Sony Playstation Portable

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Sony PlayStation Portable aka. PSP has been in the markets for a long time but the I will be reviewing the improved version of the handheld console that is the PSP Slim which promises to bring in more features and also iron out any bugs that were left out in previous version apart from being slimmer and sexier!

Sony PSP specifications:

• Dimensions : 169.4 x 18.6 x 71.4 mm
• Media support : UMD
• 333 Mhz 128 bit processor
• 64 MB RAM
• 4.3″ TFT display 480 x 272
• WiFi 802.11b
• 9 buttons
• Memory slot: MS PRO Duo

The obvious differences from the predecessor are its slimmer design, lighter weight and its also sleek though from a distance you won’t be able to distinguish between the two.The console comes in a black or silver body and has various packaged versions which differ in terms of games bundled and Memory stick included.The ergonomics have changed for the better and their responsiveness has increased which improves gameplay.

The hardware improvements include double RAM ie. 64MB compared to 32MB in previous version.This helps increase startup times and games load faster.An AV output jack has been integrated in the console which can also be used as a headphone jack.The output from the PSP can be displayed onto a TV in DVD quality.Another great improvement is charging over USB which was not available earlier.But the charge time is much more than what you will get with the standard adapter.

Sony could have done much better with bringing in more drastic improvements and also looking at minor issues like fingerprint prone screen and low volume levels apart from firmware issues.

The design is almost the same at the predecessor with controls on its left, right, and bottom side, and we have two shoulder buttons along the top edge of the console.The directional controller is on the left and keys to accomplish tasks like media control have been placed below the screen.The UMD bay also has been redesigned.

Apart from being primarily a gaming platform the PSP also is also a good video playback device.The supported formats are MPEG4 or H.264-AVC, up to 720×480.You won’t have much difficulty in finding converters on the net.Audio playback formats include DRM-free MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, and ATRAC3 files.The device can also display pictures of the format JPEG, GIF, and TIFF.

Internet browsing is also possible on the device by using the unbuilt WiFi and it offers a rich browsing experience but no all sites will be displayed properly due to its limited flash support and resolution.

There are many games available for the PSP but you will be limited to only UMD disks.Many games have been ported from PS2 directly to the PSP.New titles designed specially for PSP are also available and they include titles from various genres like sports, racing, action, and shooter titles.Multiplayer gaming is also possible along with free online gameplay.The console has a battery life of about 3-6 hours of gameplay and about 4-5 hours of video playback which is quite good.

Pros:

• Light weight
• Slim and sleek
• AV output
• More RAM
• USB charging
• Better design

Cons:

• Low volume
• Fingerprint prone screen
• Few additions over predecessor
• Limited flash support

Final Thoughts

The new PSP Slim does offer quite a few improvements over the PSP but it does not revolutionize the device.The device is made for gaming and it surely is a pleasure to game on it. The video and audio playback are also good but the low volume on external speakers mar the experience a bit.The screen is still a magnet for fingerprints.Addition of more RAM has improved the performance level of PSP slim.PSP was definitely worth buying and with these improvements PSP Slim is a better buy if you want a handheld gaming console and also want to watch movies on the move.