PSP 3000 Black Product Details

Released on 21/08/2009

• Buyer's Guide: PSP

  PSP-3000/PSP Slim & Lite - A PS2 in your pocket

  
  

  Who's it best for?

  
  

  When talking about the games, you can pretty much consider the PlayStation Portable (PSP) to be a PlayStation 2 that fits in your pocket. The hardware is much the same, and many of the same games can be found on each of the two game systems - and of an almost identical quality.

  Serious gear for serious gamers
  Because the PSP is the powerhouse of portable gaming, it's very much the domain of the hardcore player. But that doesn't mean it's only of appeal to the mature audience - it's also the platform of choice for experienced younger gamers who want portable entertainment that offers the stunning visuals and intense challenges of a living room console.

  Best Bits

  
  

  A widescreen experience
  Even the PlayStation 2 doesn't carry all that many games that play in full widescreen, so the PSP actually has a leg up on its living room counterpart. The bright, detailed, responsive screen fits the 16:9 widescreen ratio, which allows players to see a lot more of their gaming world even on a handheld device.

  Online play, built-in browser
  With wi-fi built in and a web browser at your fingertips, the PSP is always ready to go online. Plenty of games involve online content, including multiplayer functions and immediate access to demos of new games and the PlayStation Store.

  The PlayStation Store
  Although other formats have embraced online purchasing of downloadable games more avidly, the PSP is one of the pioneers of the online 'digital download' stores, and offers a range of games from budget to premium priced titles delivered right to your digital doorstep.

  Worst Bits

  
  

  The expensive option
  The console quality of the PSP and its games means it's not the cheapest option on the shelves.

  Haven for the hardcore
  The PSP makes experienced gamers feel right at home, but casual and younger gamers might find its games a bit intensive and overwhelming.

  It's a long route to the PlayStation Store
  Although the PSP does its utmost to walk you through the process of getting online and buying games from the PlayStation Store, it's not a breeze by a long shot. Once you do get setup, however, the next time isn't so bad.

  Bonus Extras

  
  

  Bite-sized bonus
  Sony recently puts it weight back behind the PSP, giving it a new leash of life through PSP Minis - a range of digitally downloaded games available at a fraction of the cost of full-priced titles (and enough of them can compete with the premium games).

  Plays nice with your PS3
  The relationship between the PSP and PlayStation 3 is getting closer every day, with popular games such as LittleBigPlanet and Assassin's Creed 2 providing cross-content between the living room and handheld consoles.

  The Play TV function on the PS3 even allows you to set recordings and watch live and recorded TV programmes remotely from your PSP.

  UMD for you and me
  The PSP's high capacity disk format isn't called the Universal Media Disk for nothing. Alongside games, Sony launched a vast library of films for you to watch on the go. It's not as well supported these days, but you can still put some great DVD-quality movies in your pocket.

  Built-in Skype
  The immensely popular internet chat service Skype, which allows you to make free worldwide voice calls to other Skype users, is built into your PSP. All you need is a microphone headset and wi-fi.

  Portable gaming... at home!
  We said the PSP was like a PS2 in your pocket, but with the addition of a TV-out cable, you can play your PSP games, watch your videos and browse the web on the big screen; turning the handheld back into a living room console!

  Online Features

  
  

  PlayStation Network (PSN)
  We're not going to pretend that it's a quick and easy job setting up a PSN account through the PSP, but it's a task that's worth doing, as browsing that online store is a fantastic way to keep yourself up to date with demos, news and new releases.

  PSP Minis
  The hardcore nature of the PSP has been considerably softened lately by the introduction of PSP Minis to the PlayStation Store. These smaller, bite-sized games come at a fraction of the cost of premium PSP titles, and offer a more immediate, casual, 'coffee break' type of entertainment. A lot of gamers are taking to their PSPs all over again purely because of Minis, so give this some serious consideration when choosing which handheld is for you.

  What do you need to get online?
  You'll need to be connected to the net using wi-fi. The PSP has more options for connecting to a wireless internet signal than the DS Lite, and once you're in the store you'll be glad you persevered (not that it's especially difficult to get online - it's just a bit laborious).

  Buying games online
  Purchase games (including PSP Minis) online using PSN cards which can be purchased through your console or in your local GAME store.

  Essential Accessories

  
  

  There really isn't much in the way of accessories that the PSP needs for gaming; the whole point of this handheld is that a complete console, TV and controller can be carried with you.

  But it's the most advanced piece of portable technology you can buy, and those are features waiting to be unlocked by a couple of affordable add-ons.

  • Just in case: This is a pricy piece of hardware, so give it the protection it deserves while on your travels.
  • Go!Cam: Skype is built into the PSP for voice calls, but with the addition of the small Go!Cam you've got a full video webcam.
  • Go!Explore: With such a great screen the PSP makes a superb personal sat nav system with the addition of Go!Explore and its GPS receiver.
  • AV Cable: The PSP can just as easily output an AV signal (audio/video) to your TV, so you can enjoy its delights on the big screen.
  • Memory Stick PRO Duo: If you plan on using the online PSP store (and you're well advised to do so) you're going to need plenty of storage space. Fortunately Sony's Memory Stick PRO Duo memory cards are very affordable and come in high capacities, so get yourself a nice big one.

  Games

  
  

  Pretty much anything you can get for the PlayStation 2 has a presence on the PSP. So if you've got a living room favourite you'd like to play on the train, chances are good that the PSP will have what you need.

  Summary

  
  

  As serious and hardcore as the PSP is, Sony is putting its weight fully behind this handheld console all over again with a new emphasis on digital downloads. This is bringing a new accessibility to the PSP that makes it far more suitable for a broad range of gamers - including those on a budget.

• PSP2 rivals the PlayStation 3

  PSP2 rivals the PlayStation 3

  MCV is reporting that Sony's much-rumoured new PSP follow-up handheld PSP2 - it still hasn't been formally announced, remember - will rival the PS3 in terms of power. Wow. That's quite a claim.

  The article reports that Sony has told game companies it's just as powerful as the hardware giant's home console, and goes on to say that the new handheld will be in shops this Christmas - and is possibly hitting shelves as early as October.

  According to MCV, Sony is "pitching the device as a high-end portable equivalent" of the PS3, and the games should match. Sony's after content that's rich and in-depth, too, to complement the astonishing power of the hardware.

  Last year, as Eurogamer points out, leaked info suggested that Sony wanted developers to put PS3 games on the PSP2, allowing players to pick up where they left off on one console whenever they turned on the other one. We're also starting to hear rumours that Sony will be unveiling the PSP2 in Tokyo later this month - and that makes a Christmas release seem even more likely.

  With the 3DS hitting shelves this spring, it would certainly be a great time for Sony to launch a new handheld. With rumours like this, we can't wait!

• Sony reveals the PSP2

  The rumours were correct. This morning, Sony unveiled the PSP2 in Tokyo, and it looks fantastic.

  According to Eurogamer, the new handheld is currently codenamed NGP, which stands for Next Generation Portable. It's due out this "holiday season", and it has a ton of brilliant features.

  What kind of features? Okay: how about a five-inch OLED display, dual analogue sticks - yay! - alongside the traditional d-pad, shoulder buttons and face buttons, two touch pads on the front and the back - they cover the same space so your fingers will always be exactly at the right places in the screen - 3G and wi-fi integration, Sixasis motion control and front and rear cameras.

  The resolution is four times that of the original PSP, and the console features PlayStation 3-quality visuals, which is just insanely powerful for a handheld.

  How about games? Sony showed clips of Killzone, Uncharted, WipEout, MGS4, and LittleBigPlanet amongst other titles. Elsewhere, a new Call of Duty title was announced, and Epic Games - the creators of Gears of War and Unreal Tournament - has just announced that its Unreal Engine works on the console, suggesting the developer will also be supporting the console in a big way.

  After months of speculation, then, it's finally here. What do you make of it?

• A Brief History of Handheld Gaming

  
  

  

  This week saw the long-awaited UK release of the PlayStation Vita, the most powerful handheld gaming console ever. Despite a size that fits snugly into your palms, it's a muscular beast of a machine capable of giving its PS3 big brother a run for its money where graphics and processing oomph are concerned. But how did we get here? How did gaming on the go become such a big deal?

  The simple answer is that it's always been a big deal. Even way back in the early 1980s, when the best games were on giant arcade cabinets and the best home gaming had to offer was the bleeping blocks of the Atari 5200, Nintendo was cleaning up with its Game & Watch series of handheld LCD games. Simple in the extreme, they were a cultural phenomena - and Nintendo's first runaway gaming success.

  They were so popular, in fact, that their creator, Gunpei Yokoi, couldn't leave the idea of portable gaming alone. As well as designing classic games such as Donkey Kong and Metroid, he is best known as the father of the GameBoy.

  

  Launched in 1989, this chunky beige brick with a tiny monochrome screen was nothing short of a revolution. Gamers snapped the system up, along with portable versions of hit console games, movie tie-ins, the first entries in the evergreen Pokemon franchise and a certain little game called Tetris. Bundled with the GameBoy, the Russian puzzle classic helped to define handheld gaming as the natural home of simple yet addictive one-more-go game design. It also pioneered the world of multiplayer, using a link cable to allow two GameBoy owners to battle against each other.

  The GameBoy was such an enormous hit - shifting well over 100m units in its lifetime - that other electronics companies tried to ride the bandwagon. Atari released the Lynx, the first handheld with colour graphics, but it struggled to match Nintendo's efficient tech, draining its batteries at inconvenient speed.

  

  More challengers emerged from Japan, such as the TurboExpress, but it would be Nintendo's long-standing rival, Sega, that put up the best fight. The Game Gear launched in 1991, and shrewdly used the same technology as the popular Master System home console, allowing hit games to be quickly ported to the handheld. Although it never outsold the GameBoy, the Game Gear put up a solid challenge.

  GameBoy and Game Gear battled for handheld supremacy throughout the 1990s, with other - often technically superior - portables such as the Neo Geo Pocket and WonderSwan barely making a dent in their dominance. Nintendo's lead was so assured that they waited until 1998 before upgrading the GameBoy's grey and black screen to a colour model.

  

  As the 21st century rolled around, however, the home console experience was becoming so sophisticated that the handhelds were starting to look outdated. Nokia tried to capitalise on the rise of mobile phones with the ill-fated N-Gage, a clumsy hybrid of phone and console that failed to capture the public's imagination.

  It was Nintendo, once again, in 2004 that changed the landscape. The Nintendo DS at first appeared to be an act of supreme folly. Boasting two screens - much like some of the Game & Watch titles of yesteryear - as well as a stylus for touchscreen interaction, it was like nothing else around. And, as with the original GameBoy, Nintendo kept the DS fresh by constantly revising and relaunching the machine in different configurations - smaller, larger, and with more features.

  

  With Sega having long since abandoned the hardware market, the challenge to the DS came from a new rival: SONY. Having exploded into gaming with the PlayStation, SONY's take on handheld gaming was sleek, powerful and designed for the hardcore gamer on the go. The PSP, or PlayStation Portable, certainly made the cheerful DS look like a toy but, much like the Game Gear, it was never quite able to topple Nintendo from its throne, even with cult hits such as Monster Hunter making the system a must-have in Japan.

  

  Which brings us to 2012, where once again Nintendo and SONY are battling for the palm of your hand. Nintendo's 3DS continues the design approach of the original DS, with left field technical innovation and a breezy pick-up-and-play approach. The PS Vita, as we've seen, is the PSP on steroids, a desirable bit of beautiful entertainment technology that pushes the boundaries of what can be done in a small space.

  Looking from dazzling titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, all the way back to the rudimentary two-button Game & Watch experience, it's hard to believe only thirty years separate them and yet it feels as though handheld gaming is only just getting up to speed. Imagine where we'll be in 2042!

  Published: 22/02/2012

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