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PSP And DS Duke It Out
With the looming launch of Sony's handheld console, X-Play has a series of articles comparing and contrasting the new and shiny portable gaming consoles. The articles are broken into three parts, The PSP vs. the DS, The DS vs. the PSP, and The Final Verdict. From the final article: "Are two screens better than one? Are graphics all that matter? In this third and final edition of my Sony PSP vs. Nintendo DS editorial, I'll compare each handheld bit-by-bit and determine which of the two is worth your hard-earned cash."
apples with oranges as well..
This review reads like a hastily put together altar for PSP for whatever reasons. For e.g, the author gives a lot of credit to PSP for something it will have in the future, meanwhile comparing the same with what DS currently has. True the touchscreen may not be the best option for navigability, but a button pad will pale before what a stylus can do when it comes to writing, careful manipulation of onscreen items. Sure yes, in a game you dont need much fine control, but what when DS starts supporting movies, mp3s and productivity apps for kids? Are you going to type using a button pad or are you using a stylus?
The PSP costs 250 or more. DS is available now for around 120. Are you willing to pay more than double for the promise of better games, graphics and a better screen? Havent we learned enough from forking over hundreds to the Nvidia and ATI's?
PSP Loading times??? A kid can be all grown up with in that time..
In the end the author gets it right when he stops comparing PSP with DS since the PSP should be compared with what Nintendo would throw next in to the ring.
I feel Sony is almost at its death throes after poking their finger in to far too many verticals than they could manage. And quality went downhill as well for almost everything they make.
Rapid Nirvana
I would rathar flip a coin than heed to anything that comes from G4... expecially X-play
The final verdict is to recommend PSP, even with insane loading times.
I find it hard to swallow. For a portable gaming device, I want it to be up and running instantly, even better if it knew I am about to play and already started and waiting for me.
I have a PDA, and usually-in-suspended-mode laptop and a usually-shut-down PC, guess which one I use most for those tiny yet urgent stuff?
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
"Slashdotters" is not a political party. The editors just post what sounds interesting, and people who comment in the "Games" section tend to have different views from people who comment in "Your Rights Online". Get over it already.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
Two weeks ago at GDC they had the PSP on the floor with a bunch of games to demo, and I was extremely impressed. After playing it there I don't see how there is any way I can NOT own a PSP. There were five times as many good games right there on the floor than have come out since the DS launch.
Also I get a little annoyed at all of this "innovation" talk. Just because something is different doesn't mean it's better. I really believe that the DS is a weaker handheld system with all of the extra crap than it would have been without it. People talk about innovation and all of these wacky ideas for games.. Why not start with at least an analog stick for the 3d games? Playing Mario 64 with the directional buttons is not the experience it should/could be.
The GBA and DS are getting MP3 support via a third party flash cartridge, the Play-Yan. http://ds.ign.com/articles/590/590680p1.html
And I haven't really seen the listings for UMD movies, so, pardon me if I'm a bit dubious as to the use of that particular venue. All in all, the gulf between the two systems isn't nearly as big as you paint it.
Who the hell wants "grittier titles geared twoards mature players"? We want games that are *fun*. Grit doesn't do that. In fact it usually detracts from it, it tends to be an added layer just so they can claim its "hardcore" or "GTA-like". And if I'm going to put money on which company will manage to produce fun games, its Nintendo all the way.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
It seems to me that your choice should depend less on the hardware and more on the games available for the platform.
Personally, I love the Mario series, so it follows that the DS is the only option. Are there going to be many games available only for the PSP?
Firstly, and the one that probably influences the vast majority of less professional reviews (such as this one in my opinion), is the WOW factor. This is that burning desire to own the latest, greatest, most powerful, coolest, piece of gaming kit. The excitement and anticipation of getting hold of that highly powerful and sleek piece of hardware is a very very strong pull.
However, now we need to look at the other side. Once the novelty of having this rather expensive toy has started to wear off, it really comes down to what software is available to run on it. It's quite rare that any new console has very high quality titles available at launch that will still be classed as "classics" in 12 months' time. Generally, they're a bit rushed in order to meet launch deadlines and based on limited experience with development equipment and console hardware.
So you may have this nice, new, slick, piece of harware, but at the end of the day, it's all about the games. I can guarantee (because I've been there myself several times) that once the novelty of having the hardware has worn off, unless the games are there to actually engage you and keep you playing, it's a bad purchase.
The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to look at the launch schedules for both consoles. Look at which titles, coming out over the next six months, you actually want to play. If there's a good handful of titles for a given console, then it's probably worth buying. Otherwise, I can guarantee that it'll end up sitting there gathering dust, or get traded in for the next big thing.
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Hm, after reading the whole review...I've gotta question the last page.
Firstly, beter controls. The analog 'nubs' are known to not control as well as an analog stick. And if you've played Metroid Prime Hunters...
Which has better controls depends on the gam eyou are playing. For example, I would take the PSP's analog nubs for a racing game any day. But for an FPS game, I would take the DS's touch screen any day.
Second, value. What the heck is up with his verdict? He proclaims the PSP has better value?
Okay, firstly, the initial cost. The PSP cost twice as much.
Of course, many people know that initial cost is not what matters (thats why people use Macs). Let's look at the other costs.
Want to use the PSP as a media center? 1 GB cards start around $150, but you still get less than TV resolution. For that price you could buy an extra DS.
Just want to play games? PSP games are $50, compared to DS games at $30. So you pay a LOT more for PSP games over DS.
So it seems to me that in value, the DS blows away the PSP. Cheaper priced system, cheaper priced games.
I've thought this from the first time I heard about the Nintendo DS. The whole thing reeks of 'gimmick'. I mean, it's not even called a 'gameboy' for fear of ruining the brand's good name. As someone who, as a young impressionable kid, begged his parents for both a 32X and a Saturn, I think I can smell a cheap stop-gap console from a mile away.
Okay, so a philosopher, a philologist, and a philatelist walk into a bar...
Many have come to challenge Nintendo in the handheld market, and many have died.
Sony is no doubt the most serious contender, but they have some problems, the way I see it:
- First party development. Face it, N makes good games that sell well. Sony relies on third parties. Until Sony has an answer to Pokemon, Mario and DK, there are millions of kids with 0 interest in PSP (and that's a big market wrt handhelds).
- The discs. The drive will suck batteries, and if it's anything like any DiscMan I've owned, it'll skip with even the slightest bump. Unlike a serial-reading cd discman, you can't buffer everything in their ESP system, either.
- The battery life. From what I hear, the DS battery life is on par with the GBA, which is outstanding. I've never had the battery die in my GBA, and I played it both ways on a 5 hour direct flight (forgot the charger.. didn't need it).
We'll see in the end. IMO, if Nintendo was a couple years earlier to market with N64, PSX never would have gotten a foothold, and would be in my "obsolete console collection", next to 3DO and Jaguar.
Either way, competition is good, and I'm looking forward to being able to afford to get both for my kids by christmas time. Right now, they're all about the DS, and couldn't give a rats ass about the PSP, for the first reason I mentioned.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
No, I'm willing to pay $100 more for better games, graphics, and screen this Thursday. The PSP launch lineup is suprisingly strong. Far stronger than even the PS2 launch. Launch titles are getting high ratings from both players and reviewers. I can't wait to see what we get in 6 months, a year, or 2+ years.
The DS isn't offering anything significant, hasn't been for nearly 5 months. It's not promising anything significant in the future. I'll probably pick one up eventually for Katamari and FF3, but only if they really get solid reviews. (If and when they actually happen.)
I buy a game unit for the games. The PSP already has those. Thus, I'll buy a PSP.
So first you're complaining we're basing our decision on "promises" (which are actually "deliveries"), and now you think we should base our decision on something nebulous Nintendo is just starting to conceive? After the DS, the Cube, the GBA (yes the GBA with its very meager lineup of original games and overabundance of ports), and the N64 (and dare I say the Virtual Boy)... Nintendo needs to prove they've still got it.
I love Mario and Zelda like the rest. I grew up with them, the NES, the SNES, and I forever hold a special place in my heart for those platforms. But here and now, Nintendo needs to get off its ass and work on producing new stuff. And giving Mario a water gun doesn't count.
I think you're in denial.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
Although I agree with what most of what you're saying (potential PSP versus current DS) I have to argue about the buttons/stylus issue.
The PSP, although it has other uses, is a games console. I want to press a button to accelerate, for example, and move an analog stick to change direction - I don't need any fine control of what I'm pointing at at all, just a vague "go in that direction". Don't argue that the DS has more programs that need fine control; in the same way, the PSP has more games that require an analog stick.
Also, I have a long history of losing pens and styluses, where buttons tend to stick with the device.
As for the price... I can buy a G5 from $1299 and a Dell box for $649. We've obviously learned from forking over thousands to Apple.
Guy asked me for a quarter for a cup of coffee. So I bit him.
I recommend the GBA SP over either system. It's insanely cheap, plays great games, and the batteries last forever.
I only play portable games when I have a few minutes to spare. GBA SP lets me do this perfectly. What's with the PSP's lame-ass battery life and long load times? Did the designers forget the purpose of a portable console?
And screw the DS and its two screens. Stop overcomplicating matters. If ANYTHING needs simplicity, it's a portable system. Lose the stylus, drop a screen, and go back to what made Game Boy great.
--They say only a fool looks at the finger pointing to the sky...
Wonder why the author didn't mention that part at all? If you were thinking about buying a GBA, then it's almost a no-brainer to go with the DS instead. Also, there's that built in library of >500 games right there, and those games cost a lot less then $50.
Value going to the PSP? Isn't "value" too subjective? If the PSP isn't able to play the games I want, then it's got no value. Vice versa for the DS.
Giving the DS a win in gameplay, when most of the DS article was lambasting the lack of games and gameplay... WTF?
It is more powerful, has a bigger screen, has the capacity for larger games, has standard's compilant wireless and looks the business. The DS has the better battery life, and the touch screen is cool (the mini-games in Mario DS kick arse) but it's basically a gimic. A slightly better one that the Virtual Boy that sits atop my bookshelf, but a gimic none the less.
The battery life isn't really an issue for most people as Ridge Racer can last five hours on a single charge, and very few people with jobs get to play video games for more than five hours a day. I took a spare battery with me last time I flew and it lasted all nine hours with juice to spare. That was mostly gaming, but with a three hour stint of watching Neverwhere off a memory card.
I have a feeling that my DS is going to go the same way as my Gamecube. Dragged out to play the latest Mario Kart and Zelda, but otherwise gathering dust.
yes, I think $250. is way too much for a handheld device, anyone else agree?
I don't know. I don't give a crap about open source or all the large corporations. I am not being sarcastic here. I just plain love technology. When it comes down to it - doesn't matter who produced it, if it is "open" or not, or whatever. I just like playing around with technology ;-)
"Ideas without action are worthless."
and I'm a game nut. It's taken me a long time to come to this conclusion, but I really just don't like either of the new handhelds.
The DS is just plain too gimicky for my blood. I don't WANT to use a stylus or reach my thumb all the way over to play a game. Cute idea, could result in a handful of fun games like Wario Ware, but we're talking glorified palm pilot games here, not console hand held quality. You end up with a handful of refreshingly different games that lack any substance whatsoever. What about Metroid Prime Hunters you ask? Well it only works because you use the touchpad as an analog controller. Can you really look at it? do you even look at what you're touching? No.. your eyes are fixed on the one action screen while you control with your thumb extended across the device uncomfortably.
Then there's the PSP... It looks beautiful, really does. And it has a ton of features like MP3 and video playback... but the battery life is an absolute KILLER for me. 2.5 hours of gameplay? You have to be kidding me. As a person who flys a lot I find the fact that this thing won't make a typical flight greatly disturbing. I don't need 20 hours like the SP gives me, but less than 8 or 9 and I get uncomfortable. less than 3 is simply unacceptable. The features aren't really a selling point either since I can't see using this large thing as an MP3 player, and dropping the big bucks for a big sony mem card for video doesn't appeal to me either. 50 dollar games for a handheld is pushing it, but I could swallow that pill if only I could play them for more than a couple hours at a time.
I really wanted to like one of these... I've been spending time trying to find a system seller... but both of them have drawbacks that seem far too severe to drop big money on.
I'll give it to you that the PSP will likely capture a larger market share than the DS based on the popularity of the PSX/PS2, but to say that Sony "will always have the better franchises" is lunacy. Franchises like what? GTA (out now for PC and XBox!)? Final Fantasy (hasn't been Sony exclusive for some time)? ...Crash Bandicoot?
No thanks, give me Mario and Zelda any day.
How's my typing? Call 1-800-eta-shut
I like how everyone has to make this a versus thing...buy both! If you have to buy one, just look at the games, since that is the biggest "real" difference in my opinion. PSP can have graphics that make me feel i'm looking through pane-glass at the real world, but if none of the games interest me, i don't care. DS can have a plutonium battery but if it doesn't have any good games whats the difference? All the random specs only matter if they offer the same games, which they dont. As its stands now, DS is the only system of the two that has games that interest me...and its cool it still plays my old games. But thats all anyone needs to base it on, unless your just looking for "show off" appeal, which i think the psp wins hands down just cuz you can be like "look at me i'm watchin' spiderman 2!", but if you like Ridge Racer better then Mario buy a PSP, and vice versa.
on a few things related to the DS.
First of all why did he "forget" to mention the backwards compatibility of the DS with GBA games? That alone brings 2000+ games to the DS's library.
A definite plus that the PSP does not have.
Another thing, although the DS does not support MP3 playback, movie playback, picture viewing, etc out of the box you can purchase an adapter (the SuperCard) for 40$ US that allows you to plug in a CF card which allows you to watch movies, play mp3s, view images, and whatever else developers can think of. On top of that the adapter can play homebrew NES, Sega Master System, and GBA games as well as other things. And this is only the SuperCard GBA Version...wait until the NDS version comes out! With the touchscreen there i wouldnt be surprised if there was a Linux project out there somewhere
Big Wire Spool table
Milk crate entertainment center
Couch that was obviously picked out of the trash
Nothing on the walls but old beer spray
No stove, just a pizza oven
65" TV
800 watt subwoofer
XBox
PS2
Gamecube
Like I said, price isn't going to matter if the PSP kicks enough ass.
"I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
I don't mean to hate all over some of the posters here but many self-respecting adults wouldn't be caught dead playing with either one of these, in public at least
The horror! Someone might see you playing a game with bright colors or some cutsey characters! If you're really so insecure that you won't play a good game because you're afraid you'll be laughed at....Get some help. Or new friends.
Would you? I hope not, unless you enjoy getting laughed at
Personally, i've never seen anyone ever get ridiculed for playing a game in public. God knows they're not any worse than the cell phones people tote around these days.
Nah, I'm a big nintendo fanboy, but I'm gonna have to say the PSP is by far a better machine. But frankly, at four times (import) or more than twice (if and when it's released locally in .au) the damn price, it'd sure better be.
I've had a go at both in stores, and I must say I'm _very_ disappointed in the ds. I don't care that it's not as pretty, a flip-top makes up for that. The dual screen is definitely a gimmick though, and the graphics are in no way better than an n64. There's no filtering, and the textures are not perspective-corrected. It's comparable to the old Namco 3d arcade games (think toshinden, ridge-racer) or a slightly souped up ps1.
In summary:
a)The PSP costs ways more
b)It's a fair sight better
c)Nobody, not nobody, not nohow, is going to change their opinions- this story was just flamebait to drive ad revenue.
Send lawyers, guns, and money!
Agreed. I think the GTA horse has been beaten to death, and corpse burned. Nintendo has a long history of producing games that are just fun to play, without shocking people by pushing the envelope of insane violence in videogames.
Alot of the increasingly gory games were fun for a time, but the shock of extreme violence has long since worn off for me. It's time for more games that are just fun to play.
What follows is a story of portable gaming of olde.
When I first saw the PSP I felt like i had seen it somewhere before. Indeed, after a bit of googleimagery I thought I was seeing double.
Compare this to this. And this to this. Similar, no? The console pictured is the infamous Atari Lynx.
Back in the day, the Atari Lynx launched and had better graphics (they were colour!) and had a 16-bit processor, as opposed to the Nintendo Gameboy's 8-bit Z80. The Lynx was undeniably better in the hardware department. It was meant to trigger a worldwide revolution or something. There would be rioting in electronics stores and wars fought in playgrounds.
And you know what happened to the Lynx? It faded into obscurity. Why? Gaming historians all agree; the Lynx had poor battery life. The system simply wasn't as portable as the Gameboy, nor did the games feature that Nintendo charm that you can't quite describe.
Nintendo has triumphed over every competitor that has launched an assault on their portable gaming stronghold over the last decade and a half. Now Nintendo faces what few would argue is their toughest competition yet. The Big N got complacent and Sony caught them off their guard with the original PlayStation, but battle-hardened Nintendo won't be giving up the portable domain so easily. This battle is going to be tough, and it's going to be decided on which console has the games that are the most fun. And that little battery life issue that lead to the downfall of the notorious Atari Lynx all those years ago.
I'm pretty much like you are. Take a browse through my post history and you'll probably see that I've been less than kind to the PSP historically. But, Nintendo dropped the ball. Again. I still like the DS system more than the PSP, but the games just aren't there. I feel the same way I do about my Gamecube. I WANT to like it. I want to like it a lot. But it just didn't have that many games I liked, and they came out too late to save my love of the system itself.
At least the Gamecube has a lot of good games, they just don't interest me for the most part. The DS doesn't even have that yet It's got a couple games that feel more like tech demos, then there's metroid and a mario remake. Metroid's good, but it can't do for the DS what Tetris did for the original Gameboy.
I was counting on a big rush of DS games in December and January, but it's been a bit of a fizzle. I bought two games the day I bought my DS, and nothing since. It's a shame. A lot can be done with the DS. A lot should have been done, and a lot still can, but it's too late to make a difference now. It's pretty much a done deal now, Sony wins.
Nintendo's made another mistake and now they're going to lose their last safehold. The Gameboy line was the thing that kept Nintendo a big name while the N64 and DS lost ground to Sony. I'm not even sure I'd own a Nintendo system since my SNES if it weren't for them. Back in the SNES days, they let themselves think they were untouchable, and they ended up being behind the game when the PS1 came out and Nintendo had nothing to work with except the SNES yet. I think they got that feeling again, after so many challengers fell short against the Gameboy, and now they're getting their pants pulled out from under them again.
The thing I really have to wonder: If the DS didn't come out, I think the GBA would have put up a great fight with the PSP.
" But watching a movie on the plane...the PSP hits the pricepoint that mini-dvd players are at."
I'd care about that if the PSP actually played DVDs. It does not. It plays Sony's proprietary format. Maybe time will prove me wrong (I'd love it if it did) but I just plain don't expect to see a huge library of stuff here. Worse, you can't even play these movies on your TV. Whatcha gonna do, buy two copies of a movie just so you'll have a mobile one?
Even if the PSP was cheaper than a portale DVD player, I still wouldn't buy one to be a portable movie player. It's a games machine. Buy it because it has games you want to play.
"Derp de derp."
I think most are missing the point. Sony's goal is their so called "convergence." They want to sell you one device that does most of the things that you want - that's what they went for with the PSX and that's what they seem to be going with here. You're entirely missing the point with the "if you want music, buy a flash player." You may like having thirty gadgets strapped to your belt, but most of us don't.
If I could get a palm with all of these features, a nice look, and could play decent games with decent controls, I would be all for it. Notice that the union of these features excludes all pdas on the market today. I'll have to settle for the PSP for now.
I was so disappointed by the DS and lack of titles I had any interest in
I own a GBA SP. Both my kids have a DS, actually SAVED their allowance for months prior to launch to buy them. But between them they only own one DS game. I agree that the software, until recently, was very dismal - ESPECIALLY to a small kid. But man, that DS screen (either one, take your pick) is SO MUCH BETTER than my SP! Just as a step up from their old GBAs, my kids are very pleased with the DS. And I like using it too, when I can get my hands on one of theirs.
I have barely used the unit's special features (touchscreen, microphone, both screens at once, etc). But we are eagerly looking forward to Animal Crossing DS, Nintendogs, AoK, and the recently released Wario Ware Touched also looks good. Personally, I think they should've waited for a few more titles to be ready before launch (reminds me of the dearth of titles we saw in the first six months of the Jaguar's life). But as an improved GBA-SP, the DS rocks!
Must... think up... something... clever!