We like that the price-conscious streamlining resulted in such a clean, simplified look. If only Sony hadn't streamlined the Wi-Fi out of it.
We like that the price-conscious streamlining resulted in such a clean, simplified look. If only Sony hadn't streamlined the Wi-Fi out of it.
Reader Comments (55)
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:24AM DeXterminator said
I got a "good luck" at it and I say I would wait for the Vita. lol
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:27AM NaeemTHM said
Sony needs to cut this crap out. Why do they keep releasing hardware with REMOVED function? The PS3 lost PS2 backwards compatibility, the PSP Go got rid of the UMD drive, and now a PSP sans WiFi?
Not a good move in my opinion.
Not a good move in my opinion.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:40AM sigma8 said
@Dickhole Pasta
The PS3 thing is stupid. Claiming it's better to buy a cheap PS2 in addition to the PS3 in order to play your old library is silly....but a PSP with no wifi is acceptable, so long as they continue to offer one with Wifi.
Reality check--the earlier joystiq entry on this (which i got by clicking the E1000 link) said mac users would be out of luck...but mac users with PS3's could use the PS3 to load stuff from PSN onto this new PSP, right?
Reply
The PS3 thing is stupid. Claiming it's better to buy a cheap PS2 in addition to the PS3 in order to play your old library is silly....but a PSP with no wifi is acceptable, so long as they continue to offer one with Wifi.
Reality check--the earlier joystiq entry on this (which i got by clicking the E1000 link) said mac users would be out of luck...but mac users with PS3's could use the PS3 to load stuff from PSN onto this new PSP, right?
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:37PM liquidsoap89 said
@Dickhole Pasta
Yea that's the exact reason I think this is actually a good deal. I NEVER use wifi on my PSP, any games I buy I buy from my PS3. And any updates are downloaded on my computer and transfarred to my PSP.
I'm not a multiplayer gamer, and to say that the PSP has a web browser is a deep and searing burn to the other browsers out there.
Reply
Yea that's the exact reason I think this is actually a good deal. I NEVER use wifi on my PSP, any games I buy I buy from my PS3. And any updates are downloaded on my computer and transfarred to my PSP.
I'm not a multiplayer gamer, and to say that the PSP has a web browser is a deep and searing burn to the other browsers out there.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:49PM OrangeGamer said
@sigma8
You can still buy things on a Mac on Quirocity, hit download from your history there, and just use a USB to PSP transfer cable to move content. I back up my saves very often, but I don't believe there's anything stopping me from storing the extra PSN PSP games I bought on my Mac for storage.:) I only have a 4 GB Memory Stick Duo, so I kinda have to do that a bit more often than I'd like.
Reply
You can still buy things on a Mac on Quirocity, hit download from your history there, and just use a USB to PSP transfer cable to move content. I back up my saves very often, but I don't believe there's anything stopping me from storing the extra PSN PSP games I bought on my Mac for storage.:) I only have a 4 GB Memory Stick Duo, so I kinda have to do that a bit more often than I'd like.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:50PM Mr Hett said
@NaeemTHM
I have a 60gb fatty PS3. I don't think I've played a PS2 game on it since '07. It is a cool feature, the load are crazy fast, and I think it upconverted the games, but I bought my PS3 to play PS3 games. The fat PS3s were for sale for years, so if you wanted a PS3 that could play PS2 games you should have brought one then. They cut the price to $300 when the slim came out. DO you think people that paid $300 for their console should get the same features that people who paid $600 get?
When the PSP Go came out, it cost more than the PSP Slim, which was and still is available for a lower price. If you wanted a PSP that could play UMDs, you get a Slim. Now this new PSP is coming out without WiFi, and guess what? You can still pick up a PSP 3000 for a little bit more and keep WiFi.
You guys are being cheap. Stop waiting around for a cheaper console, and complaining about features that more expensive console had.
Reply
I have a 60gb fatty PS3. I don't think I've played a PS2 game on it since '07. It is a cool feature, the load are crazy fast, and I think it upconverted the games, but I bought my PS3 to play PS3 games. The fat PS3s were for sale for years, so if you wanted a PS3 that could play PS2 games you should have brought one then. They cut the price to $300 when the slim came out. DO you think people that paid $300 for their console should get the same features that people who paid $600 get?
When the PSP Go came out, it cost more than the PSP Slim, which was and still is available for a lower price. If you wanted a PSP that could play UMDs, you get a Slim. Now this new PSP is coming out without WiFi, and guess what? You can still pick up a PSP 3000 for a little bit more and keep WiFi.
You guys are being cheap. Stop waiting around for a cheaper console, and complaining about features that more expensive console had.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 2:29PM civilciv said
@NaeemTHM
The Wii is losing Gamecube backwards compatibility for their budget Wii's. Apparently, keeping bc or certain features on their machines cost money. People want cheaper consoles, (though the Wii is already dirt cheap) but want to keep all of the bells and whistles.
Reply
The Wii is losing Gamecube backwards compatibility for their budget Wii's. Apparently, keeping bc or certain features on their machines cost money. People want cheaper consoles, (though the Wii is already dirt cheap) but want to keep all of the bells and whistles.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:31AM ZexionArmando said
Its very sleek. I like it. I wish the 3000's had a matte finish like this and the earlier models, I hate getting fingerprints on it.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:32AM ZexionArmando said
@Dickhole Pasta I believe the PSP games have to be updated or patched to use the second analog stick.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:34AM thecoon said
is the screen smaller?
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:34AM eat it said
@Dickhole Pasta
the vita doesn't have a umd drive and most PSP games are not on the playstation store. also I think for the second analog stick to work on older games the developer would have to add that code in through a patch. Which probably isn't too difficult
the vita doesn't have a umd drive and most PSP games are not on the playstation store. also I think for the second analog stick to work on older games the developer would have to add that code in through a patch. Which probably isn't too difficult
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:38AM Dalrint said
If Sony really wanted to make money on a pure hardware release, they'd release a psp for 2 or 3 hundred dollars without all the recent security changes that make it unhackable.
I know a lot of people who want a portable playstation and spent a ton of money on old, hackable psps.
I know a lot of people who want a portable playstation and spent a ton of money on old, hackable psps.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:46AM Faceless Troll said
@Dalrint Do any of those people actually buy games, or do they just pirate them?
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:52AM Faceless Troll said
@Dalrint Because for most people there's no legitimate reason to hack a PSP except to play pirated games. I'm not seeing what incentive Sony could possibly have to make it easier to hack.
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:57AM Dalrint said
@Faceless Troll
How well are psp games actually selling right now?
If sony can make the system for a hundred dollars and sell it for two or three hundred, that's a lot of money to be made from a system in its elder years. And I know there's a market for it.
Even though it wouldn't be at all fair to third party developers, true.
Reply
How well are psp games actually selling right now?
If sony can make the system for a hundred dollars and sell it for two or three hundred, that's a lot of money to be made from a system in its elder years. And I know there's a market for it.
Even though it wouldn't be at all fair to third party developers, true.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:03PM Faceless Troll said
@Dalrint If you charge too much for a handheld people won't buy it and it will hurt the company's bottom line. Exhibit A: The PSP Go and 3DS.
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:31PM Dalrint said
@Faceless Troll
But this wouldn't be a wide audience release. Lots of companies make money on hardware that targets a specific niche of people.
I'm not saying they ever WOULD. Most companies would rather be caught dead than in any way supporting the 'darker' side of their business, but it would be profitable.
Reply
But this wouldn't be a wide audience release. Lots of companies make money on hardware that targets a specific niche of people.
I'm not saying they ever WOULD. Most companies would rather be caught dead than in any way supporting the 'darker' side of their business, but it would be profitable.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:37PM Faceless Troll said
@Dalrint
"But this wouldn't be a wide audience release. Lots of companies make money on hardware that targets a specific niche of people."
That's because those companies charge massive markups to inflate their profit margins. Sony couldn't charge those kinds of markups and actually make a sale.
"I'm not saying they ever WOULD. Most companies would rather be caught dead than in any way supporting the 'darker' side of their business, but it would be profitable."
Whether or not it would be profitable is dubious, and somewhat of a baseless assumption. Just because you might know 5 people who would buy it doesn't mean anyone else would.
Reply
"But this wouldn't be a wide audience release. Lots of companies make money on hardware that targets a specific niche of people."
That's because those companies charge massive markups to inflate their profit margins. Sony couldn't charge those kinds of markups and actually make a sale.
"I'm not saying they ever WOULD. Most companies would rather be caught dead than in any way supporting the 'darker' side of their business, but it would be profitable."
Whether or not it would be profitable is dubious, and somewhat of a baseless assumption. Just because you might know 5 people who would buy it doesn't mean anyone else would.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:51PM OrangeGamer said
@Faceless Troll
I'll disagree with you on that point. I don't personally use CFW, but it it has been used to allow gameplay streaming to the computer and using a computer as a monitor. It's a cheap way for some people to record Let's Plays and take screenshots, but I'll bit that it's a minority of people using it for that end.
I use an iGrabber myself, but the quality is not nearly as good.
Reply
I'll disagree with you on that point. I don't personally use CFW, but it it has been used to allow gameplay streaming to the computer and using a computer as a monitor. It's a cheap way for some people to record Let's Plays and take screenshots, but I'll bit that it's a minority of people using it for that end.
I use an iGrabber myself, but the quality is not nearly as good.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:37PM Faceless Troll said
@OrangeGamer "for most people"
Key words right there.
Reply
Key words right there.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:41AM SpikeJX said
Is it just me or does this economic model seem kinda plasticy and cheap. It might not be and probably isn't, but from the images it looks that way.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:41AM (Unverified) said
@Dickhole Pasta So basically it's like the Xbox games on the 360 except any UMD game you own won't matter.
So you have to hope they add those games to PSN so you can rebuy it.
All the negative comments about PSP Go still apply here minus the fact all Vita games will be in the PSN store.
So you have to hope they add those games to PSN so you can rebuy it.
All the negative comments about PSP Go still apply here minus the fact all Vita games will be in the PSN store.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:44AM CaptainProtonX said
Coolness. But the one thing that's ALWAYS annoyed me is those damn clicky shoulder buttons.
It doesn't seem any better here.
But I love that front panel change and the matte finish.
It doesn't seem any better here.
But I love that front panel change and the matte finish.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:48AM aaronharmon said
Where is the UMD drive? It doesn't appear to have on in those pictures.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:57AM Faceless Troll said
@aaronharmon From the looks of it I'd say they just made the hinge of the UMD drive a lot bigger.
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:50AM SpecBlank said
Would have gotten it, but I'd wait for the Vita.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:52AM briscott said
I don't understand why no Wi-Fi....... how are they going to send firmware updates? Guess they won't.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 11:57AM Cavall said
I think the reasoning of this is that if you buy a psp right now you can help clear the shelves of older psp games before the vita comes out. For 100 bucks and a lot of the older games low in price, it might work out for them.
Certainly the sales will go up a fair bit, Im curious to see how this pans out.
Certainly the sales will go up a fair bit, Im curious to see how this pans out.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:07PM (Unverified) said
Hmm, a 99 pound portable. :)
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:24PM tobz1000 said
@Dickhole Pasta
"Dickhole Pasta
@eat it "
*shudders*
"Dickhole Pasta
@eat it "
*shudders*
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:31PM Crowned said
So does anybody know if his will be headed to the States!
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:39PM liquidsoap89 said
@Dickhole Pasta
I believe the Vita actually emulates the second analog stick to work like the face buttons on the old PSP (when you're playing PSP1 games of course).
To me that means you could use the analog stick in all old games, although it would probably still control like using 4 face buttons would.
I believe the Vita actually emulates the second analog stick to work like the face buttons on the old PSP (when you're playing PSP1 games of course).
To me that means you could use the analog stick in all old games, although it would probably still control like using 4 face buttons would.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:42PM Optimus Rhyme said
So this begs the question: If you are in the market for a cheap PSP, why not just buy a second hand one off eBay or wherever?
I have always looked on from the sidelines when it came to the PSP. I like them but they have never had enough games that I absolutely MUST play to make me stump up the cash for one.
With games about as cheap as they will get at retail now (My local HMV just did £9.99 buy one get one free on PSP games) maybe I should take the plunge?
But back to my question: What does this have over a 2nd hand PSP? Apart from the warranty!
I have always looked on from the sidelines when it came to the PSP. I like them but they have never had enough games that I absolutely MUST play to make me stump up the cash for one.
With games about as cheap as they will get at retail now (My local HMV just did £9.99 buy one get one free on PSP games) maybe I should take the plunge?
But back to my question: What does this have over a 2nd hand PSP? Apart from the warranty!
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:04PM OrangeGamer said
@Optimus Rhyme I'm going to say nothing. I'm glad I'm not going crazy and someone else has noticed the low PSP game prices. K-Mart is actually another good source in the States for these deals. They have a ton of great PSP games for under $10 new. I got Patapon 2 for $5, the Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles for $7 (it was $11 or so on Amazon, so not a huge victory but still). I'm still eyeing Jeanne D'Arc since it's $9 there.
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:43PM Tihn said
For £20 more you might as well buy a slim and lite because it has wifi and stereo speakers
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:48PM A Sandwich said
It seems like Sony learned the wrong lesson from the PSP Go.
Accountant: Mr. Tretton, it seems like the download only business model for the PSP Go isn't financially successful.
Tretton: Hmmm. Let me think for just a seco ... I've got it! Make a PSP with no downloading at all!
Accountant: Uh, that's not exactly what I was ....
Tretton: JUST DO IT!!!
Accountant: Mr. Tretton, it seems like the download only business model for the PSP Go isn't financially successful.
Tretton: Hmmm. Let me think for just a seco ... I've got it! Make a PSP with no downloading at all!
Accountant: Uh, that's not exactly what I was ....
Tretton: JUST DO IT!!!
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 12:58PM OrangeGamer said
How is this... cheap? And sensible?! Oh Sony.
The PSP 3000s aren't that much more, and have all the proper features. I was just thinking last week that stores seem to be trying to push all their PSP games off the shelves ASAP because the game launch schedules sans Persona 2(and for me the Defender's Phantasy Star Portable pack), but I can't see a better time for a price drop. If Sony slightly dropped the price a little more on the PSP 3000s, I think now would be the time more people would be inclined to try one out.
I was one of "those" people that, when the PSP came out I couldn't justify the money because of a lack of games I wanted to play. I think that by now, the PSP has something for everyone. I'm finding games that interested me left and right from the PSP's quite nice library now. My favorites so far have been Patapon 2, Legend of Heroes, and Phantasy Star Portable 2. I'm also getting into Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on there.
So my recommendation to people getting a PSP now would be to try and find a PSP 3000, or maybe this if there's absolutely no way you can afford a PSP 3000. WiFi works with quite a few good games. Also, the PSN Store in your hands is quite nice for PSOne Classics and rarer PSP games.
I will admit that I dislike Sony's "solution" to people like me whose UMD collections outweigh digital purchases, but I knew what I was getting into, and not all my games are on the PSN(not that I'd want to re-buy my entire library anyways).
The PSP 3000s aren't that much more, and have all the proper features. I was just thinking last week that stores seem to be trying to push all their PSP games off the shelves ASAP because the game launch schedules sans Persona 2(and for me the Defender's Phantasy Star Portable pack), but I can't see a better time for a price drop. If Sony slightly dropped the price a little more on the PSP 3000s, I think now would be the time more people would be inclined to try one out.
I was one of "those" people that, when the PSP came out I couldn't justify the money because of a lack of games I wanted to play. I think that by now, the PSP has something for everyone. I'm finding games that interested me left and right from the PSP's quite nice library now. My favorites so far have been Patapon 2, Legend of Heroes, and Phantasy Star Portable 2. I'm also getting into Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on there.
So my recommendation to people getting a PSP now would be to try and find a PSP 3000, or maybe this if there's absolutely no way you can afford a PSP 3000. WiFi works with quite a few good games. Also, the PSN Store in your hands is quite nice for PSOne Classics and rarer PSP games.
I will admit that I dislike Sony's "solution" to people like me whose UMD collections outweigh digital purchases, but I knew what I was getting into, and not all my games are on the PSN(not that I'd want to re-buy my entire library anyways).
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:22PM Nergy said
Old PSP with all of it's features: £50
New PSP with less features: £99
Can anyone tell me how you defend this?
New PSP with less features: £99
Can anyone tell me how you defend this?
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:29PM Nergy said
Oh and another thing
Maybe it's because they're aren't showing the top, but can anyone see a WLAN switch?
The one on the bottom is the on/hold switch.
Maybe it's because they're aren't showing the top, but can anyone see a WLAN switch?
The one on the bottom is the on/hold switch.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:39PM Faceless Troll said
@Nergy Why would a model that doesn't include wifi have a WLAN switch?
Reply
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 2:08PM CaptainProtonX said
@Nergy
"If only Sony hadn't streamlined the Wi-Fi out of it."
Reply
"If only Sony hadn't streamlined the Wi-Fi out of it."
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:45PM Psychotine said
I hope bringing a new psp this late in the cycle doesn't hint at a later launch date for the vita.
Posted: Aug 17th 2011 1:57PM NormanCod said
When people asked for a second analogue sick on their PSP, Sony tried removing the UMD drive. When they asked what they could do with their UMDs, they take away the WiFi and put the UMD back. What next, we'll ask for better sound, and they'll take the screen away?
Seriously, how much money do Sony save on parts by removing WiFi, its got to be small potatoes.
Seriously, how much money do Sony save on parts by removing WiFi, its got to be small potatoes.
