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The mobile gaming medium is certainly a distinctive monster than its stationary sibling as it has a longer life cycle, the sales tend to fluctuate drastically and the aesthetic improvements are generally more grandiose. While some may still consider the Sony PSP 3000 as the second banana to Nintendo nearly ubiquitous DS Lite, the Sony PSP has sold more than 55 million units since it first appeared in the markets in the year 2005. Sony tweaked its original PSP in 2007 by getting it a little slimmer and lighter chassis, improvement in speeds along with the ability to output straight to a TV screen, with the name Sony PSP 2000.
In 2008, the PSP has got yet another minor makeover with changes like a built in microphone in order to increase the usability of its on-board Skype functionality and also with a better video output support which allows you to play games on the non HD hook-ups. The other improvements include in the display, which is said to be having reduced glare with better colour reproduction and diminished ghosting. Apart from these changes, the PSP 3000 is all identical to its predecessor.
Design:
Where is the difference?
Starting with the casing, top to bottom and side to side, it looks virtually identical to the PSP 2000. The Sony PSP-3000 Game Console has got the same slim dimensions of its predecessor which is, (H X W X D) 71 x 168 x 16 mm and weighs a light 200 grams with all the batteries, game disk and the memory stick on board. Have a closer look, you will find some subtle changes. The Sony moniker has been moved from the right of the screen to left where the PlayStation logo used to be. So where is the PSP logo? Look down at what used to be the home button which brings the PSP into alignment with the PlayStation 3 that has a similar master control button smack in the midst of its wireless gamepad. Yet another thing that is noticeable is that the, PS, Select and Start buttons along the bottom of the PSP are now fully oval and no longer the oblong half circles. When you run your fingers along the tops and they will also feel flush to the case model, not protruding as they do on the PSP 2000. Overall, the ABS plastic of the casing feels and looks more metallic and less plastic now.
A better display:
Only the 4.3? size of its luscious LCD display is retained as it has got a complete make-over which results in better colour reproduction and is less prone to glaring. The colour vibrancy has been improved a lot and the difference was very evident, but as far as the glaring is concerned, the difference is not huge. Do not dream that you will be able to play in direct sunlight, but we assure you that you will have better luck with lesser distractions from the indoor light sources. You are given the option to toggle between wide and standard colour options and by doing so, can clearly see the difference with the colours.
The layout:
The Sony PSP 3000 is available in two common colours: Black and Silver. The silver model has a matte finish, while the black model has a glossy finish. Hence, you can have a smudge and fingerprint free handheld if you choose the silver model and vice versa if you opt for the black one. Unfortunately the displays of both the models are the smooth and shiny ones that remain to attract dust and fingerprints. Apart from these very minor cosmetic changes of the console, the button layout is basically the same as its predecessor. The display is fully surrounded by the buttons and the layout is based on the classic PlayStation Controller layout.
Navigation:
The four way directional pad is on the left and the square, triangle, cross and circle keys are in the right and you will find the two shoulder buttons along the top edge of the console. In the bottom left of the facia is an analogue thumb stick for precise movement. It would have been great to have a second thumbstick on the right of the device that mimics the design of a PlayStation controller. The array of media controls, select, start, volume, brightness and home button are lined up just after the display.
Built-in Mic:
A welcome addition to the PSP3000 is the built-in microphone that is located just beneath the display. This is a great inclusion as it can be used for online communication within the game or for using the Skype application. The single biggest advantage of having a mic integrated into the body of the console is that, the console can then be used with any standard pair of headphones. Whereas, the PSP2000 required a special pair of headset to communicate online. Since the layout is a familiar one, anyone who has used a Sony console over the last decade should be able to pick it up and play straightaway.
Ports in PSP-3000:
The headphone or AV jack on the bottom of the Sony Playstation Portable 3000 Handheld is compatible with any standard 3.5mm headphones and also works with the special PSP only AV out cables for connecting the device to TV. The USB port is retained in the centre top edge of the console. Sony has not included a cable in the package, but since it is a standard mini USB connector, you might have one lying around. You will find that the USB is flanked by two screw holes and they are for allowing the other accessories to be firmly attached to the frame. However, most of the people will use the USB connectivity only for making quick connections to the PC in order to transfer digital media, games and demos that are available through the online PlayStation store.
Features:
The Graphical User Interface:
If you own any gadget of Sony’s, you must certainly aware of its Cross Media Bar interface. The original PSP was the first product to use it and since then, it has been incorporated in to the Play Station 3 and many of the other television sets and AV receivers of Sony. Trip the “on” switch and you are greeted by the same familiar logo and XMB interface, but you will not miss to notice that it is bit more colourful with enhanced edge distinctiveness in terms of darks and lights. It is a pretty slick menu system that can be easily navigated through with the help of the D pad and the control buttons. However, with some of the applications, you will find that the simplicity of the system is lost. The web browser was not as well designed as the overall XMB menu system.
Firmware:
The PSP 3000 arrives running the version 4.20 firmware which has been updated to 5.01, so we were immediately set to be grabbing about it. It takes only a few seconds to configure the device to work with a home WiFi network, about a minute to download the patch and another couple of minutes to install, all in a wireless manner. Since the debut of the prior model, intervening updates have wonderfully exploited the abilities of the hardware with welcome features including free internet radio powered by SHOUTcast, LocationFree video watching from select Sony Electronics along with the Remote Play access to and control of a registered PlayStation 3.
The Media:
The Sony PSP is designed to play movies and games out of a new kind of media called Universal Media Disks (UMD), and this media is certainly not universal as its name indicates as Sony’s PSP is the only device that uses them. The UMD is a kind of combination of the mini CD and the old MiniDisc which holds only about 2.2GB of data. To load them, there is a snap open door on the rear of the device and the Memory Stick Duo slot remains to be on the left edge.
For now UMD stays to be the primary means of delivering the games to the PSP 3000 Handheld console, but Sony has been expanding the options that are available in the online PlayStation Store as well. This store allows the users to rent and buy movies and downloadable games and all these downloadable content is stored on the MemoryStick Duo.
WiFi functionality:
Though the PSP 3000 is primarily a gaming system, it has got some very notable media functionality as well, such as the built-in WiFi capability. With the WiFi feature, you will be able to connect the device to any wireless internet service, including those with the WEP and WPA encryption, but not the WPA2. One of the greatest disappointments with the WiFi feature is that the PSP3000 continues to be using the slowest 802.11b version; an upgrade to 11g or even the 11n is long overdue.
Built-in Skype Client:
The Sony PSP3000 is equipped with the built-in Skype client that can be used for the free Skype to Skype calls as well as the calls to and from the regular mobile phones, only if you have the paid Skype add-ons. Though this might not threaten to be the serious competition to the iPhone or any of the other dedicated mobile phones that are available in the market, the ability to make use of Skype, without the need of a headphone can certainly prove to be very useful.
Remote Play in PSP-3000:
Yet another unique feature of the PSP 3000 is the “Remote Play” which allows the PSP to log on into the PlayStation 3 either via home network or net and stream any video, audio and images that are stored in the PS3.
The Web Browser:
As we had mentioned earlier in the review, the PSP 3000 has a web browser, but you will end up desperate for a touch screen or a numeric keypad. The browser is not well designed and you will find that a lot of the graphically rich pages will be cramped or broken on the screen. This is basically because of the fact that there is very limited flash support and that it is not very robust. Said that, you will be able to control the cursor using the analogue and it is a very nice touch. Most of the people will find that the browsing experience in this Sony PSP is much better than their mobile browsing experience that they get via their phones.
Apart from the web browser is a RSS reader which could use an overhaul to make it easier to use and add your own feeds. There is also a very handy dedicated Google search icon and in addition to all these, the PSP is also equipped with a dedicated Shoutcast client that offers free streaming of internet radio. It is nothing but a plug-in that works via the browser, but since it is overdesigned, it is not as straightforward and easy to use as it should be otherwise.
The Gaming Features:
Though the PSP 3000 has a very impressive set of media and online features, most of the consumers tend to put the console secondary when it comes to gaming on the go. The Nintendo DS remains to be the king of portable gaming and we say this only based on the number of units sold. But you will find that there are lots of teens who are looking for some more sophisticated and less kid oriented games than what the DS offers. For those who are looking for some real killing, fighting and stuff and not great fans of, the cute stuff of Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Cooking Mama and Animal Crossing games, the PSP will certainly be a welcome breath.
Portable version of PS2?
Initially with the early stage of the PSP, it was knocked down just as a portable version of the PlayStation 2 as so many titles were simply the ports from the PlayStation 2 games. The hit list was mostly dominated by many of the franchise standbys, which includes Grand Theft Auto, SOCOM, Tekken and God of war too. You must also note that these phenomenal titles have been designed for the PSP from the scratch. For those who like some speeding and racing, there are sports, action, racing and shooter games, but all is not sweat and blood as you will also find plenty of quirky puzzle games like Puzzle quest, Lumines and LocoRoco. The list does not end here as the console has a host of family favourites including Ratchet and Clank and Daxter.
Online Multiplayer Component:
You would be delighted to know that most of the popular games have an online multiplayer component. While some of the games offer ad hoc multiplayer, some of the other titles offer Internet play or both. The online game play service is completely free; but the performance of these varies from title to tile and is also dependent on the network speed. The whole experience will be just as fun and fulfilling as playing on a home console.
The store:
The PlayStation store can be accessed via a single PlayStation Network account and you can also have a PS3 and the PSP on a single account. Hence, you will also have the PS3 movies purchased on the system offloaded to be viewed on the PSP.
Performance:
Video:
As far as video is concerned, the PSP3000 is capable of playing them from a variety of sources. Though it is very easy to just buy the pre-recorded UMD video discs, it is the most ill-advised idea. One of the best way outs is to copy your own set of videos from your system on to a Memory Stick Duo card and just pop it on to the PSP. You can also download a wide range of freeware and commercial software products that can readily convert files into PSP friendly formats and resolutions which are MPEG or H.264-AVC and up to 720 x 480 pixels. If you are ready to invest on an add on cable, you will also be able to output the PSP’s audio and video into a TV. One of the most annoying limitations of the PSP 2000 has been corrected in this model which will allow you to have video and game playback on pretty much any TV. In the case of the previous model, the game play had been limited to progressive scan only via the component video that limits you to the HDTV hook-ups. The PSP3000 also has the built-in capability to stream live television from any Sony LocationFree TV device, which is basically Sony’s version of the Slingbox. As long as the PSP is in a Wi-Fi hotspot, the device will be capable of streaming video and change the channels on the LocationFree box, even if you are half way around the globe.
Issue with the resolution:
One of the biggest disappointments with the videos is that, the videos of the UMD disks that have pre recorded videos and from that of a Memory Stick with home ripped videos can be displayed at the DVD level 720 x 480 pixels resolutions but note that the quality will differ depending on the compression of the video. They will fit into the widescreen display of your television set but since the games are locked to the native 480 x 272 pixel display, if your TV does not possess a robust zoom function, you will be stuck with just window boxed experience for gaming.
Audio:
The audio features of the PSP-3000 console are so good, that we can even say that it doubles as a very decent MP3 player. It can play a wide range of formats which includes DRM-free MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC and ATRAC3 files along with the support for album art; exciting! Is it not? In addition to this, it has a visualiser function and support for the Repeat and Shuffle modes. Its support for the images is equally good. The PSP3000 supports the JPEG, GIF and TIFF image formats and it displays the ones stored in the MS Duo card individually or as a slide show. The larger images may have to be compressed before viewing.
Graphics:
We have to appreciate Sony for its kind of graphics in the games as they are much better than what you get out of the DS. In fact, the games are at the level that you can expect from a Play Station 2.
Microphone and Speakers:
The microphone is well and alright when it is used to chat across the pond and bug family and friends via the Skpe, but there are complaints that there is some echo. We have no word on if it supports noise cancellation, but let us just say that the mic is still not the way you will want to talk smack in a friendly online match if, say you are playing in a noisy coffee shop or cafe. If you opt out the headphones, you have always got the external speakers which produces decent amount of volume for the games and UMD movies. But the volumes of the videos that are copied over to the memory stick have very less potential.
Power:
For the sake of power, the PSP3000 has a 5 volt AC power adaptor and the device can also be charged via USB. The only issue is that, charging via USB is a little bit time consuming when compared to the time consumed by the power adaptor to charge the device.
Warranty:
Sony PSP3000 comes with one year limited warranty.
Note:
Though Sony has released its latest model the Sony PSP GO, the PSP 3000 will continue to be sold alongside the most expensive sibling.
Conclusion:
If you ask us if PSP 3000 will be able to replace your iPod, iPhone or even a portable DVD player; for the die-hard media lovers, the answer is no. But if you are looking to travel with a few hours of music and TV shows, then the console makes for a good diversion from a game and also eliminates the need to lug a second device along with you. Though you will not be getting a bigger display as you would get with a DVD player, on the positive side, the PSP is less bulky and you will have a bigger display than the iPod or iPhone. We all are aware of the fact that a small but growing library of games is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. In addition to this, they also offer far better web browsing, communications and media options and this means that Apple is as big rival to the PSP as the Nintendo currently is.
If you already own a PSP 2000, then we do not think that you need an upgrade unless you are looking to enjoy the minor tweaks like better video and microphone. If you are an original PSP owner and skipped the PSP 2000, you will see an even more dramatic difference upgrading.
Check 2010 Best Game Consoles in this website.
Sony PSP 3000 Handheld - Technical Specification Table
4.3 inches / 10.9 cm (16:9) full-transparent type, TFT driveApproximately 16,770,000 coloursRead-only Universal Media Disc driveUniversal Media Disc Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile Level 3.Universal Media Disc Music: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile Level 3,
Linear PCM, ATRAC3plus™. Memory Stick™Headphones , USB , Composite video outputDC IN 5V connector. Video out/headset connector.
Hi-Speed USB. DC OUT connector.
Memory Stick Duo™ slot.
Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b)Sony PSP Go, AC adaptor, a USB chord,
Media GO software and an instruction manual
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