I’ve now had my PSP for four weeks, so I thought it was time to re-evaluate what I think about it. All six games I wanted for it have now arrived, and I’ve given it a good poking. So, did things improve?
The Console
My previous comments on this were not very positive. In short, I said it was rubbish. For the most part, I still agree, but there are a few concessions. Firstly, my R button was very sticky, but this has now loosened up a lot and so rarely sticks now. Secondly, the battery cover kept falling off, but it now no longer does. I don’t know why – I’ve not changed anything. The dead pixel didn’t come back either, so I suspect it was a “stuck” pixel rather than a dead one.
However, the analogue “nub” is still rubbish. It doesn’t centre itself (it tries, but sticks to the right) and is awkward to use. Thankfully, I don’t have any games that need it, apart from the house building bit on LocoRoco.
The screen is OK, although it blurs easily and is impossible to see in sunlight as there’s too much glare. My thumbs keep touching it too as it’s near the right and square buttons. The unit as a whole is not comfortable to hold for any length of time either. It’s the wrong shape for my hands. Oh well.
The Games
Patapon is amazing. PaRappa is too hard, but fun. Lumines hasn’t been touched since I got it, and Castlevania hasn’t even been opened. LocoRoco is fantastic, although my wife has stolen it. Me and My Katamari is very good, but suffers from slowdown, popup and awful controls. If I wasn’t such a fan of the series I’d probably hate it.
The Verdict
Hmm. My opinion of it now is much higher than it was when I bought it, but to be completely honest, it’s not a patch on the DS. It’s more powerful, sure, but that’s the only thing it has in its favour – aside from the fact it’s the only place you can play certain games. The battery life is woeful – I’ve had it four weeks and I’ve charged the battery more than 10 times already. It doesn’t last more than four hours in one go, even with the sound down low and wireless turned off. My DS Lite usually gets me 10+ hours on a charge, and that’s a couple of years old now.
Anyway. I don’t regret buying it, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend buying a PSP to anyone.
I’d heard that the screen and battery life on the new skinny PSP are worse, but it would be worth comparing them side-by-side to see if it’s true.
Hmm. I’d heard the opposite. I know the battery is lower powered in the Slim than in the Fat, but the lower power consumption of the unit supposedly more than makes up for it. The screen certainly seems a bit clearly and less blurry than the fat PSPs I’ve played on too.