Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) launch date and price

by Joshua Fruhlinger { Oct 27th 2004 at 7:59AM }

sony psp Sony's PlayStation Portable, or PSP, will be released in Japan on December 12, 2004 - just 10 days after the Nintendo DS launches there. Sony has set the price at 19,800 Yen, just under $200 US. Sony is also promising 21 games out before end of year. Confirmed launch titles will include Metal Gear Acid, Dynasty Warriors, Vampire Chronicle, Puyo Pop Fever, Hot Shots Golf, Ridge Racer, Need For Speed Underground Rivals, and Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour. As for battery life, Sony has gone on record to promise "between four and six hours for game titles and continuous four to five hours for video viewing." Memory sticks, straps, and cases will be available at launch separately as well. Looks like an early 2005 release for US and Europe isn't crazy talk.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

russdogg @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

psp all the way.

Hooty @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

At that price it will be a huge success!

Alexander Hahn @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Folks that is a nice price. Does anybody know if the PSP is region free, like the Nintendo DS is? I'm travelling to Tokyo in December and that would be great!

Buenos Dios from Germany
Alex

manish @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

psp rocks

Justin @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

VERY nice price, but 4 hours of gameplay time? SO conflicted - this is one that I won't be on line for until there are a few reviews out. 4-5 hours vs. 10 hours for my GBA SP? Granted the graphics are no-contest, but when it comes down to some hardcore *portable* gaming you can't argue with those numbers.

Joshua Fruhlinger @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Unfortunately, there will be region encoding on the UMDs.

Logan P. @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

PSP wouldn't be region free in a billion years. 99.9% guarantee that it won't be, so don't get your hopes up.

Reggie @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Regarding game play time, that's why they are selling spare battery packs at ~$45.

Uncle Sam @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Think about it. When there is CD, it require give time to load while cartridge load faster. During the lack of battery in low amount of hours, it wouln't be pleasant to play and switch new expensive battery. Oh boy...

Jon Acheson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

4-5 hours of gameplay = failed handheld. And that's been proven over and over by the market.

As for the add-on battery packs, the thing is already a brick, adding more mass makes it an even worse handheld.

Plus, the design doesn't even protect the screen.

IHO, this story has been over since Nintendo showed the DS at E3, and Sony knows it.

Kamalot @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Thihs thing keeps getting more and more expensive. At $200 + Memory Stick + Game you are already looking at 2 Nintendo DS' with much longer battery life (2x) and the ability to share a game over the wireless.

You also know that when they say 4-5 hours, they really mean 4. I wonder how much the wireless cuts into it since that sounds like the most interesting part.

Costas @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

"PSP wouldn't be region free in a billion years. 99.9% guarantee that it won't be, so don't get your hopes up."

Well, I guess someone invented the flux capacitor, because the PSP WILL be region-free. There are several articles (i think one at ign.com) that verify this.

Think about it.....its a PORTABLE device! Why wouldn't it be region free??

As far as the battery life, from what i hear, it takes DS four hours to charge, and PSP only about 2hrs, coupled with the fact that the DS battery isn't removeable.

PSP Fanboy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

I think the PSP will rock the world of the Nintendo DS evil! EVIL IS TELLS YE!!
for one the graphics and release dates are WAY more muture and Nintendo STILL can't let go of its kiddy Tokens (mario and zelda) Where the Sony PSP is targeted at 18-25 Year olds so I'm gonna get one, and as for 2 screens wow like that hasn't been done by Atari before (see one of there prototypes) 2 screens isn't an advantage the only thing is the Touch sceen! if Sony PSP announced a touch sceen they would leave Nintendo DS bleeding in a gutter

PSPFanboy (Nintendo can rot in hell)

John Estrada @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

I'd like to go on record as being the first to say (not that everyone doesn't know it) that the Nintendo DS is the 1st (and major) step towards Nintendo taking getting back many of it's 3rd party publishers and taking over the home console market and all game markets within the next few years. If you've been involved in gaming as long as I have (25 years plus) you'll see this coming. Goodbye Sony and Microsoft. Get as much money as you can for now.

BigTunaCan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Sony is about to get thier ass spanked by Nintendo just like everyone else that has tried to compete in the handheld market.

Jawn @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

I plan on getting the psp mainly because it is multi-functional and the games are better. Mario and Zelda where cool...10 years ago, but as a HUGE Gran Turismo fan I plan on sticking with the PlayStation line.

Michael @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

I have great news guys. The psp will be region free. check out lik sang for details, and even oreder the psp!!!!

Isaac @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

%#$@ you guys but I admit that the PSP is better than the DS I'm going to get THE PSP because it has the video player.

Jeremy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

There are many other video players out there, so why would you acquire the PSP just because it can play videos? The Gameboy advance can play videos, and there is a good chance that the DS will too. I thought you bought a "gaming handheld" primarily for gaming, not for watching videos.

jerome @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

SOny is floating on a dream thinking they will ever touch Nintendo's dominating handheld market. THe screen protection is for the birds and its playing time is weak. Good luck going on a day of travel and thinking you will get a full days out of it. That thing will be dead on the first flight. It takes many years to be perfect at something and Nintendo has proven that. Sony needs to worry about playing with home systems and let Ninendo do what htey do best and that is make grat portable systems.

andrew @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

hey look if played on both nintendo and playstation devices and to tell you the truth there all great just they need to put everything into one machine i mean like nintendo needs to make video playing ability on it and i think a great addition is music on one think if you have everything on one who needs computers and i-pods if you have it all on one im sure the PSP will kick but it needs a better battery life but i think its going to be better then the DS but you never know lol but whats next a portable x-box? well we'll just have to wait and see

Raphael @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Have u guys played the DS yet? I bought 3 of them on the first day and already gave away 2 to my nephews and I'm geting ready to sell the other one, for starters there are no good games on it right now (mario 64 was cool on the N64 years ago but come on now)the touch screen is more of a distraction than anything else, my 5 year old son played it for about 5 minutes and put it down cause it was too unconfortable to hold (this thing is HUGE) and after playing for a little bit my hands hurt too.
Now the PSP looks easier to hold and with a normal analog controller(which we are all used to) it will be easier to play 3d games. As for battery life just get an extra battery and deal with it, do u expect anything but greatness from Sony,the battery life will be shorter than ds and gbsp because there's a disc that needs to be read but at the same time games can be bigger and look wayyyy better than on the DS, did I mention that the DS is HUGE and impossible to hold by a kid, I want my PSP now

Ken Waldo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Are you kidding me? The DS is just as big as a GBA. Now I love Nintendo Portables, but I'm no fanboy. I know that the DS is a great handheld. As always, Sony goes for quantity over quality. They cram everything they can into one unit, jack up a price and suck some silly people in. Actually, I take that back. The PSP doesn't seem all that bad, but let's check history for a moment. Gameboy was inferior to the Gamegear. Gamegear had color screen, better sound, the works. Also had CRAP battery life, and rehashes of sega titles. Probably lasted the LONGEST of competitors, which isn't saying much. As far as the comment on the "kiddy games" for nintendo handhelds? Hah. Anyone who says that hasn't even played a system in years. There is Fire emblem, Shining force, Street Fighter, Zelda, Golden Sun, and the list goes on. And if I hear one more time about Mario and Zelda being kiddy games...let your 6 year old play one and tell me how long it takes him before he cries. I'm no fanboy, but I know the facts. Nuff said.

joanna tsourou @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

i was happy on getting the psp, but you now have all confused me and i don't know what to do now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ben @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

i'll consider getting one, but probably not right away. as Ken Waldo said "let's check history for a moment". the first few version realeases of PSX (the original release PS, not PSOne) after a amount of time/use had to be set on their side (propped at a 45 degree angle) to keep running, because motors would burn out due to overheating, things got loose, etc. i know because it happened to my friend. before he found out the 45 degree trick, the unit would shake so bad it practically skittered across the floor once it started acting up. then he would have to tap on the lid til it stopped vibrating around, otherwise the game wouldn't load at all. and as for PS2s, the same friend and i BOTH had to buy new units in less than a year and a half. mine started getting disc read errors out the wahzoo suddenly, and tho he games slightly more than most, it just stopped working. like it fried itself or something. so, all in all, i'll probably get one, just going to wait for it to be more stable. and i would totally have a DS right now, just no money.

Ryan Mark @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

i would just like to give props for sony for making a solid portable gaming system. The PSP is being strewn about in this thread so i thought i might clarify some facts... The PSP is nearly identical in width to the ds, although the height of the ds is about twice as tall as the psp, the ds is twice as wide as the sp and about twice as tall. They both have the ability to share one game between two systems while in multiplayer. If you indeed "look at the history" you will see that when Sony and Nintendo squared off in 2001 sony out sold them in the first week selling 1.5 million PS2 units to Nintendo's 700,000 Gamecubes, and Sony has shown the ability to hang on to its definitive lead for about three years selling nearly 222 million units worldwide by far outselling both xbox and gamecube combined. Although many have expressed doubt as to whether or not the psp's screen and analog stick will be able to last, there will be, like true with most large electronics devices, be accesories made by independant companies to address this issue if sony does not. I may also point out the reason most people believe the Nintendo games are little kiddish is because the unrealistic graphics and nature of most of Nintendo's titles
i also might point out the name of Nintendo's handhelds... Game-boy why not Game-man if its so grown up. With both handhelds running about the same as their tethered brothers it basically comes down to which you you would want more in your pocket, the PS2 or the gamecube, i think 222 million "silly" people just like me would prefer the PS2.

-i dont think i can take another four months of this... until march.. or june or whenever it drops.. until then, good luck resisting Nintendo's velumptious ds.

check playasia.com they've got one of the first reviews and an excess of psp pics to go along

jonathan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

i think psp will kick ass. it is more aim to an adult crowd. i think the Nintendo still aim for a young crowd. and thats what works for them. but i have allways love playsation. one reason i am not getting the ds is. it is a little kiddy. but the PSP is a MANS toy. the graphics look a hell lot better than the ds. ( but square eniqux better make final fantasy for the PSP)

Jordan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

I would just like to say that pspfanboy is the most pathetic person I have ever heard of, how can you be that obsessed over hating nintendo. My oppinion is that Nintendo DS is much more worth it, I own one and it has alot more than mario and zelda, and yes, Gran turismo is one of my favs, but 4hrs of game play...c'mon people, and if you are using the video player, it's only 2hrs. so I seriously would perfer you to the DS.

Jordan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Ryan Mark, you are an idiot, "game-man"?? Really, grow up.

hack41 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

What are you all on crack. PSP will rule the day. Nintendo knows it and you should too. Nintendo released worldwide in order to beat PSP to market, and make some money before their days are gone. Nintendo knew it could not compete back in the PS1 days. PS1 was released while the Super Nintendo was the hot ticket. Nintendo went to work and the best they could muster was the Nintendo 64?!?! Then they went back to the drawing board (tales between their legs) and the best they could do was Game Cube, an excellent system if Nintendo were going to compete with the PS1., but they were competing with the PS2. Now Sony anounces they are going to compete in the handheld market. Nintendo releases the GBA, then the GBASP, in order to make some extra money to feed R&D on the GBDS. All this time knowing that Sony will come out with a product similar to PS2 in a handheld., and all they come up with is the GBDS, I played the DS today and if this is all they can come up with, Nintendo is in trouble. Sorry for the history lesson but I have been in this industry for 28 years and I have seen it all come and go, and in this game developer/programmer's opinion Nintendo fans will be surprised, and Sony will rule the day.

Billybob @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Both are awesome people!
DS=PSP
Not PSP>DS or DS>PSP!!!

I will probably play the PSP more though because of its video and MP3, better graphics and all that jazz.

But DS is awesome too! Touch screen, 2 screens, pictochat's pretty cool, and soon nintendo will probably make some kind of NDS online service. What other big announcement would they make at that press conference on like january 25 or whatever?

Does anyone know the specifics about PSP's wireless? How far it goes, how many people, if it is confirmed to be online?

Danny @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

In the playstation vs nintendo case i like nintendo better. I own both with pretty good games, like both of them, but i spend more time w my gamecube. I like bringing my gamecube to my friends house or to a party and have some multiplayer fun! games like mario party6 and super smash brothers sound kiddy but i dont really care, we laugh our asses off hurting my side telling them to stop making me laugh b4 i piss in my pants. PS2 i use for mostly one player games(all GTAs, final fantasy)(gamecube also metroid prime and resident evil 4hehe, u ever tried paper mario? fun have time and push buttons to hit, i also have for gc nfs2 and burnout3)i have fun, but not as much.

I want a DS, 30-100ft built in wireless, touch screen, pico-chat(built in talking and drawing sending thing up to 16 at once!), 6-10hrs. I bought a gamecube for games not dvd player so yeah. I can see my kiddy mario adn my pikachu enough. I will buy a DS because of the fun factor not a PSP cause it is "mature" im playing games for fun but i do like psp. and yes i do like mario, link, and pokemon. tak, sly cooper? i didnt really like those. i guess im a nintendo fan.

do u know when ds lower prices?

p2p @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

hack41, for someone who's been in the industry for 28 years, you sure do have a short memory.

Time will tell, but I think Sony's days of dominance may be drawing to a close. I guess, after Nintendo's dominance during the S/Nes and Super/Famicom era Nintendo got complacent and arrogant - what else could explain a company releasing BOTH the N64 and GC a full year-and-a-half after PS and PS2 respectively?

Now, as we all well know, in a typical 5 year console cycle, launching your machine one-and-a-half years after your competitor (especially when your competitor happens to be Sony) is commercial suicide. You can see the GC floundering - considering that the N64 sold 33 million units worldwide, GC sales are quite pitiful. Especially here in the UK.

This is why I think NDS is a return-to-form for the Kyoto giant: a comparatively cheap, relatively powerful, innovative, 3D handheld. A system marketed well and timed perfectly (just before thanksgiving, as if you guys need reminding!).

Unlike Sega, who ran out of money with the Dreamcast, Nintendo's not going anywhere.

I think also now that Micosoft will almost certainly launch their next system well before PS3 and Nintendo will launch 'Revolution' at around the same time as PS3, Sony's market share will come under sustained attack like never before.

nike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

Can anyone comment now on whether the psp is indeed region free? Are there any downsides to buying one in Japan right now, as oppossed to waiting for US delivery?
thanks

dazla23 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

SEGA and NINTENDO are the only true consoles, unfortunately SEGA are no more, which leaves NINTENDO. The NINTENDOS DS is not that impressive, as NINTENDO have decided to go for cartridges again (bad idea). SONY have never been my favourites in the console world, (being a massive SEGA fan) but the psp is far superior.

the don @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM

hey guys, dunno what all the arguing is about, lol, look, sony has launched an unbelieveable new handheld console, and its about time, this thing does everything,games, music, video, pictures, what more do u want, the psp wipes the floor with the ds, hands down. i cant see how u can complain about the battery life, with a console this good, who cares buy another battery, u cant have it every way. u can buy a ds which has crap graphics, crap sound, crap games, a dodgey touch screen and an all round waste of money, or u can buy the psp, i know what i'd rather have, psp all the way