Just like the PlayStation 2, the PSP was designed to do more than play games, though playing games is, of course, its main function. So how does the PSP hold up in comparison to other handheld game consoles like Nintendo's GBA and DS? And is it any good as an MP3 player or a portable video player? Personally, I think it's a great machine all around, and I use most of its functions on a regular basis. Here's what I think in more detail.
PlayStation Portable versus GameBoy Advance
It's probably not fair to compare on older generation handheld to the sleek new Sony PSP, but I'm going to do it anyway. The biggest advantage the the GBA has - in its SP incarnation, anyway, is its size. It folds up to a perfectly pocket-sized unit, with most of the buttons protected by the system itself. When unfolded, it's got a screen big enough that most games show up well, though the resolution is pretty awful compared to newer machines. The SP had a better screen than the original GBA, and the GameBoy micro is even smaller and brighter, but without the advantages of a folding unit.
The PSP Hardware
In comparison, the PSP is much, much bigger and heavier, and you need a case if you plan to carry it around, as all the buttons are exposed on the surface. I have to confess, though, that I've hardly touched my GBA SP since I got my PSP, and most of the games I have (save a few really old GameBoy Color cartridges) can be played on my DS anyway. I mostly keep the thing around for those old GBC games, and for nostalgia.
To be fair, for some games there wouldn't be any point in using a handheld as powerful as the PSP. 2D side-scrolling platformers, for example, look great on the GBA. Then again, they'd look even better on a PSP.
PlayStation Portable versus Nintendo DS
PSP vs GBA and DS
Nintendo's original DS is almost as big as two PSPs hinged together, but the two screens put together are barely as one PSP screen. The DS Lite is smaller and sleeker, and has a brighter screen than the original DS model.
Looks and heft aside, though, the two systems are often used for very different kinds of games. One of the DS's screens is touch-sensitive, which means DS games tend to feature touch controls. Some developers for the DS have also made use of the system's built-in microphone. The appeal of the DS for me is the truly innovative games that have taken advantage of the things that make the DS unique.
For more traditional games, though, I almost always choose the PSP (and despite the DS's innovative games, I spend way, way more time on the PSP over all). Somehow, the DS's split screen just doesn't play right unless the game is actually designed to take advantage of it. The PSP feels better in the hands, and that wide screen really can't be beat.
Of course, these are subjective judgements; you may think exactly the opposite. The only way to find out which system is best for you is to try them both extensively and see which one you keep going back to. Or, if you can afford it, why not get both? I did.
PlayStation Portable as an MP3 Player
The PSP does have some drawbacks as an MP3 player. It's huge for one (the photo compares it to an older MP3 player that takes minidiscs and a newer player with onboard memory). You also won't be able to play music you buy from iTunes, unless you convert it to MP3 first.
But there are advantages, too. When you consider how many different things this one device can do (games, music, video, photos, comics, etc) it doesn't seem so big after all. It has good audio quality and the headphones come with a remote so you can have the PSP stashed in your bag and still adjust volume, skip through songs, and so on.
Downloading music from your PC or Mac is easy even without utility software, and you can organize your tunes in groups or however you want. The 32MB memory stick that comes with the PSP is probably not enough memory for most users, especially if you're saving games, too. You can, however, buy as many memory sticks as you want, in any size up to 4MB, and the tiny size of the media means you can carry a dozen sticks in a very small space. Buying a dozen memory sticks would be expensive, of course, but the price of memory is dropping.
The PSP is the only portable music player I own, and I'm quite happy with it.
Playstation Portable as a Portable Video Player
PSP vs MP3 Players
The PSP offers two ways to get video. You can buy movies on UMD, or you can save your own video on a memory stick.
UMD movies are usually a litte cheaper that DVDs, but they rarely have any of the extra features. Usually all you get is the movie, but if that's all you want then it's not a problem. UMDs are much harder to find used than DVDs, which is a disadvantage. The quality of the video is excellent, though - orders of magnitude better than the old GBA video or those silly "Video Now" machines. Obviously a PSP doesn't have quite the quality of a portable DVD player, but then you can't fit a portable DVD player in your pocket.
The quality of video you save on a memory stick depends on a number of factors, such as the quality of the original and the amount of compression. File sizes are of course limited by the storage capabilities of the memory stick, but you can fit a decent amount of watchable video on a 1 GB stick. There are various ways of getting things like your favorite tv shows onto a stick for later viewing; a recent TiVo update even compresses the video in the right format so all you have to do is transfer it. I often watch video on my PSP when I have a lot of waiting to do, such as between classes.
