PSP GO- Is it worth it?

[Shredder]

I loves me my DS, but I've also tossed around the idea of also getting a PSP at some point. I have had the original PlayStation through the PlayStation 3, but I've never had a PSP. Lately, I've heard about the PSP Go and I'm wondering if this is a good time to jump in and get a PSP. Since I don't have loads of boxed PSP games or UMD movies, the downloadable-only thing wouldn't be a problem. I like the new controller setup on it and the general concept, but it seems kind of overpriced. Does anyone have the Go and do you recommend it? For that matter, does anyone even recommend the regular PSP? I know it doesn't compare to the DS (probably my favorite current gen system), but it is worth getting? Thanks!

[Mr. Snackpants]

My roomate got one. I will say it's a nice looking piece of technology, but it's not cheap.

If it's something you've been looking at getting, I think it would be worth looking into the original or maybe even the slim version. With the Go out now there should be some bargains on eBay or something.

[愛]

I own a PSP-1000 model, and I got it modified so I can play emulators and whatnot on it (*coughFREEGAMEScough*), and I can say that it is a great system for playing more graphically appealing games on the go. While it'll never compare to current console graphics, they are quite nice for the price.

They've begun to remake older Playstation games for the PSP, and buy the originals on the PSN to be played on either PS3 or PSP, so that's a cool thing they've been doing lately.

Overall, I think while the PSP Go looks sleek and more up to date technologically, the older models are worth the price.

[Cure]

If I were to buy a PSP, I'd go with the older models simply so I can buy actual discs instead of downloading them. You know, for used games and whatnot.

[ThirdMarioBro]

I bought a PSP-1000 and a 3000. The differences between the two are few, but I'll give a run-down.

The older 1000 series (aka PSP Phat from here on out) is easy as pie to hack. Do a TIFF exploit and you're golden. I did this years (years? Dude...) ago to run emulators and junk. Good games combined with old Nintendo emulators made the PSP a cool system, but it had a fatal flaw. The D-pad was sh*t. It was so stiff and unpleasant to use that it hindered my enjoyment of the platform for a good while.

Overall though, the PSP-1000 was a great little device, but the new releases started to trickle down to nothing after a while. Fortunately, rather than let the PSP die at the hand of the DS, Sony pulled a 180 and threw money behind the thing, kissed developer ass, and brought it back from the brink. Then came the PSP Slim (aka, the PSP-2000 and 3000 models). These are the current "regular" PSPs you see in stores now. Much improved overall. Its lighter, cheaper, and the controls are all fixed. The D-pad is actually good enough to reliably play portable fighting games for the first time. I love the thing to death. Its only flaw is that its a tad more of a pain to hack for the purpose of running all that cool illegitimate stuff (notice I said "hard", but not "impossible"). Overall, I think the PSP-3000 is a brilliant little machine.

For the record, I buy my games legal, but I wanted the convenience of loading them all on the memory stick. Hacking the PSP made this a breeze. I buy the game on UMD, then downloaded me a bootleg copy to put on the system. It saved battery, time, and space doing things this way.

But of course, there's some of us that don't want to deal in this shady realm of piracy. Also, you've got to realize that I'm a possessive freak. I'm totally psycho about Digital Rights Management and having hard copies of my software, so buying games digitally and leaving Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft the keys to my purchases has never been a comfortable situation for me.

If DRM is a problem for you, go with the PSP-3000 and get the physical copies of new releases. If not, the PSPgo might be good since you're a new owner. Let me say that as an existing PSP owner, I would never give the PSPgo a second glance because there's no way to transfer my existing software library. I've got around 25 PSP games. Do they want me to re-buy all those games on the new machine? No way.

Fortunately for you, the PSPgo is targeted at new users with no "baggage". If you have never owned a PSP before, you can just buy games online and download them direct. They've got pretty much all the stuff worth owning on the PlayStation Store. Its easy to manage, much more portable, and the little thing does look awesome. But it still has one MAJOR problem. The battery isn't removable. Like the PS3 controllers before it, you can't take the battery out of the PSPgo if it wears out from usage and will no longer hold a charge. What do you do then? Handhelds aren't like an iPod. You don't throw them out every couple of years (or less) for a new model. Do you send it to Sony for an expensive repair just to get a new battery? Do you buy another and transfer your games over? What if there is a limit to how many times you can transfer your digital purchases?

Its a shady situation. That's why overall, I'd recommend the standard PSP Slim over the PSpgo any day. Its got a bigger screen, wonderful controls, you can still access the PlayStation store, the battery is replaceable, you've still got access to retail software, and most importantly, its nearly a full hundred bucks cheaper. The fact that the standard model is still on store shelves should tell you that even Sony doesn't have enough faith in the Go than to not shove it down people's throats as the only option for new users. The PSPgo is a good idea ruined by DRM and the greed of the corporate suits at Sony trying exasperatingly to kill the used games market.

[Brodie]

I'm going to go ahead and agree with everyone who's recommending the older PSP systems, because the Go just doesn't really warrant the pricetag. The PSP is a great system to grab some good used games on, and with the GO, much like Cure said, you lose the ability to buy those used games.

The only upside being the sales that the store has every so often, much like the PS3 network store, they have random sales that are pretty decent.

[Shredder]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, everyone. I am leaning now toward the PSP 3000 now, mainly because even though I like the new control setup and portability of the Go, it just doesn't seem like enough to make it worth the extra money. I'll probably be getting one within the next few weeks. Or I might wait for one of those bundle deals so I can get a silver or white one. Either way, I'll post again when I buy it. Feel free to continue discussing the PSP or PSP Go here, though!

[GreasyBoi]

I remember when I had the original PSP. They had good games for it, (TMNT wasn't a real good one) like Grand Theft Auto, and others.
What happened to it was a sad story.

[Shredder]

Well, I finally got myself a PSP! I ended up buying the PSP 3000 with Twisted Metal: Head On and Silent Hill: Origins. I'm really enjoying it so far. It does play a lot like a mini Playstation and I'm very impressed with the graphics and sound. It's definitely different from the DS but I like that it's its own thing. I'll soon be checking out the Playstation Network store to see what else to eventually get. I also saw a PSP Go on display in the store and the screen is so much smaller than the 3000, I can't see why anyone would pay the extra money for it. Anyway, cool little system. Any recommendations for games or favorites on the PSP?

[Dan]

It all depends what type of games your into.