Joystiq hands-on with the new PSP

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 12th 2007 at 3:57PM }

We spent some alone time with the newly announced PSP redesign. At first glance, the system appears to be identical to the original system, but getting our hands on the system revealed that this is, in fact, a significant upgrade to the original. The most immediate thing we noticed was how light the system is: the original was in no ways heavy, but the new handheld is certainly much lighter, without making it too feathery.

The glossy new finish of the redesigned PSP is very attractive, although we're afraid that it might attract fingerprints much more easily than the already susceptible original. Regardless, the shiny new sheen makes the system makes the original look dull in comparison.

The new system is thinner, mostly due to the newly designed UMD door. Instead of having mechanical gears that force the system open, this system features a latch that must be opened by hand. The door feels much more secure than the original. According to John Koller, dropping the system won't result in the UMD shooting out, as it did in the previous system design.

In addition to being slimmer, the new system also has redesigned buttons that feel much more responsive than the original. The D-Pad and face buttons all have a little bit more resistance to them, making the tactile sensation of using the system that much better. Unfortunately, Koller explained that the analog nub is not improved, although we found that a brand-new system works better than our system from launch.

There are also a few more minor changes, such as the omission of the unused IR port. The Wi-Fi switch has been moved to the top of the system, where it's less likely to be hit by accident. The Memory Stick port was moved to the other side of the system, and is much more cramped. We're a little disappointed by that change, because it makes swapping the Stick out of the system a little bit more difficult than previously.

The new headphone jack (pictured, above) not only moves further to the left of the system, but utilizes a new pin system that allows for the system's video-out. Component or composite cables can be used for TV out, but Koller explains that PSP game output will only be component-compatible. Movies (of both Memory Stick and UMD flavors) can use either component or composite cables. The video output of UMD video is especially impressive, due to the UMD's high video resolution. Many people have forgotten that UMD movies are encoded in DVD resolution: 480p. We're certain that this new feature will make UMD movies more viable than they have in the past.

We're very excited about the new PSP redesign. Many were quick to write it off when it didn't appear to be significantly different from the original. However, it's clear that this is a significantly better system that not only looks better, but feels much better. We can't wait for the retail release later this year.

Tags: breakingnews, e307, e3breakingnews, handson, joystiqfeatures, psp, PSPLite, sony

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 4:05PM

i want one just for the TV out. I love my PSP but it would be great to be able to play some of the games on the big screen.

cc123 @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

Whoa. I hadn't seen that you could output the games to a TV! That just confirmed my purchase.

Old one for open edition firmware and new one for everything else.

cuso26 @ Jul 12th 2007 4:06PM

Seriously guys, you need to shoot with a better camera... what is that, a low-end phone camera?

Karen @ Jul 12th 2007 4:35PM

Is it the camera or they don't know how to use one.

eldee @ Jul 12th 2007 4:48PM

Yeah, I agree.. looks like it was shot with a last-gen camera phone.

OMG! the new PSP is.. blurry?

Vladimir356 @ Jul 13th 2007 2:43PM

Yeagh man, you need a better camera. go over to one of the engadget guys and ask if you can use one XD!

Jerk Face @ Jul 12th 2007 4:06PM

Honestly? It's really not that different.

I don't have a PSP but I am definitely past the days of bashing it. It has a decent library of games now and a ton of good RPGs are coming out for it this year (which intrigues me). But I think if they're going to redesign it they could have upped the bar a little more than what they have with this.

Jerk Face @ Jul 12th 2007 4:09PM

Perhaps I should read the article before I post. Maybe you have to get your hands on it to tell (as the post implies.)

Touché, Sony, Touché!

Doc @ Jul 12th 2007 4:06PM

still, with no dual stick support and no internal HDD...i'm not interested. i was hoping for a "real" psp one with a HDD for games and movies they have a lot to offer in terms of content, this is sad IMO. If the ipod didn't have the support of a internal HDD it wouldn't be that great,same here with the psp having all my content in one device is what "was" needed. The psp has a lot going for it , but this seems like a lost oppertunity.

Matt B @ Jul 12th 2007 4:25PM

I thought it had 8GB of internal memory?

Konny @ Jul 12th 2007 4:07PM

What resolution do the games output at? 480p? That would be great... just in time for Chains of Olympus.

(although, im not getting a psp anytime soon)

Iron Shiek @ Jul 12th 2007 4:07PM

That is so tiny. I bet you could fit it in a duffle bag now.

Joshua @ Jul 12th 2007 4:08PM

I'm interested in seeing how PSP games look on a TV, and if the video output for games has any use on this system.

Triforceowner @ Jul 12th 2007 4:09PM

I might pick one of these up now that there are some good games coming out for it. You know, Locco Rocco... and...

kennethrios @ Jul 12th 2007 4:11PM

Clever Sony Banter:

EX #1: We are doing fair in the hand-held market but we cannot touch the numbers that DS is pulling every single week. Our PS3 sector is draining us as well. We need a new game plan.

EX #2: If only we could get those who already have a PSP to invest in another.

**A Moment of bushy beard rubbing**

EX #1 & EX #2: Genius!

Travis @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

Yeah, what a bunch of sleezy businessmen. I can't believe they took on of their products and made it better in interest of selling more.

I for one will not stand for this kind of shady behavior. That's why I stayed the hell away from the improved XBox 1 controller, the redesigned PSOne, the redesigned PS2, and the DS Lite.

When will these companies learn that we don't want them to compete for our business by improving their products?

borland502 @ Jul 12th 2007 4:39PM

Heh cute, but ultimately tossing stones from a glass house considering all the gameboy derivatives that appear year after year. Even the DS has already had its first revision.

kennethrios @ Jul 12th 2007 5:07PM

Improvements are great. Producers should constantly seeking perfection of their product in order to better both their profits and the industry as a whole. I (and nearly everyone else) have yet to play around with the new PSP to know whether it is worth the price (of buying it for the first time or, in a few cases, re-buying it). Also, the Big N is the master of the re-release. No argument there.

sheppy @ Jul 12th 2007 4:12PM

All I know is this for certain. Just because of the TV Out, I'll be adding a third PSP to my console collection... possibly selling my launch unit (thus making my hacked console up for sale as I hack my white one) to recoup some of the price. The TV Out alone is worth the price to me.

BPM @ Jul 12th 2007 4:39PM

Forget eBay, I'll buy it from ya. How does $130 (plus shipping) sound?

sheppy @ Jul 12th 2007 4:49PM

Actually... sounds pretty good. Tell you what, send me a message on AIM or Yahoo. My accounts there are sheppyboy2000. I should be on between the hours of 9pm-12pm central. I'll have to do some looking but based upon what I find, I'm unsure if I'll chuck a 512MB memory stick your way or a 1GB. I have a 512, 1gb, and 2gb. I know I'll give ya one. Hell, for $130 plus shipping, I'll throw some nifty stuff on the stick as well.

Mick @ Jul 12th 2007 4:13PM

Nothing improved on the ghosty screen??? I want a PSP in spite of the fact the screen has terrible response time. Improved screen is a must!

Nate @ Jul 12th 2007 4:15PM

No. I won't have my money stolen by this atrocity...

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 12th 2007 4:17PM

I think it was better the change between the DS Phat to the DS Lite...

Stevie @ Jul 12th 2007 4:34PM

That might have something to do with the fact that the original DS was an atrocity :)

Reuben @ Jul 12th 2007 4:20PM

Im not really that impressed, at least not as impressed as I was when the DS light came out. When the light hit I felt like I had been ripped off in buying a DS phat, but I don't get the same feeling with this new PSP. There aren't enough new features that make this worthwhile for those of us who already have a PSP, but I'm sure it will be snatched up by the uninitiated.

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

Yeah, I felt the same way about the DS Lite.

It's kind of funny, because if they don't improve it enough, people say they are being ripped off. If they improve it too much, people say they were ripped off by the first one.

Travis @ Jul 12th 2007 4:28PM

I agree. The DS Lite definitely was a much bigger step. Although I think that's more because of how hideous the original DS was. It looked like something from the 80s.

I definitely had no interest in a DS until the Lite came out, which I got the day it showed up in stores. I'm a bit interested in this new PSP just because it'd be a nice media player with the added bonus of playing some cool games.

Adwiian @ Jul 12th 2007 5:59PM

I find that the changes from phat to lite and the changes from the old PSP to the new PSP are very similar. Think about it. They're both redesigns, changing the placement of the microphone/headphone jack/ON lights. The hardware for each of them has slightly increased (i.e. Battery life and brightness for the DS, RAM for the PSP), they're buttons have become more resistant, and they've both become lighter and glossier.
Had the L button on my Phat not died, I probably wouldn't have traded it in for a Lite (BTW, the Lite's shoulder buttons both died, the hinge cracked AND the entire top screen would just die at inconvenient times. Thankfully I was able to replace it (again)). I'm going to tell people what I said when the DS Lite came out; don't bother getting it if you have the old one, but if you're new to the market or you're filthy stinkin' rich (how many gamers are!?!) go ahead and get it.

thispaceforsale @ Jul 12th 2007 4:21PM

new headphone pin- does that mean existing headphones are unusable with an adapter?

Brian @ Jul 12th 2007 4:29PM

I believe it just means you wouldn't be able to use the old wired remote. It still has regular headphone jack, the little data slot thingy next to it has changed. (As far as I can tell by looking at the pictures.)

Travis @ Jul 12th 2007 4:30PM

I doubt it. It most likely just goes deeper so that the video connector is long and touches against a contact that is deeply inset.

TwistedBishop @ Jul 12th 2007 4:22PM

So did they move the speakers to the front of the system instead of the bottom now? That would really improve sound quality when not using headphones.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 4:25PM

freaking amen.

speakers on the bottom was a bad idea.

in the pictures shown yesterday, it looks like they were moved to the front, but I'm not sure if thats the case or not.

OrganicShadow @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

I'm happy about the "update"(not a redesign by any stretch of the imagination), and I am impressed by the video out functionality, but it's a shame that the LCD screen and UMD drive make the PSP cost so much to manufacture, or else we would have gotten built-in flash storage- perhaps in addition to the Memory Stick slot.

Maybe the next "update" will tickle us with 4gb to 8gb of internal storage?

jp @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

nintendo prob made the ds phat on purpose to fool people
thinkin the ds lite is awesome it should of looked like the ds lite from the start

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 12th 2007 4:23PM

Maybe Sony should add a second screen and touchscreen... that will work better.

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 4:25PM

LOL

chris @ Jul 12th 2007 4:24PM

I would have preferred dark photos rather than blurry ones.

JK @ Jul 12th 2007 4:30PM

@Fernando:
That's because the DS Phat looked like ass before.

sheppy @ Jul 12th 2007 4:30PM

You know, based on usage and such, battery life was comparable to DS Lite. I gotta wonder, if Sony packed in the higher capacity battery (which added 33% more power) AS WELL as as increased battery efficiency, will we see a PSP with better battery life than DS Lite?

It's improbable but certainly not impossible.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 4:32PM

supposedly the new psp (according to the most recent post on joystiq) gets about 8-10 hours. My dslite gets about 12-14, and my current psp gets about 6-8.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 12th 2007 4:38PM

They dont add a 33% more efficient battery... they add a 33% smaller battery with the same capacity of the old one.

And the battery on the PSP is not even nearly to the DS Lite battery. The DS Lite with a brightnes equally of the PSP (level 3 of 4) last for about 10 hours, a lot more than the PSP. In brightness level 1, the battery last for about 15 hours. Noob.

sheppy @ Jul 12th 2007 5:14PM

Okay, found pics.

Original battery which came with PSP. Unsure if these are the current pack-ins.

http://i8.ebayimg.com/01/i/05/9e/e6/72_1.JPG

The higher capacity unit. 33% more charge according to press info (don't have one myself, can't test).

http://www.digimartz.com/images/094.jpg

bigd7387 @ Jul 12th 2007 4:32PM

But did they fix the dead/stuck pixels? I've had 5 now and the current one has about 75 white pixels stuck along the top of the screen. Screw re-design and get a better quailty screen.

sheppy @ Jul 12th 2007 4:35PM

You know, you really should update your "trolling 101" handbook. Because you'd realize that, should any stuck pixel be within a half inch of another, you'd be in for a replacement from Sony. Stuck pixels haven't been an issue for a long time.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 4:39PM

and I have absolutely 0 stuck pixels.

isn't anecdotal evidence fun

Brandon @ Jul 12th 2007 4:32PM

The fact that the memory stick opening is in a tighter location doesnt bother me now, since plugging the system in via usb will also charge. I dont take it out often anyway.

Roger Rees @ Jul 12th 2007 4:50PM

I think this is a great update. I love my DS Lite, but I think this is a better step. All because of the video out. I'm glad I recently sold my PSP on ebay for $140 just before this announcement was made. I may actually consider buying one of these when it comes out.