PSPgo is powered only by digital media, a brave step into the future of gaming. But is it a future in which we want to live?

Loved

Pure Digital: The PSPgo is smaller, sleeker, better designed than its predecessors, but the thing that really separates it from all of the Playstation Portables that came before is its lack of a Universal Media Disc drive. Gamers will rely almost entirely on a WiFi connection to download pictures, movies, music and games to their system.

Granted, you can use the Media Go software and a computer. You can use the Playstation 3 and a cable. You can even use a Memory Stick Micro to put content on your PSPgo. But those are all safety nets. This device is meant for online purchases and play.

A gamer's main access point for buying content is the Playstation Store, a built-in option on the PSPgo's cross media bar. Once set-up, gamers can use a credit card or store-purchased redeemable cards, to get new content. The store, available on the Playstation Portable as well, is a well constructed digital shopping center that makes finding and grabbing the content you want a breeze.

Over the course of a week I purchased TV shows and games, rented a movie and downloaded demos from my home in the U.S., airports abroad and even the press room of the Tokyo Game Show. Getting content onto the device with a wireless connection from virtual anywhere was a breeze. And with five games, four demos, some music, pictures and a TV show and movie, I still had 9 of the 16 built-in gigs of memory free.

Accessing the content is also a breeze, with a folder for system storage and another for the Memory stick. Within each folder are icons for the games already installed.

The system of downloading, installing and playing full blown games is very similar to the iPhone, though the store is much better organized and the selection much more diverse and often of a higher quality than the iPhone's game section.

Feel: My more-than hour long sessions spent playing games on the PSPgo never ended in hand cramping, despite the device's smaller size. The portable has enough heft to keep it from feeling like a toy, but it's light enough to minimalize any hand fatigue.

The back of the features two slightly raised ridges which make clutching the go with your fingertips a bit easier while your thumbs dance across the front of the system.

The directional pad and face buttons aren't as raised and don't have as much give as the ones found on the PSP 3000, but that's something I adapted to fairly quickly. While the single analog stick is shifted over a bit, now down and to the right instead of below the d-pad, I got used to that quickly as well. The big issue will be with games that require gamers to switch quickly between that right d-pad and the thumbstick. The new location for the two will make that much harder to do. The shoulder buttons were far less clicky sounding and feeling than with the original Playstation Portable, but I felt that was a change for the better, not the worse.

The button changes that did bother me a bit were the Select, Start, Display and Volume buttons. All four have almost zero give when pressed. The volume buttons, tucked away behind the screen on the top edge of the system, were hard to find and use during play.

Overall, I found that for longer gaming sessions the PSPgo was a more comfortable system than the Playstation Portable. I do have relatively small hands, and thin fingers, so people with over-sized mitts may feel differently.

Look: Much sleeker than the Playstation Portable and both the DS and DSi, it is perhaps more apt to compare the go to the form factor of the iPhone. While the iPhone, unsheathed from any case, is about half as thick, both devices are roughly the same size. Both slip in a pants pocket almost unnoticed. In fact, I spent much of the Tokyo Game Show walking around with both my iPhone and PSPgo stacked in one pocket.

The PSPgo pops open to reveal a compact set of controls, but not too compact. While the screen is slightly smaller than the PSP 3000's (3.8 inches compared to 4.3) it wasn't something that stuck out to me. The only thing that I wasn't happy with was that the back of the screen reveals unfinished steel and a barcode when popped open to play games. The rest of the device is impressively slick.

Game Pause: During the course of any game you can bring up an option to permanently pause the title. This creates a save point exactly where you paused the game and allows you to turn off the system, watch movies and even play another game, without losing your place.

SIXAXIS Support: Using the PSPgo's built-in Bluetooth support, gamers can connect their Playstation 3 controller to the portable for full control in and out of all media and games on the system. While this may not seem very useful when on the go, it's a fantastic addition for those who plan to connect the device to their television when at home or to use the charging dock on their desk.

Bluetooth Support: The PSPgo's Bluetooth support means you can use wireless headphones, speaker systems and, yes, even the Playstation 3 controller with your portable.

Media Go: This software suite works with both the PSP and PSPgo, but it's a nice addition to a digital-only platform. Connecting your go to a computer with this software allows you to find movies, images and even your iTunes music to move to your PSPgo. You can also use the software to shop in the Playstation Store.

Hated

Compatibility: Almost nothing on your Playstation Portable will work with your PSPgo. That includes television cables, GPS, camera, TV adapter and of course your library of UMD discs. There is a hardware solution to get some of that to work, but it doesn't look very elegant.

The biggest let down of the system, and the biggest hindrance for those considering an upgrade from a Playstation Portable to the PSPgo, is the complete lack of support for getting all of those UMD games over to the new platform. While Sony initially said they were working hard to have a solution in place by launch, they recently told Kotaku that legal and technical issues prevented that from happening. They also seemed to indicate it may never happen.

While I understand there are a lot of obstacles to overcome in allowing gamers to transfer a physical disc to a digital-only platform, not doing so makes the PSPgo a very hard sell to current PSP owners. The PSPgo isn't not backwards compatible, it's not current game compatible for those nearly 60 million PSP owners considering an upgrade.

Price: At $250, the PSPgo is asking for a lot of cash for little more than aesthetic changes. The PSPgo's pure-digital approach to gaming is a big plus, but with Sony set to essentially cut retailers out of the game-selling formula, you'd think they'd be willing to subsidize the cost of doing that a little bit.

The Little Things: There are a lot of things going for the PSPgo, but there are also a few annoyances. The system, like the PSP and the DSi, is still virtually unplayable in direct bright sunlight: A big let down for a portable device.

The battery life is about the same as for the PSP and now, because the battery is stowed away inside the case beyond warranty-breaking seals, there's little chance you'll be able to buy an extended battery for it.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Sony also decided to change the memory stick type used in the PSPgo, opting for the smaller Memory Stick Micro, which means time to buy all new memory again. The good news is that you can get a 4GB one for as little as $12, though a 16GB one will run you $80.

The PSPgo, with an eye-popping redesign and no need for a UMD drive, is the sort of system I would love to see replace the current generation of Playstation Portables, but until Sony comes up with some system to transfer over all of those purchased UMD games I can't see current owners giving up their platform. The cost, both for the system and in terms of repurchasing games, is just too high.

For someone new to the Playstation Portable or even new to portable gaming, the PSPgo is an attractive option. With a price drop I could see the system flying off of shelves. The smaller, slicker design of the PSPgo is much more attractive and portable than the PSP and the promise of all future games landing digitally on the go is sure to eventually fuel the success of this portable.

If you're thinking of upgrading from PSP to PSPgo and have a lot of games, I'd say hold off. If you're new to the platform and don't mind the price, than definitely pick one up.

The PSPgo was designed by Sony Computer Entertainment and released on Oct. 1. Retails for $249.99 USD. Downloaded and played several games for more than a week, watched TV shows and movies, listened to music and looked at pictures. .

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Source: Kotaku

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[kizko]

PSP Go review
You can see tag words for source (http://www.engadget.com).
 

   At last, Sony's other worst-kept secret, the UMD-less PSP Go, is working its way through retail channels this week. The device itself is a marked improvement, but of course that's not the whole story. In many ways antithetical to the hype surrounding the PlayStation 3 Slim, the debut of the Go has been marred by some pretty downtrodden decisions on Sony's part, most notably the $250 price tag, an utter lack of compatibility with any previous PSP accessories, and no UMD conversion program. Will newcomers flock to the system? Will veterans upgrade? Read on for our full impressions!
 

Gallery: PSP Go vs. PSP-2000... fight!

  Hardware

One of the most noticeable changes when you first pick up the Go is the size reduction -- no doubt helped by the complete removal of the UMD drive. The depth and height are only negligibly smaller than the PSP-2000, but as you can see from the image above, the width has been shrunk considerably, with the controls now tucked away via a new sliding mechanism that feels remarkably sturdy -- we gave it some slight prodding and it held up well to the coerced wear and tear. Its finish is a glossy black, and with it comes an insatiable appetite for remembering fingerprints, pretty much as bad as the black iPhone 3G. The 3.8-inch screen is just a tinge smaller, but it honestly wasn't anything we really noticed until we put it directly next to a PSP-2000. One thing we did clearly discern was what seemed like sharper colors, ones that didn't have the same overly-red hues as the PSP-3000. The battery's no longer removable, meaning no chance to bring a replacement for longer trips. On that note, we haven't done any rigorous battery life tests, but in our time the charge has managed to last about a day and a half doing some light gaming, about as long as our PSP-2000 would last. It's now adopted Bluetooth for syncing with headsets, and more importantly, 16GB of internal flash memory expandable with a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card.

 

The bottom row of buttons found on the older PSP models has been separated and moved all over the system. WLAN is now on the left edge, the start and select pair are on the same plane as the buttons hidden under the slider, the Home button is now to the left of the display (something that confused a number of PSP owners we showed), and the volume / screen brightness adjusters are on the top of the unit, which honestly we found inconvenient since we had to flip the portable over to see what we were pressing, whereas before we could keep our eyes on the screen the whole time. As far as the gameplay controls are concerned, the D-pad and buttons don't stick out nearly as much, and while a little smaller, we very much appreciated the extra clickiness of the Go. The analog nub, however, does suffer from being smaller, but it didn't take long to get used to.

 

Sony's done away with the mini USB port in lieu of a proprietary port that works for charging the unit, connecting to a PC via USB, and outputting video. Good thing it comes with the proper cable, but really, your old cables are now completely useless here. Any of your old add-on accessories -- notably the 1Seg tuner, GPS receiver, and camera -- won't work without the recently-announced Go Converter, which looks way too ridiculous for our tastes. Like we said earlier, your trusty Memory Stick Duo's been replaced by a slot for a Memory Stick Micro (M2). Frankly, if you have an old PSP and a library of UMDs, the Go probably isn't on your radar anyway -- and that's a shame, too, but all these little decisions add up to ultimately separate the experience from Sony's locked-in audience. Point is, if you're thinking of upgrading, be prepared to start from scratch.

Overall, though, we're impressed with what Sony's done here. In many ways we prefer the Go over past models -- it's sturdy, it's light, it doesn't skimp on screen clarity and the controls are more or less just as easy to get to and logically placed. If you can look past all the other details, it's hard not to love what's been done here.

Software



The firmware for the PSP Go is the same as with the older models and will be updated as such, but that said, it seems from the onset to have a couple of extra tricks. Most notable is the "Pause Game" feature selectable from the Home menu, which saves the state of your game and lets you go back into the XMB to navigate. Only one save can be had at a time, and once you try to open a new game, the old state is removed. A welcome addition, to be sure, but we can't help but wish the XMB was still more accessible mid-game, à la the PS3 system. The other feature is an analog clock and calendar when in the closed position, switchable by pressing the L and R buttons together... but really, beyond highlighting your birthday, there's nothing special going on here.

We've noticed some confusion over this, so to be clear, all PSN downloads will work with both the PSP Go and all previous models. Sure, there's a large number of PSP games coming to PSN this week, but rest assured, your older 1000, 2000, and 3000 editions will do the job just fine. Of course, on the PSP Go you don't have access to UMDs anymore, and while most retail games will be going to the PlayStation Network for download, that "good will" UMD-to-digital conversion program has been nixed in the US and severely limited in Europe, essentially rendering your old physical media collection useless with the device -- yeah, it's a major bummer, and it doesn't look like the company'll be changing its mind anytime soon. One good note, although it might have to do with saving instead onto internal memory (we didn't check with a Memory Stick Micro card), is that our PSN downloads finished considerably faster with the new model. There was no change in the download itself, but activation and installation time zipped by. We tried it with a few games on both the Go and 2000, even managing to shave off 45 seconds from a Rock Band Unplugged demo. See it for yourself in the video below.


Pricing

Obviously this is gonna be a big sticking point, and there's no easy way to look at it: the PSP Go is $249.99. That's just $50 less than a brand new, Blu-ray equipped PS3, and $50 more than a new PSP-3000 -- more if you factor out any bundled games -- and while a little clunkier in form factor, it's got all the same functions as the new model and can play UMDs. Pouring lemon juice on this proverbial paper cut, Sony's publicly stated its intention to maintain a "pricing parity" with the MSRP for its digital downloads, meaning games sold at retail as UMD will frequently be undercutting the PSN's pricing. We're not gonna lie, it's very nice to have the option of gaming without carrying a case of discs, but those few dollars extra per game are gonna add up -- not to mention no chance of trading in to GameStop later.

Wrap-up

If we were to just take a look at the hardware at face value, we'd say Sony has done some great work here. It's a sturdy, classier game system that we're not as shy about taking out of our pocket on long, public commutes. We really do like the portable, but there's no way to separate our feelings on the hardware from all the decisions surrounding the launch. That $50 upfront premium (more if you factor out the bundled PSP-3000 games) is more or less negated when you consider the cost of a 16GB Memory Stick Duo, something that the Go already has with internal flash memory, but long-term you're still gonna be paying more for every retail game bought digitally instead of on disc. That last bit is something that should make first-time buyers take heed, as lack of legacy support on same-generation games and accessories isn't our biggest gripe here. It's not as if Sony's oblivious to the perception -- in fact they've even gone on the record as saying there's a "certain premium" associated with the Go -- but we're really not getting enough here to justify it to our wallets.