The best portable console! (Sony PSP Slim & Lite)

Member Name: charlie1979

Product:	Sony PSP Slim & Lite
Date:	06/03/09 (342 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compact design, plenty of games, good graphics

Disadvantages: Fingerprints!

The PSP 3000 is the latest and highest spec Playstation Prtable (PSP) that you can currently buy. A few years ago I owned one of the older models but sold it as I wasn't really playing it enough. If I am being honest I really wanted a PS3 but I couldn't warrant paying £300 for a console I would only use occasionally so I bought this portable console for £150.

The first thing that stood out to me was how much lighter and thinner this PSP seemed compared to my old one. The dimension of this console are H71 W170 D19 and it feels just right, not too light that it feels flimsy and not too heavy that it becomes uncomfortable when playing games for a long time. With a weight of only 189g it is amazing how much power and performance can be packed in to this small square box! The lcd screen takes up most of the front of the console and I must admit it is a bit prone to fingerprints! Sony claim that the graphics on this are equivalent to the Playstation 2 and I would certainly agree, if not say they were better on some games I have played! The colours are bright and the picture is really crisp. The improved screen on this console means that you don't get so many problems with glare from light now. It has been difficult to test it to its full extent due to the lack of sunshine we have at this time of year!

The PSP has a wireless feature so you can access the internet. Once I had set up the connection I found the loading of web pages painfully slow, it was like going back in time to the first days of dial up connection! I purchased this to play games, not surf the internet so I wasn't too bothered about this. The built in microphone and preloaded Skype means you can make phone calls and I have used this with success, even though it did seem a bit strange not holding a phone to my face! With the wireless function you can access Sony's online store and download game demos and various other features, some of which you need to pay for though. I started to download a free game demo but twenty minutes later it was still downloading so I gave up!

Games are loaded at the back of the console by flipping open a very flimsy flap where you slot the disc in. I am still nervous now of breaking this as it does seem very light and delicate! Once inserted the games are quick to load and you can select on your home page whether or not to start games automatically when inserted. The buttons seem sturdy which is reassuring if you are a bit heavy handed with games like myself! With its lack of built in memory it is worth pointing out at this point that you will need to buy a memory card to save your games. These range in price from £10 up to £40 depending on the capacity. In this day and age this still annoys me as I don't understand why they cannot build in the memory rather than you having to buy extras before you can even play a game. You can also watch films on the PSP by purchasing them in the UMD format. I have not bought any films for this yet as I would rather watch a movie on my full screen television!

After buying the memory card my second purchase was a protective case. This is a must for carrying the PSP around when not in use to save it from damage, I imaging that it is prone to scratches if not looked after properly. I bought a case with a few other extras for £15 from Argos and it was definitely worth it! Another extra you can buy is a camera to turn the PSP into a video and still camera. I have no intention of buying this as I already have a separate digital camera and also a camera on my mobile phone so I don't really need another one! Again I don't understand why they built in a microphone but no camera, surely it wouldn't have cost much more to put one in?

Battery life is pretty impressive. I am not sure what the makers claim but I have played this in an hour long stint and the battery was still going. If you run it down too low though it can take a couple of hours to charge up fully again. It amazes me that a console as powerful as this with such a big and bright display can hold it's charge for so long, I wish my mobile phone could do the same!

There are plenty of games on the market for the PSP. This is helped by the fact that the PSP has been around for a few years now and many of the games are the same ones that are available for Sony's standard home consoles. I really am spoilt for choice when choosing a new game and so far I haven't played a bad one, mind you I do read a lot of reviews before I decide on which game to buy!

Overall if you are looking for a portable console I highly recommend this. It's main competitor is Nintendo's DS Lite but the games are limited on the DS for the adult age group in my opinion. The PSP has a much better variety of games and is certainly more aimed at the hardcore gamer! There are games for every age and taste and you really are spoilt for choice. I am really pleased with my purchase and have become a bit of a PSP addict! The only complaint that I have is that my thumbs do ache a bit after playing for a while, I think this is referred to as Playstation thumb?!!

Summary: Have fun on the go!