PSP Not Entertaining Enough

Sony released their PSP device in 2005. With this device they introduced the fantastic playstation brand to the portable market. But it quickly hit trouble. People didn’t like the lack of pre build memory and it featured just one analog stick which troubled proper gaming. Sony partly responded with the PSP 2000 and 3000 each released one year after the other. Improvements include a brighter and crisper screen and a microphone. But is the PSP now the device we all wanted when it was released 4 years ago.

Personally I still hate the lack of pre built memory. It’s not that hard to do and saves a lot of trouble with buying flash cards. Another huge advantage of pre build memory is that you save a card slot on the device thus having a better design. Sony on this aspect should take note from Apple. The Cupertino based company released their iPods and iPhones with two versions of pre build memory. Usually having one model double the memory for a reasonable 100 $ increase. In the PSP with its capability I think a 16 and 32GB versions would be best.

The second thing, that the iPod is also lacking, is that the PSP doesn’t feature a camera. Cameras on portable devices started with mobile phones. The first mobile phones that had it were the Nokia Panasonic and Sharp phones with the camera featuring 0.1 megapixels and no focus. Today the phones feature 5 megapixels with focus lenses. I think the gaming and music devices like the iPod Touch and PSP should also have a camera onboard. Just because it’s very entertaining and when you are all over the place you won’t always have a camera on you. But some/most people do have a music or gaming device or a phone on them. A right amount of pixels are 5 megapixels as most screens now feature full HD capabilities the camera photo sizes should be adjusted accordingly.

Design above all. A car is the best example of the fact that design matters. Most people decide which car to buy almost purely on the best looking one in their price range. Obviously quality also plays a role but not as big as manufacturers predicted. Good looking devices usually come from Apple. They spend a lot of time on getting the design just right, even compromising on features. Sony should take note of this and use it to redesign the PSP. Their Walkman line is already improving design wise and so should the PSP gaming device. A good design for 2009 is slim, a big screen and basic colors like black and white.

I think the PSP is lacking in those departments and that’s partly why it’s not as entertaining as it should. Apple has most features you’d want in a mobile device. But even the iPhone and iPods aren’t perfect. They are pretty slow and the iPhone camera is 4 years behind.
Sony is responding with its PSP device however. They’re releasing, according to a major leak, the PSP Go this year. The redesigned device was introduced last E3 and looks like this:

So let’s go by the checklist we’ve established earlier to see if this PSP is the one for the win.

The first point I made was the pre build memory. This PSP has it! It has 16 GB, so not has much as I would have liked but still a lot. It also features a memory card slot which is a shame because it compromises design. I think that this is to help users from the previous PSP upgrade to this one.
Second point is the camera. The PSP go doesn't have it.

Third is the design. Sony definitely improved in my opinion. It has a basic color and is more compact in your pocket. The screen is sacrificed a bit. It goes down to 3.8 inches, a slight decrease from the 3000 model. It’s far less width, which is a good thing. And it's very thin so design wise the Go is a winner.

So the PSP Go seems to be Sony’s best attempt yet. It especially the build in memory and updated design I like a lot. It will live alongside the current PSP and is rumored to be slightly more expensive. But the extra price, if it’s reasonable, seems to be justified by the next design and built in memory of the PSP Go.