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PSX Review At Lik-Sang

Posted by timothy on from the eyecandy dept.

bhtooefr writes "Over at Lik-Sang, they've got a review of the new PSX, which was released in Japan on the 13th. In it, they take a look at the new design, debunk some myths (that the new controllers were incompatible, and that the ports are USB 2.0 - they're 1.1), and crack the case open. They didn't like how it's incompatible with some peripherals and the MultiTap doesn't work."

14 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by Pluvius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now everyone's going to be confused and think you're referring to the PSOne when you're actually referring to this, or vice versa.

    Rob (Of course, this thing looks like it's going to tank anyway, so maybe it won't be a problem)

    1. Re:I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by bhtooefr · · Score: 4, Informative

      I know. Here's the summary of the models:

      PlayStation (PS): Super Nintendo with a CD drive. 200 made, and no known CD games.
      PlayStation X (PSX): The PlayStation as we know it.
      PlayStation One (PSone): Original PSX, just in a smaller form factor.
      PlayStation 2 (PS2): The PS2 - how hard does it get?
      PlayStation X (PSX) (version 2): A PS2 with a built in TiVo and DVD burner. And a confusing name, to boot.

    2. Re:I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by karnal · · Score: 3, Funny

      So if Square-Enix got a hold of it, would the next incarnation be "PSten-two"?

      haahaahaa

      --
      Karnal
    3. Re:I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by freeweed · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed.

      Reading the Slashdot headline I honestly thought there was ANOTHER version of the original Playstation released. The blurb talked about USB, which confused the hell out of me. Thankfully the site wasn't Slashdotted, it explains in there what a "PSX" actually is.

      I don't think Sony is in touch with video game fans; those of us who've been around enough years call the 2 Sony units the PSX and the PS2. Only recently have I even seen people use "PSOne" online. My reaction on the blurb was "SO??". Makes me wonder how bad an impact this could have on sales.

      Or, will they just rename it when they bring it to North America?

      --
      Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
    4. Re:I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Super Nintendo with a CD drive. 200 made,"

      Proof? I'd sooner believe a limited production run of the Sega Neptune than what you describe.

      "PlayStation X (PSX): The PlayStation as we know it."

      Calling the original PlayStation "PlayStation X" is somewhat like calling Nintendo's previous console "Ultra" or their current one "Dolphin." The "PSX" designation referred to the pre-release project that Sony worked on that eventually produced the console ("eXperimental") and it just happened to carry on in popular use after the console was released.

      "PlayStation One (PSone): Original PSX, just in a smaller form factor."

      Pay closer attention. It is referred to by Sony as either "PlayStation (PSOne)" or simply "PSOne."

      "PlayStation 2 (PS2): The PS2 - how hard does it get?"

      Yeah, everybody knows that stands for "Personal System/2!" Oh, wait...

      At any rate, Sony never actually sold the original PlayStation as "PSX." At worst they're co-opting popular slang.

    5. Re:I wish Sony didn't call it the PSX. by Psx29 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually you are wrong on certain things. The original CD addon for SNES was called the "Super CD." I don't believe any were actually produced either (but don't quote me on that). The PSX designation was given to the original playstation in its developmental stage. PSX originally stood for Play Station Xperimental. The other info you posted is correct though.

  2. What's with the design? by hendridm · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Doesn't look like a modern device. Looks like a prototype of something. The marketing guys and gals must have been on a time-out. Not that I really care what it looks like, but it doesn't look like Sony to me.

    I suppose this isn't supposed to appeal to my mother looking for which console to get me for Christmas, and having no clue which one is better, basing her decision solely on appearance and a pretty box...

  3. I'm not a big fan of all-in-one devices... by MadAnthony02 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can see the appeal of this device in Japan, where space is at a premium. In the event that it does come to the US, I have to wonder how successful it will be - how many people want one device that does everything? Sure it's cool and convinient when it works, but do you really want to have one part break and thus lose your DVD player, your console, your PVR, and your DVD burner? Plus, I would tend to think most people geeky enough to want these already have all those devices and would be less than willing to buy them all again.

    IMHO, most all in one devices tend to be compromises - they do lots of stuff, but none of them well. After having a TV/VCR that broke on a regular basis and seeing some very difficult to configure all-in-one printer/copier/scanners, I tend to stick with standalone devices.

    --
    I have blog like everyone else
    1. Re:I'm not a big fan of all-in-one devices... by Babbster · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Not including MP3 support from the get-go is more than a compromise - it's a greedy power play for Sony's own audio format. One can get MP3 playback from the CHEAPEST DVD players, yet Sony's own high-end device lacks it. Of course, it's not that surprising considering that Sony's DVD/SACD (SACD, for those who don't know, is Sony's proprietary high-resolution audio format) players don't support DVD-Audio while other companies (including Pioneer which has a DVD/DVD-Audio/SACD player available for well under $200) release players supporting all formats.

      It's worth noting, too, that the PSX is a PVR device released after Sony quit producing TiVo PVRs, almost certainly because they didn't want TiVo to have their cut.

      Sony is well on their way to marginalizing themselves in the consumer electronics world with their insistence on supporting primarily, and sometimes ONLY, their own proprietary media formats. One would have thought they had learned their lesson from the VHS/Beta debacle oh so long ago.

  4. Where's the FireWire/1394/iLink? by Stonent1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Regular PS2 systems have a i.link port on the front. So much for using this thing to hold your DV camera video.

  5. Re:WEll... by 77Punker · · Score: 5, Funny

    I heard the pocket PS is going to ship with Duke Nukem Forever.

  6. Pirating GC games is hardly more complicated by Pluvius · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...now that someone has released a loader you can use with little technical knowledge. At the very most, pirating GC is as hard as pirating XBox is with the fonts exploit. And hell, you can't even pirate PS2 without a modchip (which requires either quite a bit of money or a decent amount of skill) or that semi-retarded "load the CD from the top" method.

    No, the reason why GC isn't pirated quite as much is because the PSO/BBA exploit was only discovered a few months ago. The XBox fonts exploit has been around for at least a few months longer, and the modchips for both PS2 and XBox have been around for far longer than that. The PSO exploit also isn't quite perfect (since it relies on the BBA to transmit information to the GC) but I figure that will be fixed eventually.

    Rob

  7. No surprise. by GaimeGuy · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is what happens when you rush a product.

  8. here's the deal w/ the feature set... by ethanms · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Basically everyone is trying to cash in on what they think will be the next big thing, the set-top home entertainment "black box". It does video games, it does DVR, it does MP3, it does WWW, it does DVD, etc... except the biggest problem is that like most multi-function devices the first few generations are going to suck.

    XBox2 is supposedly going to match many of these features...

    I think the PSX is Sony biting off way more then it can chew... being able to record DVDs and having massive HD's, etc? The hardware cost is going to be gi-normous... at least MS knew that 10GB HD's were going to be super-cheap in the 6-24 (now 6-48) month selling window... 160/250s are still damn pricey.

    I don't see many parents willing to buy their kids an $800 video game...

    The other side of this (not to start a flame war) is that many of the games on the PS2 simply do not look as good as those on an Xbox. Sony needs to seriously bump their graphics! If this ends up being a "PS2 + DVD Burner" like someone else said it will suck. I know they plan to bump the power, etc, that's a given, but hopefully they will push past Xbox/Xbox2

    Also, WTF is up with no 1394 port? It's a DVD recorder that doesn't interface w/ DV camera's to burn movies? Sony even has their "iLink" version of 1394!

    and another thing... I didn't see any options for DVI, or component output... unless that D Line Out thing was it...

    hopefully they're also planning to offer AC3/DTS via that optical out for most games, because that + HDTV output also put the current gen xbox way ahead of PS2.

    There is also something to be said about reasonably pricing these things... even $200 is a bit much for the average parent/kid, top that off w/ games that are $50+/ea and you'll wind up with a much more limited market.

    Gameboy Advance is great, TONS of games, most are sub-$40, plays all the old Gameboy & Gameboy Color games, the unit price is an easy to swallow $99... Game Cube is now following suit... I think Nintendo is poised to regain video game domination... After 30 minutes of carnage in GTA:3 on Xbox i want to turn it off, but I'll play Advanced Wars 2 on GBA:SP for hours... and the GC/GBA aisle is the first I hit at best buy...