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PSP vs. DS:
The Portable War is About to Begin
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Some say that because Nintendo was able to get their DS system out during the Christmas shopping season and at a very reasonable price of $149.99 that the DS should easily have a leg up on Sony's upcoming PSP system. And while there may be some truth to that statement, this entire scenario reminds me a lot of the 16 bit race back in the early 90's. I mean think about it, Nokia has the N-gage, which is clearly the inferior of the three machines and it's not selling very well much like the TurboGrafx-16 system. Nintendo now plays the part of Sega, whom was able to get their Genesis system out ahead of Nintendo's Super NES system. And even though the Genesis sold like crazy and did get quite a head start on the Super NES, the Super NES was quite a bit more powerful than the Sega Genesis and would eventually catch, and even pass the Sega Genesis in terms of sales and popularity. Could this be a repeat of that.We know that Sony clearly has the more powerful machine and if they can muster up the games to back it up, they might just be able to do what no other video game company has ever done. Beat Nintendo in the portable gaming market.
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Some say that because Nintendo was able to get their DS system out during the Christmas shopping season and at a very reasonable price of $149.99 that the DS should easily have a leg up on Sony's upcoming PSP system. And while there may be some truth to that statement, this entire scenario reminds me a lot of the 16 bit race back in the early 90's. I mean think about it, Nokia has the N-gage, which is clearly the inferior of the three machines and it's not selling very well much like the TurboGrafx-16 system. Nintendo now plays the part of Sega, whom was able to get their Genesis system out ahead of Nintendo's Super NES system. And even though the Genesis sold like crazy and did get quite a head start on the Super NES, the Super NES was quite a bit more powerful than the Sega Genesis and would eventually catch, and even pass the Sega Genesis in terms of sales and popularity. Could this be a repeat of that.We know that Sony clearly has the more powerful machine and if they can muster up the games to back it up, they might just be able to do what no other video game company has ever done. Beat Nintendo in the portable gaming market.
The Nintendo DS System
It's difficult to compare the two systems as it's a little like comparing apples to oranges. The Nintendo DS is a unique and appealing system in its own right. It has dual LCD screens, one of which is touch screen so this immediately opens up a whole new world as far as gameplay goes. Graphically the system is on par with the Nintendo 64 in the graphics deparment and has two very nice and clear backlit screens. The screens are quite a bit smaller than the screen on the PSP and not nearly as bright or crisp. As for the design of the system, the Nintendo DS has a clamshell design with pretty much the exact same button layout as the PSP. The DS does NOT have an analog stick however, which is odd considering it sports 3-D graphics much the same as the PSP does. The PSP looks bigger than the DS when the DS system is closed but when it's open the DS is clearly the larger of the two systems making it a little less portable than the PSP. I like the silver color of the DS but the PSP, in my opinion, is clearly a more attractive system. It is worth noting that only one of the DS screens is capable of producing 3-D graphics while the other screen is strictly a slightly more powerful version of the GBA's capabilities. The one thing that the DS has in its favor is the price. The $149.99 price tag will most likely be $40-$50 dollars cheaper than the PSP's price tag will be here in the US. And Nintendo's ability to launch the system here in the US during the Christmas shopping season will really help it get a jump start on the PSP. Overall it's a nice looking system at a very reasonable price.
The Sony PSP System
Sony's PSP system is clearly a great looking system. It takes no more than a quick glimpse of the PSP to know it's a beast of a portable game system. It has a real "PS2" look and feel to it. It has the same number of action buttons as the DS but with one shining addition to it. The analog stick. I'm glad Sony decided to add the analog stick as most gamers have gotten very used to using these sticks over the past several years and it really lends itself to the play of 3-D games. But if there's one selling point to the PSP, it's got to be that wonderful widescreen, backlit, act-of-god LCD screen. Trust me, you've never seen a portable game screen like the one on the PSP. It's manufactured by Sharp and there is no better word to describe the screen. Vibrant color, crisp display, and hey...it's freakin' wide screen. Need we say more. Another unique feature of the PSP is it's media format. Sony has chosen to go with their UMD disc system to store PSP games on. These tiny little cd discs are housed in a permanent tray in order to protect them from scratches. When you first see these discs you'll be immediately struck at just how small they are. Graphically the PSP is a wonder of portable gaming. Never before have you seen 3-D graphics on a portable system the way the PSP presents them. The system is almost the equivalent of a portable PS2 system. In fact in some ways the PSP is even more powerful given the fact that many of the system's amazing special effects are built into the hardware. One look at Ridge Racer flying on this system is all you'll need to see to know that the PSP is the future of portable gaming and a worthy adversary to the Nintendo DS. Another plus is that the PSP can play movies, as well as music files. It's a multimedia wonder. And all for the bargain price of $199.99. The PSP is a lot of system for under $200 bucks.
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each system so everyone can make their own decision as to which system best fits their gaming needs.
NINTENDO DS: (Pros) Dual LCD screens, Nintendo 64 graphics, built in PictoChat software, wireless connectivity, $149.99 price tag, just in time for the Christmas shopping season, great library of over 2000 GBA games, Nintendo exclusive games, touch sensitive screen, 10+ hours battery time, and two great stereo speakers. (Cons) Not as powerful as the PSP, somewhat bulky compared to the PSP, can't play movies or music, and somewhat weak launch game lineup.
SONY PSP: (Pros) Gorgeous widescreen LCD screen, powerful PS2-quality graphics, plays movies, plays music files, wireless connectivity, PSP exclusive games, analog stick, very attractive unit design, lots of accsssories. (Cons) Slightly low 3-4 hour battery life, more expensive than the Nintendo DS, no backlog of useable games, and won't ship until after the Christmas shopping season.
I think if you take a look at all the good, the bad, and the ugly you will definately find a portable system that fits your needs. They're both fantastic systems and both unique in their own ways. It's hard to not be excited about the PSP. It's absolutely gorgeous. And one look at the widescreen LCD on the PSP and you will want one trust me. It's going to be great to finally see some real competition in the portable gaming market for a change. Both companies have put together awesome gaming systems that will fit in your pocket and both companies have already come out firing so expect it to really heat up when Sony releases their PSP here in the states sometime in March 2005. 2005 should be an interesting year in the portable gaming market. I can't wait to see it!
--Corbie Dillard
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