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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."
He recommends the PSP. However, it's an extra $100, so only for those with disposable income.
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I'll just wait for Penny Arcade to make a comic comparing the two before I make any decisions.
Shades of Grayden
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.
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.
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!!!!
Can you use the PSP to draw penises at your friends? What's the use of it then?
I am trolling
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
For a short second I thought that Duke Nukem Forever has been released.
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?
I think there are enough people on slashdot that we have people on both sides of the fense. Those of us who like Nintendo and/or Sony are chiming in. Those of us who don't will complain when the next article about patents comes out. (although I must admit, I am also a staunch hater of software patents as well)
Now I will go ahead and say that I think the DS will be the successful handheld. Many will rushout and buy the PSP. But in the end it will come out to cost. The cheaper cost will create a bigger demand for the DS. This will cause more developer support and better games for Nintendo. Resulting in even more people buying the DS.I'll throw $120 down to get a DS and even if I don't use it a whole lot, it won't be a great loss. The PSP just doesn't seem cost effective to me considering the amount of use I'd get out of it. For a parent buying a handheld for their child, this is also a no brainer. Nintendo knows the handheld market, I don't think sony will make it this time and wind up like Nokia and the ngage. I could be wrong though, we'll just have to see.
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.