PDA

View Full Version : PSPgo... or no go? Impressions

Rob
12-16-2009, 06:41 PM
After following the PSPgo for awhile I made the plunge and bought one along with the charging dock and $100 on the Playstation Network for games. At $250 for the PSPgo alone its quite an investment and after a month with it here are some points...

The Good

-It's amazing how small this device is. I got rid of my old psp because it wasn't portable enough to put in my pocket. The weight difference is very noticeable. I like how the slider hides the controls until I need them.

-It feels like a mature device and I have no problem busting this thing out in public. I start my preferred game ahead of time so when I'm standing in a line I can flick the screen open and start playing right away. When I put it away its as simple as sliding it shut and it sleeps.

-Flash Memory! I won't carry around disks and memory chips as they always end up lost or broken. Having 16GB of on board storage is enough space for an decent collection of games/music/movies. It's expandable up to 32GB which is pretty huge for this device. I downloaded Final Fantasy VII, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, GTA:Chinatown Wars, Dissidia:Final Fantasy, God of War and Silent Hill:Origins and I still have around 9GB left.

-Downloading a game to a PC and transferring it to your psp is fairly painless. I think you have to install the mediaGO software to transfer games in this way. If you want to skip the PC then the PSN makes it easy to navigate, buy a game, and download it directly to your psp so you can start playing quickly.

The Bad

-The lack of included accessories is confusing. The one proprietary data/charge port means you can't have both your computer hooked up and a wall charger at the same time. With that being the case they only include one data cable which doubles as part of the AC charger. There are no headphones included.

-The price is pretty steep. It's $80 more then the DSi which is it's only serious competition in the handheld market.

-The official dock does not include a cable. That ridiculous! I paid $30 to find out I have to buy another cable if I want to use the dock without cannibalizing my system's included cable.

----------------------------------------

Overall I think the PSPgo works for me. I initially looked at the price I said there was no way I would support Sony's clear F*** you attitude towards early adopters. I don't like the price or the lack of headphones but the portability thanks to the size/weight reduction make it something I can use in my daily life. It actually fits into my lifestyle so even with the annoyances I'm ok with the purchase.

What I want to know is if anyone else here at MG finds value in the PSPgo. Is it going to fade away in time or has it set the bar to follow with its diskless setup and slider screen?
nilihanth
12-16-2009, 07:29 PM
I see the value in it somewhat, but only as a 1st time PSP purchase. If I had previously owned a PSP I wouldn't even consider it. The reason is obviously the fact that the games I had purchased already would be unplayable on the PSPgo and would require me to re-purchase them online to play. No thanks. Especially for already spending a whopping $250 on it. The other thought I cannot shake is the fact that the PSPgo is $50 less than buying a complete PS3 Slim system. I know, that's not dissimilar to the DSi and Wii now, but still. If I had a secure job and money was flowing freely I'd probably go out and get one. Instead I will probably secure a slightly used PSP for a fraction of the cost when I'm ready.
Konrad
12-16-2009, 10:26 PM
After owning a PSP, I'm not at all interested in this. The PSP was fun for the time, but the truly poor selection of games, as well as the general unwieldiness of most of them have turned me off from it after a few years. I haven't touched my PSP since two summers ago more or less.

I had considered getting a DS briefly, but I think handheld games may not be my thing anymore. The Gameboy Advance still had a longer run I could have ever dreamed of.
Jason
12-16-2009, 10:37 PM
Like many, many things, the PSP Go is one of those things I quite like the look of, but I'll never get, mainly because there are so many other things I'd much rather have.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it looks nice and it'd be cool to have, but I don't really want one.
CemeteryGates
12-17-2009, 01:33 AM
I had considered getting a DS briefly, but I think handheld games may not be my thing anymore. The Gameboy Advance still had a longer run I could have ever dreamed of.


That's almost exactly what I was going to post...
Rob
12-17-2009, 01:54 AM
Everything you guys said is the general consensus that I have heard. Every complaint against the PSPgo is generally valid which makes me wonder what kind of sales Sony is getting. They recently said they were above planned sales but that doesn't mean anything without some numbers to back it up. I have a feeling that this unit isn't going to do well at its current price point. If they lowered it to $199 which put it slightly over the psp3000 I bet that would get things going.
CemeteryGates
12-17-2009, 02:04 AM
You know, I haven't bought handhelds since the old GBA, so I consider myself ignorant on the subject nowadays, but it's my impression that there's nothing really new coming out, just versions of the same: DS, DSi, DS-something-else-I-don't-recall, and the same with the PSP... I think of them as a PS2/3 and then the Slim version, although I'd think more use could be argued for a Slim version of a PS2/3.

I really have no idea how true or misinformed this perception is, but I'm personally not interested at all in either one of those concepts, to the point of abandoning handhelds. I think it's starting to be time for newer, fresher stuff.
Konrad
12-17-2009, 02:07 AM
Well, it was the same with gameboys.

First we had the brick, then a smaller version of the brick. Then gameboy colour, small gameboy colour, see through gameboy colour.

Then we had Gameboy Advance. Then see-through gameboy advance and then gameboy advance SP.
nilihanth
12-17-2009, 02:42 AM
Well, it was the same with gameboys.

First we had the brick, then a smaller version of the brick. Then gameboy colour, small gameboy colour, see through gameboy colour.

Then we had Gameboy Advance. Then see-through gameboy advance and then gameboy advance SP.
Of course the only difference was that on each of those iterations you could, at least, play games from 1 or more iterations previous. I believe the GBA SP was the only one that could only support one iteration previous or none at all. In any case, the PSP Go doesn't even have a UMD drive, which prevents any other PSP owner from playing their already-purchased games on it if they so choose to "upgrade".
Konrad
12-17-2009, 03:09 AM
Well, I was referring to each iteration was another version of the same. So if anything, the PSP Go is actually an improvement in terms of changes.

And yes, the GBA SP was compatible with all previous games, it was simply a bitch to have a large game sticking out where your wrists should be.
Rob
12-17-2009, 04:09 AM
Ifixit did a teardown (http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Sony-PSP-Go/1124/1) of the psp.

Likes/Dislikes aside its hard to not be impressed by how small they managed to get the circuit board and internal components to make this pspGO possible. I love how technology keeps shrinking in size.
Landy
12-17-2009, 04:34 AM
I got a PSP, which i bought around 3 years ago. Like mentioned in the thread, it's fun for a while, but due to the lack of good games and horrible graphics, it just ends up being put on the shelf. If you have an 'OK' laptop to run a few games on, you can get a lot of more out of that, although it can't be considered a hand held.
Konrad
12-17-2009, 04:49 AM
My 15" laptop has completely replaced my PSP when it comes to "gaming on the go". I never played the thing "around the town" anyway. I didn't quite get those ads that showered people walking around playing their games - I COULD DIE.

I'd only play it when I went away somewhere and needed some amusement at night or something. When stationary, a laptop does a better job even if it's a bit more unwieldy.
nilihanth
12-17-2009, 03:17 PM
Now I'm curious what Konrad and CKS play on their laptops "on the go"
Landy
12-18-2009, 05:56 AM
Pretty much every game i have on my steam account, from Torchlight to Left 4 Dead 2. :)
Currently hooked on "Day Of Defeat: Source", damn good game!
Rob
12-18-2009, 08:32 AM
DOD:S is one of my favorite games.

I have a 10inch netbook that I could use for Torchlight/D2/Emulators. Hmm I am going to have to install all of that this weekend.
Jason
12-18-2009, 02:34 PM
Pretty much every game i have on my steam account, from Torchlight to Left 4 Dead 2. :)
Currently hooked on "Day Of Defeat: Source", damn good game!

That's a point... I have to install that guest pass you sent me. I keep forgetting to do that - I'll do it this Sunday when I've got a few days off to actually play the game. :p
Landy
12-18-2009, 03:34 PM
heh, no worries. Gimme a nudge if your about for a game or two :)
nilihanth
12-18-2009, 03:40 PM
Okay so those are all FPS games as far as I can gather. How on earth do you play an FPS "on the go"? Unless you aim with your touch pad I don't see carrying around a mouse and a portable mouse pad being very...portable, at least not in comparison to a handheld gaming system like the PSP or DS variants.