The PlayStation Portable or PSP is a handheld video game system designed by Sony. It was released in 2004 in Japan and 2005 in America. Modelled as a multi-purpose portable device, it is the first and so far only handheld video game console that uses Universal Media Disc or UMD. This storage device was designed to hold up to 1.8 gigabites of information.
PSP
The sound could be much better. It is very tinny from the system speakers but is much improved through a headset. However, this high tech and powerful system could and should have had more powerful speakers.
The control pad is smooth and reacts quickly to button presses. However, the analog stick is a bit awkward to use. Player’s control it with their left hand thumb. The controller is much too small and incredibly sensitive. Slight movements in the thumb often register as movements, causing a player to make a mistake.
The PSP can hook up to the Internet via WI-Fi. This lets users download and watch a wide range of movies and videos. Players can even upload movies to the system using memory cards. However, this great feature ends up being a slight disappointment. Running movies off of the UMD is an incredibly slow and frustrating process.
The usefulness of the PSP compares favorably with other PlayStation models, such as the upcoming PlayStation 4. It may not offer quite the same level of graphics and sound quality but the quality of PSP games is incredibly high. A wide range of shooters, action games, role playing games and side scrollers are available for the system. Many of these games are adaptations of other PlayStation games.
The PSP is also one of the cheaper Sony game systems. The PlayStation 3 costs $700 when it was released. The PSP costs only $199 making it a great deal for players who love Sony. The game costs were similar to other PlayStation games: anywhere from $50 to $70.