Just weeks after the release of the new Playstation 3 Slim, Sony is unleashing a new console into the market: The PSPGo. This little gadget, while not a new console, has many improvements over the previous models. But is it worth it to upgrade, especially if you already own a PSP? The Flickcast takes a closer look to find out . . .
What We Like
• Sony has decided to do away with UMDs, and has instead built in 16 GB of internal flash memory into the console. Now you won’t have to carry around those round discs anymore, which are very delicate and take up a bunch of space, and you’ll be able to download a lot of old Playstation games and the new PSP Minis (similar to iPhone games) from the Playstation Network Store. This space is expandable up to 48 GB.
• The PSPGo is 43% lighter and 56% smaller than the original PSP-1000 and 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000. The portable has always been a bit bulkier than its competitor, the Nintendo DS/DSi and now Sony seems to be doing something about it.
• Instead of having all the controls right on the sides of the screen, the PSPGo slides down, revealing the d-pad, the standard Playstation action buttons, start/select buttons, and the “Home” button.
• The console will have Bluetooth capabilities, allowing for Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and tethering between computers or cell phones.
What We Don’t Like
• Because the PSPGo doesn’t allow for the use of UMDs, if you already own PSP games you won’t be able to play them on your console just yet. Sony is currently working on a way to smoothly import UMDs onto the PSPGo, but with no official plans announced, it’d be frustrating to run out and buy a brand new device and not be able to play the extensive collection of games you already have for it.
• The PSPGo, unlike previous versions of the PSP, doesn’t allow you to remove or replace the battery. This means you won’t be able to buy a replacement battery for long play sessions.
• The PSPGo will be priced at $249, while the PSP-3000 will remain on the market (for now) at $169. While the newer version of the device has obvious reasons for being almost $100 more, the price makes it hard to purchase over the last generation of the PSP, or the more affordable Nintendo DSi.
If you’ve already have a PSP, the additions to the PSPGo may not be enough for you to run out on release day and pick it up. If you’re looking to purchase a portable gaming device for the first time, while the PSPGo may be tempting, it might also be tempting to save almost $100 and go for the PSP-3000.
The PSPGo will be released in America on October 1st. Until then, keep checking back right here for all your PSPGo and other videogame news.
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