• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Sell me on PSP.

I was pretty hyped on getting a PSP at it's launch but didn't because of lack of funds. Now that all the hype has died down and the PSP looks a bit less appealing, I'm wondering if I should still get it.

The reasons I'd still get one can pretty much be summed up by Lumines (which I already have), Metal Gear Acid and Wipeout Pure (already got it). I was considering buying a 1GB Memory stick to use my PSP as a music player but I realised how much space it took and that it would be just wiser to get some mp3 player even if I'm currently content on using my mp3 CD player for now.

Other than that, I see no point in UMD movies (seriously, what is the point?) and I'm dissapointed by what I'm hearing about the PSP's video capabilities.

And the main reason I'm reconsidering now is the seemingly lack of interesting future titles. Can someone sell me on some future titles outside of Metal Gear Acid 2?

I'd still like to get one since it's pretty sleek all and all and I already have 2 games for it (I got them off some guy for cheap).
 
Theres no hurry n buying one now, unless you plan to use emulators, then I'd snatch up a 1.5 before they are gone..other than that I'd wait.
 
You already have 2 games for it and are still hesitating? I'm confused. The video's pretty good, I was impressed. It's also a nice photo viewer if you're into that sort of thing.
 
I bought a PSP at launch and pretty much have played it everyday since then. I love it. I take it with me everywhere, and it has gotten more play time than my other consoles since I purchased it. I'm currently playing a ton of Hot Shots Golf, but would also recommend Lumines, WipeOut, Untold Legends, and Twisted Metal. I'm looking forward to Midnight Club and Dead to Rights in a few weeks as well. I've never regretted buying it at all.

Oh, and I don't use it as any kind of media player. Just for games. :)
 
1.) if ya already got 2 games for it, that's already a rather decent reason...not just the games, but the ability to just jump in w/out any added purchase. Tack that onto the general worth of the product, and it seems to make the system pretty worthwhile to me.

2.) uhm, define "works"... :lol


- I don't really use the MP3 capability, but tv show viewing on the go is pretty damn compelling.
- Sleep mode being so handy kinda sold me on it, since I didn't hafta reload *every* time I wanted to continue my game.
- Generally sleek and fun to own.
 
I would wait a a year or 2.

Reasons to get a PSP
1) The beautiful Screen

Reason not to get one.
1) Poor game library of ports. Nothing really exciting on the horizon.
2) The nubby analogue stick sucks.
3) 1 gig memory stick is not enough media.
4) You have to convert all your video to mpeg 4, you can't just drop your avis, movs, oggs etc format files on.
5) Video playback is meh.
 
Why you shouldn't buy a PSP right now:

1. Few actual PSP games you will enjoy
2. Few actual PSP games coming out anytime soon that you will enjoy
3. Homebrew is in it's infancy, emulators have yet to be optimized, etc.
4. Future games will feature automatic firmware updates that will upgrade you past 1.5 and kill current homebrew methods.

Why you should buy a PSP right now:

1. You want to watch movies on your PSP
2. You really can't get enough of EA games
3. You want to read comics on-the-go
 
Date of Lies said:
Mame is now working on 1.5??

Dude, EVERYTHING works on 1.5. There is no difference between a 1.0 and 1.5 in terms of how software will run. Anything made for 1.0 will work on 1.5.

The swap trick required to play these on 1.5 is not a big deal either. Honestly, it's very quick and easy. Swapping memsticks feels almost no different than swapping DS game cards. You just choose the program you want to run, and after clicking it, take out the current card and insert the other one with all of the data on it. That's all there is to it.

Emulation is still new on the PSP and most of the emus thus far were created only by Japanese programmers. Thanks to the 1.5 hack, the rest of the world is starting to join in. I think we'll see some great stuff coming up. NES, GB/GBC, and PC-Engine are near perfect (GB/GBC is 99% perfect and better than most PC emus I've seen even). SNES and Genesis are well on there way (most games are totally playable and full speed, but you have to live with frame skipping for now).

Finding a 1.5 model is cake right now, but who knows what will happen down the road.

Is there any reason not to jump on board?
 
dark10x said:
Dude, EVERYTHING works on 1.5. There is no difference between a 1.0 and 1.5 in terms of how software will run. Anything made for 1.0 will work on 1.5.

The swap trick required to play these on 1.5 is not a big deal either. Honestly, it's very quick and easy. Swapping memsticks feels almost no different than swapping DS game cards. You just choose the program you want to run, and after clicking it, take out the current card and insert the other one with all of the data on it. That's all there is to it.

Emulation is still new on the PSP and most of the emus thus far were created only by Japanese programmers. Thanks to the 1.5 hack, the rest of the world is starting to join in. I think we'll see some great stuff coming up. NES, GB/GBC, and PC-Engine are near perfect (GB/GBC is 99% perfect and better than most PC emus I've seen even). SNES and Genesis are well on there way (most games are totally playable and full speed, but you have to live with frame skipping for now).

Finding a 1.5 model is cake right now, but who knows what will happen down the road.

Is there any reason not to jump on board?

wow, another sony product that'll win me over on it's piracy capabilities.
 
I made a thread discussing my dissapointments that got plenty of response. I knew emulation would make me feel a lot differently as it quickly has. Playing PCE shooters on this beautiful screen makes me tear up. I'm not thrilled with the release list, but the current library shits all over the DS which has been out longer. Basically, it doesn't do a lot of things quite the way I would choose, but I've come to see that if you want a "one" device option for a trip (which I'm about to take it on again) that it's far and away the best option.
 
I bought the PSP about 2-3 days ago. First impressions, it is truly a beautiful piece of gadgetry. The LCD alone is just blindingly awsome. I didn't really get that with the DS but the PSP its no contest in just hardware alone. As for software, I'd say PSP is better for now, until DS starts getting stuff like Castlevania, M&L, etc. I was freaking surprised that the PSP was sold out in many stores where I live and had to resort to going over 30 miles just to pick up the last PSP left. I guess with school almost over, PSP is a popular graduation gift. I'd buy one just to make sure that you get 1.5 so that you can at least have some homebrew software to make the PSP more of a worthy value. Of course if you wait then you'll have consider wether you want the system or games on other platforms as well. I mainly use the DS for GBA games so I don't really need a GBA emulator for PSP just more of an SNES, NES, Mame, plus some DIVX/Xvid videos here and there.
 
I picked one up at launch along with a 512MB memory stick and Lumines and Wipeout Pure.

I quickly burned through both games in about a month by playing the hell out of them until I got to a point in both games where I just couldn't progress anymore.

Then it collected dust for about a month.

Then I got Hot Shots Golf and I've played it every day solid for the last month. Its probably the only reason I'm still using my PSP right now.

I kind of wish I had waited until a price drop on the system.

I'm not on-the-go a whole lot so I don't get to take advantage of the main reason everyone claims its so awesome to have one.
 
Boy, this board sure can be fickle.

Reasons to get the PSP:
---------------------------------
1) The thing is pure sex (obligatory for the people who hate this usage).
2) Games are absolutely gorgeous and the analog nub works perfectly.
3) Ridge Racer, Wipeout Pure, Hot Shots Golf, Lumines, Untold Legends, Twisted Metal: Head On, Tony Hawk, and FIFA are all great games.
4) Movies are incredibly cool on the go and if you get a decent sized memory card, you don't have to pay for the UMD's. But the UMD's are MUCH higher quality that ripped DVD's currently.
5) Some great games to come: Midnight Club: Dub, GTA, GT: Mobile, Burnout, Medievil, Devil May Cry, SOCOM, Coded Arms, & Daxter.

Reasons not to get a PSP:
-----------------------------------
1) Expensive for a handheld
2) Games are very similar to their PS2 counterparts (although you can play them on the road, on the John, while your woman/man is shopping,etc)
3) Games are more expensive than handheld games have been in the past.

If you've got the money and like the style of games on the PSP, there's absolutely no reason not to get it.

Obligatory comparison to the DS

I'd still put it's library above the DS (even with the stuff upcoming) as they are more my "style" of games and the DS library as of yesterday (in the US, not including Meteos) is crap. I recognize that the DS had a much stronger E3, and has a somewhat better visible pipeline over the next 3-4 months, but the current library + next 3-4 months, + future games > DS stuff for me.

It really comes down to what do you want to play? And is having the most incredible piece of portable consumer electronics interesting to you?
 
No games, too much $, expensive games, not very portable, broken easily, square button feels weak, circle button sticks over time, you get insanly anal about taking care if it, if your an anal person already you are fucked you will be wiping and cradling this thing more than a fucking newborn.
 
SanjuroTsubaki said:
No games, too much $, expensive games, not very portable, broken easily, square button feels weak, circle button sticks over time, you get insanly anal about taking care if it, if your an anal person already you are fucked you will be wiping and cradling this thing more than a fucking newborn.

Ha ha, where the f*ck did you get that information? The official Nintendo DS message board?
 
I continue to hear a lot of people say that the PSP breaks easy, which I don't agree with. I suppose, if you abuse it, as with any electronic device, it can break fairly easy. But I've had mine since launch day, and aside from the fingerprints on it, it looks like it came right out of the box. I do keep it in a case when I'm not playing though.
 
speaking of broken psps, has anyone here actually broken one that wasn't one of those launch japan psps?
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
I continue to hear a lot of people say that the PSP breaks easy, which I don't agree with. I suppose, if you abuse it, as with any electronic device, it can break fairly easy. But I've had mine since launch day, and aside from the fingerprints on it, it looks like it came right out of the box. I do keep it in a case when I'm not playing though.

I haven't heard of a single case yet. Yes, it's a dust and fingerprints magnet, but not as bad as I initially thought or at least, not enough for me to bother wiping it more than once or twice a week.
 
Wario64 said:
speaking of broken psps, has anyone here actually broken one that wasn't one of those launch japan psps?

I've seen one break. At work there are a bunch of folders (trapper keeper style) lined up against the wall with schedules and paper work and all that. A co-worker brought his in and placed it on top of all of them. Someone tried to pull out the work schedule and it made a big enough gap for the PSP to fall. Now those things are only like 12" tall when put side to side, and the PSP just didnt work after that. He had just gotten it that day.
 
capt.dtp10606151833.nba_finals_dtp106.jpg
 
SanjuroTsubaki said:
I got this information from owning one you fool.

Well, you obviously got a faulty unit.

No games - Depends on the person, obviously. There are quite a few very good games currently available for the machine. No games? That's YOUR opinion and is something that should be judged per individual. I don't believe the DS has any worthwhile games currently (outside of Kirby), but I realize that some people feel differently.

too much $ - Varies from person to person. It is a bit more expensive than your typical portable game machine, but in the face of other portable devices, it's hardly unreasonable.

expensive games - I agree with this, though it isn't a problem for me. I WOULD certainly prefer cheaper games, though.

not very portable - Varies per person. I have no issues with transporting it. Either I throw it in a bag or I carry it in a pocket (if the pair of pants I'm wearing offers large enough pockets). It's not as if the DS is anymore portable.

broken easily - Disagree. I've mistakenly dropped mine on hard tile a couple times (from about 4ft) and I know of a few others as well (including one that hit concrete). No damage (though the concrete instance did leave a few scratches). What makes you think it is so weak?

square button feels weak - was an issue on the original Japanese units, but I don't believe that the poster would be purchasing one of those. All four of my buttons feel exactly the same. I have no difficulty playing games that require furious mashing either.

circle button sticks over time - Owned it since US launch and I've never experienced this. All buttons are perfect.

you get insanly anal about taking care if it - For about the first week. I was initially afraid of even pulling it out of the box, but often toss it in a pocket and take it with me. No worries. There are some light scratches and such, but they simply can't been seen unless you are in very bright light. When the unit is active, it just isn't a problem.

if your an anal person already you are fucked you will be wiping and cradling this thing more than a fucking newborn - for the first week...again! This would vary from person to person, but I don't use a screen protector, I carry it around in my pocket all the time, and it gets heavy usage. It is in great shape.
 
Don't buy it. Make Sony drop the price first, then buy it. Otherwise, buy it when GTA comes out, b/c you'd be stupid not to. I'm starting to consider buying one again now. Although even $200 makes me cringe. But since I just spent $160 on an MP3 player, I guess $200 would be passable. PEACE.
 
imo, even with the emu hack, its not really worth the money as a console gaming device atm. Too expensive. Stupid Media capability (with Mem Stick) and the games aren't all that. I'm down to MGA which is the only game I'm still playing while the others haven't really shown longevity/must playness.

Wait a bit for a price drop and then get one when there's more games. Even then, remember that your cash could be spent on other stuff, I personally regret buying the PSP myself; going to buy a PMP (personal media player) because frankly. The PSP is just stupid for media.
 
Pimpwerx said:
Don't buy it. Make Sony drop the price first, then buy it. Otherwise, buy it when GTA comes out, b/c you'd be stupid not to. I'm starting to consider buying one again now. Although even $200 makes me cringe. But since I just spent $160 on an MP3 player, I guess $200 would be passable. PEACE.
I shit on GTA.
 
sonycowboy said:
Boy, this board sure can be fickle.

Reasons to get the PSP:
---------------------------------
1) The thing is pure sex (obligatory for the people who hate this usage).
2) Games are absolutely gorgeous and the analog nub works perfectly.
3) Ridge Racer, Wipeout Pure, Hot Shots Golf, Lumines, Untold Legends, Twisted Metal: Head On, Tony Hawk, and FIFA are all great games.
4) Movies are incredibly cool on the go and if you get a decent sized memory card, you don't have to pay for the UMD's. But the UMD's are MUCH higher quality that ripped DVD's currently.
5) Some great games to come: Midnight Club: Dub, GTA, GT: Mobile, Burnout, Medievil, Devil May Cry, SOCOM, Coded Arms, & Daxter.

Reasons not to get a PSP:
-----------------------------------
1) Expensive for a handheld
2) Games are very similar to their PS2 counterparts (although you can play them on the road, on the John, while your woman/man is shopping,etc)
3) Games are more expensive than handheld games have been in the past.

If you've got the money and like the style of games on the PSP, there's absolutely no reason not to get it.

Obligatory comparison to the DS

I'd still put it's library above the DS (even with the stuff upcoming) as they are more my "style" of games and the DS library as of yesterday (in the US, not including Meteos) is crap. I recognize that the DS had a much stronger E3, and has a somewhat better visible pipeline over the next 3-4 months, but the current library + next 3-4 months, + future games > DS stuff for me.

It really comes down to what do you want to play? And is having the most incredible piece of portable consumer electronics interesting to you?

Great post segacowboy. I would buy a PSP right this instant if it had a GBA emu.
 
Date of Lies said:
I shit on GTA.

dude. You asked a question on people come into your thread and post long thoughtful posted remarks and your responses so far have been a little bit rude and undeserving of the responses.
 
Top Bottom