- The ability to download games, movies, TV and other media directly from the PlayStation Network to your PSP Go.
- 16GB of built-in flash memory for file storage and removable memory expansion via memory stick.
- Bluetooth support for skype headsets and other devices.
- Slide out control design to maximize the ultra-crisp 3.8″ LCD screen functionality.
- No UMD design makes for a quieter, more energy efficient device.
Product Description
Introducing the smallest and mightiest PSP system yet. Download rich, immersive digital gaming or the best movies and TV shows saved directly to the ample 16GB hard drive. Browse the incredibly deep lineup of PSP gaming and movie content on PlayStation Network. Show off content via the ultra-crisp 3.8 inch LCD screen on the most portable PSP system yet.Amazon.com Product Description
Introducing the smallest and mightiest P… More >>
You might think cool hardware would be enough, but, you would be wrong. Apple has cool hardware, but after playing a lot of games on a touchscreen, I didn’t really care for it. I was ready to jump over to the PSPgo, which would deliver a far better gaming experience.
To be honest, I love the hardware, its cool, no worries. Smaller buttons, yeah, well, its ok. I don’t mind. I have man hands and I can make it work. I really like the controls being under the screen, I don’t have to hold up the PSP as high, it just “feels” better. I love the sliding mechanism. Some themes you can get make it so that when you slide it shut, a clock appears. Its really cool. Some of the controls, like the volume control, are in a truly irritating place. But its small, and portable, and sacrifices were made and I’m ok with that. I am a Sony guy, I love their stuff, and once again the Sony hardware team does not disappoint!
Problem is, when you roll a piece of hardware that has no UMD slot, you better have some awesome supporting infrastructure. And we know what cool supporting infrastructure is thanks to the iPhone and its Appstore.
There are a lot more games for the iphone than for the PSP. But the PSP is supposed to be a better, pedigreed gaming machine. We all know it. There are more Mustangs than Ferraris out there and most of us would rather have a Ferrari. And as for the gobs of games for the iphone, over 20,000 I think, how many games does one need, anyway? And most of them are junk.
So i was really excited about the PSPgo. Sony knows games and gaming systems. The PSPgo should smoke any wimpy touch screen gaming “system”. And in terms of hardware, I think it does.
But the PSP go has its own issues. The bottom line is, you should buy a PSP with a UMD slot – for now.
Here are the reasons:
There are only 7 “mini” game titles in the app store at the time of this review.
There are 16 “exclusive” PSP downloadable titles.
Then there are hundreds of PSP games, but, the issue there is that many of these PSP games cost LESS on UMD than they do on the PSPgo! So not only do you lose the ability to buy a USED game, and the ability to RENT the game from gamefly, you also actualy get to pay MORE for the games in download format. Its INCREDIBLE!
Ape escape… $13.99 on Amazon.com, $19.99 via digital download on the PSP.
beaterator… $36.99 on Amazon.com, $39.99 via digital download for psp.
Other games are the SAME PRICE as getting a hard copy. Except, you don’t get to sell or trade that hard copy when you are done.
The biggest software source that I have access to a huge back catalog of PSP games that are NO LONGER IN PRINT. Gee. I’m super unimpressed. We all know the only reason games go out of print is because they aren’t selling anymore and you can buy a used copy at gamestop for $5.
And guess what – I could access all this software from a PSP1000, PSP2000, or PSP3000, and buy used UMDs and sell my games when I’m done.
The downloadable games should be CHEAPER than buying a hard copy. You aren’t paying for extra convenience. You should be paying less because that game did not have to be pressed and distributed thousands of miles to get to you.
In addition, the Playstation store – which is your most convenient way of getting games – is very poorly set up. Forget seeing a video of the game, as you can on Amazon. None of the games for sale even have screen shots so I can’t tell what the heck i’m buying. There is less information available than on the back of a UMD case in the store. Hello 1995!
There are also no customer reviews, so I can’t make a judgement from that.
The free Rockband Lite took 30 minutes to download, which seemed waaay too long and a lot longer than the iPhone games I’ve been buying. In a world where you can download a Kindle book in 2 minutes, and a iPhone game in less than 5, without even using WIFI, a 30 minute wifi required download is going to get old in a hurry. Oh yes, I know I could tether it to a computer or PS3 with a USB cable. Hellllllo 2004. Lets not brag about that too loudly, the PSPgo is starting to be a King of Inconvenience.
The bad appstore, poor download prices, and lack of cheap, addictive games is a total deal killer for me. Yes, Sony will fix this. Over time. Not by Christmas 2009.
Buy a PSP3000 this year. And leave the PSPgo for another time, after Sony works out its growing pains…
Rating: 2 / 5
Ignore my score for a moment, please, because it doesn’t really mean much. Looking at the scores already here on Amazon.com, I completely understand and can agree with most of them. As such, it’s hard to really place a score on this new device. Honestly, I don’t think there’s been such a contentious electronic device launch like the PSP Go in…well, recent memory. Having refreshed the PSP what feels like a hundred times already, Sony, presumably feeling the sting from Apple’s success with the iPhone/iTouch as a digital gaming device, decided to refresh the PSP yet again. And herein lies the problem.
The Go gets rid of the UMD feature of all of the previous PSPs and embraces the digital world in a remarkable way for a gaming device. Without getting too far into the “owning versus not owning debate” (let’s keep this civil), a lot of people have flocked to the iPhone’s bite-sized, digital-only gaming and Sony’s new direction is pretty much inevitable. If a way of presenting games is making money, a company will always follow suit. The problem is that with the lack of a UMD drive, Sony’s faithful who’ve purchased at least one PSP in the past are left high and dry. For individuals who have a nice UMD collection going, this move can only be met (and has understandably been met) with vitriol, with calls of “why are you ignoring us?” There was talk, at one point, of having a UMD transfer system that would allow gamers to somehow turn their UMD into a digital purchase. This was scrapped in the USA even though, from the sounds of it, Sony Europe still has a program for some games. Then there’s the issue of the price. Buyers can easily purchase the slightly older PSP-3000 for about $170, $80 less than the PSP Go’s $250 price point. To make matters worse, any of the digital products being released for the PSP Go will work on prior models, as long as they have a memory stick. Yikes.
All of this history going into today leaves the question is the PSP Go worth it? Well, that kind of depends (with one huge caveat I’ll mention in a bit) on the consumer. The Go is about 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000 (more so for the original PSP) and has a slick sliding system that hides the keys. When closed, it’s roughly the same size as an iPhone, a tad longer, wider and rounder but almost the same size. Unlike the other PSPs, this one does seem a lot more portable. It also does look and feel like a nice expensive piece of electronics. I remember when I first held the original PSP in my hands and it felt like an expensive system; this brings back memories of that day. While it doesn’t have the UMD drive, it does come with 16 GB of storage space (which could cost you $60ish to get the same amount of space on the PSP 3000). One of the bigger new features, though, is the Bluetooh technology. The latest firmware update (available today) will allow tethering to your cell phone, which, if your plan allows for it, will allow you to use your cell phone as modem if you don’t have Wi-fi available. It’s a nicety and one I won’t be able to use (thanks AT&T) but somehow I don’t think a cell phone, even 3G, will be strong enough to consistently play online or be quick for downloads.
Not much comes in the box. You get a cell phone-like charging kit, based on a new framework for charging. It’s kind of a “one jack fits all” multi-purpose plug-in. The cord has a USB connector on one side and the cell-phone-like plug-in for the PSP. This same jack will be used for other purposes like TV out, etc. This means that any of your old accessories won’t work on the new system. It also comes with a voucher to download the PSP Go version of Rock Band Unplugged; this version is free to start out and comes with five songs (“Buddy Holly,” “ABC,” etc.) and then you just buy additional tracks à la carte. The demo for Patapon 2 comes pre-loaded, as well. The final thing, besides the manual, is the Media Go software which you can also download from the internet, to purchase games on your PC to transfer to your PSP. Nothing fancy. As a quick update, I’ve had more time to mess around with it and have started using the Media Go to download files. Like a cell phone, you can plug the PSP Go into your computer through it’s power/USB jack to charge the phone. Media Go acts like iTunes (and has a similar skin) so you can download games through Media Go, directly to your PSP Go. It’s a lot faster. As an example, it took me around the same time to download/install God of War (over 1 GB) via Media Go as it did Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (200ish MB) via the PSP Go 802.11b Wi-fi. The synching process will be familiar to anyone who’s used iTunes or Zune software and is actually a bit easier and quicker, even if it takes an additional step.
So, again, is it worth it? This brings us back to that one caveat: the price. If you’re not a current PSP owner, have embraced digital-only gaming and don’t mind dropping $250 (as a comparison, you could get an Xbox 360 or a Wii for that price or less; or, for $50 more, a PS3) on a “new” gaming system that is technically about four years old in terms of games (meaning, not a “next generation” PSP), then yes. The PSP Go is a worthy purchase. It’s still the same PSP, a strong, powerful device that has a good assortment of fun games. Even when the most angry at the product, you have to admit that. It’s just a great device, whatever version you buy. But it’s just not as well-rounded and consumer-beneficial as the older, cheaper models. So, if you’re not that person above, either keep (or upgrade to) the PSP-3000 and you have the benefit of not only getting all the new digital games and “minis” available today but also play UMDs.
I like mine and am glad I purchased it. I love the portability of it and the lack of UMDs. But, I’ll be honest, the PSP-3000 is still a cheaper and more well-rounded option.
Rating: 4 / 5
The PSPgo is an interesting device. It would appear to many that this hardware revision seems to have taken one step forward (sleeker design, bluetooth capability, built-in memory) and two steps back (no UMD drive, price, purchases tied to the PSN Store). I’m here to say: I love my PSPgo.
First, a little bit of my background: I was an original adopter of the PSP-1000 system. I love the PSP platform and feel as though the hardware itself as well as many of the platform’s games are severely unappreciated.
I want to provide some commentary for what kind of customers might be looking into purchasing a PSPgo:
1) The Gadget Geek
It’s obvious, even from the customer images and official product images, that the PSPgo is one slimmed-down, sexy device. If you’re into gadgets, the PSPgo will not disappoint: this is a much more portable, sleeker device than the PSP 1000 / 3000 systems. This handheld will fit where the old PSPs won’t, that’s for sure. The sliding-open of the controls is addicting; it mimics many of the cell phones that have this kind of mechanism.
2) Someone who is looking into purchasing their first PSP system
It’s a tough call to truly recommend the PSPgo for those who are looking into purchasing this as their first PSP system. Personally, I would. Many probably wouldn’t. As of right now, the PSN Store does not have all of the best PSP games available to download. However, they do have a fantastic current selection that includes Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2, LocoRoco 2 and more. As of today, they do not have several fantastic games on the PSN Store (Dissidia and Crisis Core, to name a couple). I can only assume, in time, these will be available.
The other consideration is buying used games at stores such as Gamestop. As a new PSP owner, you probably want to buy a lot of older games that you have yet to enjoy. These probably come in at fairly cheap used game prices at stores. If you have a PSPgo system, some of these prices are comparable; some are not.
If a first-time PSP owner does decide to purchase a PSPgo system, they don’t want to worry about purchasing additional memory right out of the game, which is a nice little bonus.
3) Someone who currently owns a PSP 1000 / 3000
If you have the financial means, I think purchasing a PSPgo to compliment your PSP 1000 / 3000 system is a great idea. This is the kind of customer I am. I was able to use Amazon’s video game trade-in program to knock the price down for the PSPgo system. I still have my PSP 1000 system around in case I want to play any of the games I have on UMD. And, not surprisingly (or maybe surprisingly for some), I have yet to have a hankering to go back and play any of the UMD games I own since owning a PSPgo. And I have some fantastic games on UMD that are not offered as a digital download currently on the PSN Store!
And I think this is where the PSPgo system gets a LOT of hate: the whole discussion about not being able to play any UMD games you may currently own. My thought on that is this: I think before owning a PSPgo, this might be a concern. But when you have one, you don’t have a drive to play any of your UMD games. I have plenty to play in terms of PSX / PSP games I’ve already downloaded and have downloaded since owning the system. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a special case or something.
Conclusion
I absolutely love my PSPgo: it’s sexy, it’s incredibly portable and I love having a whole smattering of games available right there on my system. The price may be a tad bit high, but if you can swing it, you’ll love the PSPgo system. Since owning my PSPgo, I have not wanted to play any of my current UMD games on my old PSP system. There’s a lot of currently released titles on the PSN Store to satisfy my needs.
Rating: 5 / 5
I live in Japan, and since the Go was released here one month after it came out in other markets, I had plenty of time to read the reviews. Hopefully you realize, like I did, that a large majority of the negative reviews are from those who have never held the console in their hands. I’ll offer my insight as someone who has owned the Go for about a week.
Pros: Great games that are easy to download; highly portable; stylish; ample memory; vibrant screen; great ergonomics; blue tooth; Wi-Fi; PS3 syncing; does more than play games (music, videos, photo-viewing, web-browsing, Skype); game-pause feature; value.
Cons: For me, none. If you were hoping to be able to transfer UMDs, thrive off of buying/selling used games, don’t have a way to download games, or you’re not willing to spend $250 on an excellent handheld device, the list of cons grows.
All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the PSP Go. I had high expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Rating: 5 / 5
First off, I’ll begin by saying I own a PSP Go…which unfortunately about 99% of all reviewers do not. So please accept a review from someone who has purchased one and logged about 30 hours of playtime.
I sold my PSP1000 this summer to fund the purchase of a replacement xbox that RROD’d on me. I’ve been wanting to get another PSP since, especially with the advancement of PSN games and PS1 games on the PS Store. The PSP Go only fueled my desire to get another PSP. One of my biggest gripes with the PSP1000 (which applies to the 2000 and 3000 as well) was the UMD drive and not-so-portable size.
Pros:
Size. The Go really is small. You won’t realize how small it is until you’ve actually handled one. It is only a fraction larger than my cell phone. I know some people put it in their pockets, and it certainly is small enough to do that, however I do not for fear of scratching the screen. But it can be carried anywhere in a pocket, unlike the previous models.
Screen. Coming from a 1000 unit, the screen is much brighter and much more vibrant colors. It looks gorgeous and the games really pop!
Analog Stick. Much more improved feel, added resistance.
Buttons. There is much less travel, and almost a “click” to the buttons. I much prefer that, as the older models’ buttons just felt too mushy. Even the L/R buttons are better. Many have complained that they are hard to reach. People, you don’t have to wrap your fingers all the way around the buttons! Just tap the tip that overlaps the side of the unit to press the buttons, they were designed that way!!
Bluetooth. This is incredible. I have a nice set of bluetooth headphones that I love to use with the system. Not necessary, but just a bonus. I have used my PS3 controller with the unit once, and it is incredible, but the problem still lies in holding the PSP. If you’re holding the PS3 controller, who’s holding the PSP? I haven’t figured out the usefulness yet, unless you buy Sony’s proprietary cradle.
Volume. I never remember my 1000 playing this loud. Part of that is the fact that the Go’s speakers are on the front of the unit, versus the bottom of the unit (i.e. under your hands) on the previous models.
Pause Feature. This should be included on every system, portable or not. Better yet, stupid game developers need to abandon the “Save Point” system altogether. That’s the dumbest thing ever. Sony has remedied that as best they can with the Pause feature.
Cons:
Finish. The “Piano” finish has no place in a portable unit. It gets greasy, smudgy, and just looks awful. Sure, the screen is fine as is, but sony should have definitely used the flat black from the bottom sliding portion for the rest of the unit. That flat black holds no smudges, doesn’t reflect, and provides more grip. Shiny =/= better.
Battery. This is by far the worst part. I can only get 4 hours with full volume and screen brightness. That just isn’t enough, especially when there is no UMD drive. I can get over this as long as the battery has a fairly long life, but having to recharge this often will mean the battery might not last very long. I want several years out of it!
Nuetral:
UMD/Lack of UMD. What do you prefer? People are offering way too much criticism of this aspect. Sony is not replacing the UMD nor the PSP3000. It is simply trying to offer a product to a specific customer. I prefer it this way. It makes the system much more portable not having to carry around 7 fruity little game “totes” with your 20 different UMDs when you go on a trip. I never liked that.
If you already have a PSP, this was not intended for you, get over it. If you are looking to buy your first PSP, and don’t want to carry around a bunch of little UMDs, this is for you. I just don’t understand why people are giving Sony so much flack for just adding more options. When they came out with the Purple Hannah Montana bundle, did everyone cry because it was just dumb? No, sony was trying to win over new customers of a different audience. It isn’t meant for everyone! It is simply another option…an option that I very much enjoy.
If sony had made the PSP Go flat black finished all around, and a longer batter life, I would have given 5 stars. As is, the Go is still a great portable game system, the most portable of all.
Rating: 4 / 5