PSPgo - Piano Black
By Terry Mesnard (Bellevue, NE) - reviews
Ignore my score for a moment, please, because it doesn't really mean much. Looking at the scores already here on Amazon.com, I completely understand and can agree with most of them. As such, it's hard to really place a score on this new device. Honestly, I don't think there's been such a contentious electronic device launch like the PSP Go in...well, recent memory. Having refreshed the PSP what feels like a hundred times already, Sony, presumably feeling the sting from Apple's success with the iPhone/iTouch as a digital gaming device, decided to refresh the PSP yet again. And herein lies the problem.
The Go gets rid of the UMD feature of all of the previous PSPs and embraces the digital world in a remarkable way for a gaming device. Without getting too far into the "owning versus not owning debate" (let's keep this civil), a lot of people have flocked to the iPhone's bite-sized, digital-only gaming and Sony's new direction is pretty much inevitable. If a way of presenting games is making money, a company will always follow suit. The problem is that with the lack of a UMD drive, Sony's faithful who've purchased at least one PSP in the past are left high and dry. For individuals who have a nice UMD collection going, this move can only be met (and has understandably been met) with vitriol, with calls of "why are you ignoring us?" There was talk, at one point, of having a UMD transfer system that would allow gamers to somehow turn their UMD into a digital purchase. This was scrapped in the USA even though, from the sounds of it, Sony Europe still has a program for some games. Then there's the issue of the price. Buyers can easily purchase the slightly older PSP-3000 for about $170, $80 less than the PSP Go's $250 price point. To make matters worse, any of the digital products being released for the PSP Go will work on prior models, as long as they have a memory stick. Yikes.
All of this history going into today leaves the question is the PSP Go worth it? Well, that kind of depends (with one huge caveat I'll mention in a bit) on the consumer. The Go is about 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000 (more so for the original PSP) and has a slick sliding system that hides the keys. When closed, it's roughly the same size as an iPhone, a tad longer, wider and rounder but almost the same size. Unlike the other PSPs, this one does seem a lot more portable. It also does look and feel like a nice expensive piece of electronics. I remember when I first held the original PSP in my hands and it felt like an expensive system; this brings back memories of that day. While it doesn't have the UMD drive, it does come with 16 GB of storage space (which could cost you $60ish to get the same amount of space on the PSP 3000). One of the bigger new features, though, is the Bluetooh technology. The latest firmware update (available today) will allow tethering to your cell phone, which, if your plan allows for it, will allow you to use your cell phone as modem if you don't have Wi-fi available. It's a nicety and one I won't be able to use (thanks AT&T) but somehow I don't think a cell phone, even 3G, will be strong enough to consistently play online or be quick for downloads.
Not much comes in the box. You get a cell phone-like charging kit, based on a new framework for charging. It's kind of a "one jack fits all" multi-purpose plug-in. The cord has a USB connector on one side and the cell-phone-like plug-in for the PSP. This same jack will be used for other purposes like TV out, etc. This means that any of your old accessories won't work on the new system. It also comes with a voucher to download the PSP Go version of Rock Band Unplugged; this version is free to start out and comes with five songs ("Buddy Holly," "ABC," etc.) and then you just buy additional tracks à la carte. The demo for Patapon 2 comes pre-loaded, as well. The final thing, besides the manual, is the Media Go software which you can also download from the internet, to purchase games on your PC to transfer to your PSP. Nothing fancy. As a quick update, I've had more time to mess around with it and have started using the Media Go to download files. Like a cell phone, you can plug the PSP Go into your computer through it's power/USB jack to charge the phone. Media Go acts like iTunes (and has a similar skin) so you can download games through Media Go, directly to your PSP Go. It's a lot faster. As an example, it took me around the same time to download/install God of War (over 1 GB) via Media Go as it did Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (200ish MB) via the PSP Go 802.11b Wi-fi. The synching process will be familiar to anyone who's used iTunes or Zune software and is actually a bit easier and quicker, even if it takes an additional step.
So, again, is it worth it? This brings us back to that one caveat: the price. If you're not a current PSP owner, have embraced digital-only gaming and don't mind dropping $250 (as a comparison, you could get an Xbox 360 or a Wii for that price or less; or, for $50 more, a PS3) on a "new" gaming system that is technically about four years old in terms of games (meaning, not a "next generation" PSP), then yes. The PSP Go is a worthy purchase. It's still the same PSP, a strong, powerful device that has a good assortment of fun games. Even when the most angry at the product, you have to admit that. It's just a great device, whatever version you buy. But it's just not as well-rounded and consumer-beneficial as the older, cheaper models. So, if you're not that person above, either keep (or upgrade to) the PSP-3000 and you have the benefit of not only getting all the new digital games and "minis" available today but also play UMDs.
I like mine and am glad I purchased it. I love the portability of it and the lack of UMDs. But, I'll be honest, the PSP-3000 is still a cheaper and more well-rounded option.
