Yumcha

For those of you interested in the item (I know I am...), interesting read! Enjoy.

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Sony PSP Hands-On: First Impressions, Loading Times, Image Gallery and the latest Tech Details

It has been about 48h now that the first couple of Japanese people (including some lucky ones in Hong Kong) could put their hands on the world’s first Sony PSP consoles. We have taken a bit of time to take some photos, write down our first impressions and compile the latest information surrounding the final PSP hardware. Stay tuned for much more to come during the next couple of days and weeks ahead. Also read this for more info on the PSP release, which is taking place at December 12 officially.


The First Impressions

One thing is for sure, out of the box, the PSP looks very stylish and is a very well-designed concept. Put it next to the NDS and it feels like one of those visions when past meets future. Mostly made of a special plastic with glass effect (you see yourself inside), with great attention to detail and with this beautiful PSP logo surrounded by a metallic circle at the back, the PlayStation Portable is sexy, no arguing about that. The only problem which immediately comes to mind is the fact that every time you touch that special material, you leave fingerprints on your system. For sure, the unit won't look that great after an hour or two, or worse after weeks of playtime, when showing them to your NDS friends and GBA SP buddies. You might have to consider bringing the bad boy to the car wash every week or two. The Lik Sang crew actually wore chirurgical gloves during the whole process of testing the unit and while performing the photo session.



The LCD screen is top-notch, no better way to put it. Large, impressive and with a high resolution, it boasts great 3D animations and graphics with no pixelization whatsoever. The streaming demos of Ridge Racer, Vampire Chronicles and Metal Gear Acid showed off a lot of power and are displayed quite smoothly with fluid moves. I don't feel like I would get a headache from playing 3D too long on that monster (N-Gage users know what I am talking about). What did turn me off though is the rather slow loading time. When waiting for the first video of Ridge Racer to load in the memory, I actually thought the machine went off, so long it was. There were too many excited gamers speaking out their amazement loudly around me so it's only when taking it closer from my ears that I heard the disc spinning and realized what was going on. For sure a inconvenience when compared with the fast media used by Nintendo in all its portable devices. Still, despite my easy critics made above, I must admit the PlayStation Portable left me with a good feeling. Incredibly eye-catching and with strong capabilities, this piece of hardware will for sure leave more than one hardcore gamer either with a smile on his face or tears in his eyes (depending how sensitive you are).


The PSP Menu System (Japanese/English)

As already mentioned yesterday, the PSP menu system comes in Japanese and English, selectable at system startup. When powering up the PSP system, the Sony Computer Entertainment logo first appears, followed by the PSP logo. This takes about five seconds, while any inserted game then starts automatically. When you play a game, pressing HOME shows a screen which allows you to select to quit the game and go back to the menu system.

In the menu system, the so-called XMB interface (Cross Media Bar), the following main menus are available: System, Photo, Music, Video and Game. The following is available through the system menu: Network Update, USB Connection, Video Settings, Photo Settings, Date/Time, Power Save, Sound, Security Settings and Network Settings.


Loading Times

Loading time and battery life seem to be the big factors which decide about the PSPs success or failure in many gamers eyes right now. While we can't comment on the battery life as of yet, latest reports from Japan about loading times on demo units that actually have access to the games are as follows:

Ridge Racers:

• From power off to Namco logo and title: 16 seconds
• From selecting car/track to start the race: 14 seconds
• Exit the game back to car/track selection: 10 seconds

Dokodemo Issho:

• From power off to PSP logo and title: 20 seconds
• Starting game from title screen: 10 seconds
• Going back to title screen: 5 seconds

Mojipittan:

• From power off to title screen: 20 seconds
• No more waiting time

Minna no Golf:

• From power off to PSP logo and title: 24 seconds
• From character selection to start: 19 seconds
• Waiting between courses: few seconds only

The interface/menu of Minna no Golf seems to be very slow reacting, with people even hinting that this could be a problem of the pre-release version only.


MP3/MP4 Playback

MP4 playback combined with the PSPs compatibility for standard Memory Sticks can be a very appealing thing to many of you. The PSP plays MP4 videos off any Memory Stick Duo. Sony will also release conversion software (Image Converter 2) that will allow you to convert your existing videos into the right format, but any MP4 encoder should be able to do that as well. Videos coming from one of Sony's CyberShot camera’s or any other MP4 capable camera should work out fine, if the video is put to the appropriate directory on the Memory Stick.

Sony also reconfirmed that its music file handling will be able to handle ATRAC3 (66kbps-132kbps) and ATRAC3plus (48-256kbps) off of the memory stick, in addition to standard MP3 files.

The Memory Stick

When you format a Memory Stick with the PSP itself, you'll not only find it empty afterwards, there are some interesting directories on it. The existence of a games directory strongly suggests that Sony plans to enable users playing games directly off the Memory Stick. If these games will be trial versions, mini-games containing advertising, or maybe even commercial, is not clear at this point of time. This is not only good news for gamers, but also for friends and members of the homebrew community.

The guys from IGN Japan zipped the content of their Memory Stick and uploaded it to the Internet. Download it right here:

• PSP Memory Stick Content (1.40MB)



PSP (Soon) Working on XLink Kai (Online)

Friends of online play might have heard of Kai before. XLink Kai is a global gaming network - bringing together XBox, Playstation 2 and Gamecube users, in one integrated community. It is software running on your PC or Macintosh that allows you to play system-link enabled games online for free.

Team XLink announced yesterday that they have successful managed to integrate the PSP into their latest kaiEngine, which can be downloaded on their web site.

pebe

Looks good. Hopefully they make some good games and keep the pricing affordable. A definite purchase when it comes out. (when does the US see this thing anyway?)

bkknight369

looks awesome

Yumcha

Well, here's a quote I ripped:

Sony Computer Entertainment of America has not announced its side of the plans for PSP. The system will be released in North America in early 2005 (with a European release further into the year).

The current ratio for yen-dollar exchange is fairly close to 100-1 (a 'yenny' is a penny, so just move the decimal over two places and you're close), with Japanese prices typically slightly higher than American prices. The base price of 19,800 for the PSP is about $185 US, meaning the system could weigh in here somewhere between $179 and $199.

Black CL-S 4-Life

I'll take the Sony over the Nintendo anyday.

95gt

Is there a picture of it? Not seeing one above.

EDIT: finally loaded.

Yumcha

It's pricey, I'll admit. But, everything about it right down to it's exterior design just shouts better than Nintendo.

Sarlacc

So this thing takes smalls dvds, like the gamecube???

or am im mistaken on that?

evilone

it looks like you can watch movies on that. if so im def gunna buy one

Yumcha

The PSP uses a proprietary Sony disc called the UMD, or Universal Media Disc. The bugger stores up to 1.8GB of data (a CD holds 0.650GB, a DVD holds 4.7GB), the UMD is a disc format enclosed in a small cartridge (similar to the Sony Mini-Disc)...

pebe

Hopefully, they will be shock proof like the Mini Disc.

fsttyms1

sweet! i want one!

ib_jimmy

graphic look better than i thought...screenshot look crappy in magz.

pebe

The one thing I am not really liking is the location of the analog button. That looks like its gonna hurt your thumb after a while because its not a natural position.

Dan Martin

Holy Sh!t that's sweet! I don't have any need for one but I think I might get it just because it's so cool.

DDT-TypeS

hotness!

you can always rely on SONY to make electronics look fuckin' fantastic. I don't think any other company compares to the designs of SONY electronics.

Hopefully, this shit won't take forever to load...damn, that would suck bring back the old PSX load times...

ABP-CL9-TSX

It looks good, but I won't be rushing to get it though. I'd like to see what other games come on it.

Also wtf?!? I can't use my Memorystick Pro Magicgates cards or what? Do I have to buy Memorystick Duos cards to insert in this to reap the MP4 features? Typical Sony product, like their digital cameras....you buy one with the Litho-Ion battery and next thing you know it they discontinue that battery, its happened to me many times....dunno if I want another Sony digicam.

Joe5.0

Why does that Nintendo handheld have 2 screens?

And now that I have a laptop I have no need for something like this.

Has anyone tried that XLINK? Sounds pretty cool, because I have a PS2 and my bro has an xbox.

Yumcha

Courtesy of: www.msn.ca

Las Vegas--With the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) event only a few hours away, roaming the Casino halls and breakfast nooks allowed me to come up with some pretty juicy details regarding Sony's PlayStation Portable.

Word on the street from some very well-placed sources suggests that the unit will sell for under $300 in Canada with a $249.99 price point not out of the realm of possibility. This would mean that the unit would cost $199.99 in the U.S..

In other PSP news we saw some Rockstar Games officials wondering around and we were able to get some very useful information about Grand Theft Auto for the PSP. It seems that the popular series is being made into a PSP title that will be released later this year. A Grand Theft Auto movies in the works as well and several Hollywood types are vying for the rights to the film as we speak.

Licensing fees for the film are said to be well over $100 million and climbing according to our sources.

In other PSP news another secret game that is on the way for the system is being developed by Level 5 makers of the Dark Cloud series on the PlayStation 2. According to our information Dark Cloud is another one of the games that is being developed as we speak for the PSP and it will be released later this year.

We were also able to find out that a second Dark Cloud game is also in development for the PlayStation 3.

The PSP launched last month in Japan and it sold 200,000 units in its first day. The PSP is expected to be released in Canada and in the United States sometime this Spring.

We should find out a definite launch date for the system later today here in Las Vegas at Sony's PSP event being held at the Hard Rock Cafe.

srika

PSP is g00na pwn

mantis23

looks pretty f'in sweet

Yumcha

The rumored price seems okay to me, too!

nicholbr

the nintendo has 2 screens because one is a touchscreen. My brother has the DS and has preordered the PSP...I messed around with the DS over break and found it to be quite addicting as well as the touchscreen to be quite intuitive. I'm anxious to try out the PSP and compare the two as I think I might have to purchase one in the near future once the prices drop a little

streetracing901

This brought tears to my eyes.....so beatiful.....

Casper42

Leave it to Sony to F*&^ up a perfectly good product.

1) Custom Discs. Obviously this helps them prevent piracy, but DVD-Mini format already holds like 1.4GB. They could have just used that.
2) Sony Memory Stick, and a specific one at that. So forget about connecting your Canon's CF Card to view your photos on your PSP.

They spent alot of time on the MP4 info as well, I hope they allow you to play simple MP3s on the thing as well without jumping through hoops.

They tend to make great products, but I really fuckin hate sony when it comes to proprietary devices. They have been pulling this crap for years.

srika

soooooo....... when are you gettin your PSP...

Yumcha

Well, Nintendo is equally guilty with their platform products...so, what's the big deal?

vybzkartel

So what's the latest on the PSP? Release date?(US) Price?

I'm impatiently waiting.

rdml07

I dunno about the US release date but I already own one (I from Japan...got it on Dec. 12th) and it is awesome!! Graphics are far better than you think it is and the feature is awesome as well. I had some pics that i posted a while ago but its not there anymore.

Yumcha

Official release date is March 24 for North America!

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http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050203/sfth050_1.html

Press Release Source: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R) Portable) Set to Release on March 24 Across North America
Thursday February 3, 8:08 am ET
Sony Computer Entertainment America to Retail Single SKU PSP Value Pack for $249.99


FOSTER CITY, Calif., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the North American launch details for its highly anticipated PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R) Portable) handheld entertainment system. Available through retail outlets on March 24, the company continues its consumer-centric legacy with the release of the PSP Value Pack for a suggested retail price of $249.99 U.S./$299.99 CND. In addition to the revolutionary PSP hardware, the PSP Value Pack contains an unprecedented added-value package of accessories and entertainment content, including 32 MB Memory Stick Duo(TM), headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case and cleaning cloth, movie/music/game video sampler UMD disc including multiple non-interactive game demos, and for the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped, a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man(TM) 2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Sony Computer Entertainment will manufacture one million units for sale in the North American market by the close of its fiscal year ending March 31. This figure is part of the company's total three-million-unit worldwide PSP system shipment estimate within the same time period. PSP released in Japan on December 12, 2004 and is already a hit, with more than 800,000 units shipped, including a 200,000-unit allocation that sold out on day one.

Yumcha

For $300CAD, I'm SO buying one.

Junkster

250... maybe, if I have some money that I don't need...

Junkster, who wonders when all the movies and stuff are gonna be launched for the PSP

RedRSXGrrl

I want one.

Casper42

The big deal is Sony does this everywhere, nintendo is only a gaming company.

First year of Digital Cameras, There are 2 memory platforms.
Smart Media, maxes out at 128MB but is very small and lightweight.
Compact Flash, many sizes at the time and a fw better speeds.
Sony's Answer: Design our own called the Memory Stick, which in version1, also maxed out at 128mb, was skinnier than SM, but longer.

CD Players are everywhere, Tapes are starting to die, and Memory Based MP3 players are coming up in the market using everything from Secure Digital/MMC to Compact Flash, to only onboard storage. Hard Drive players are in their infancy and the iPod will be out within a year (though no one knows this)
Sony's Answer: The Mini Disc. Isnt compatible with ANYTHING you already own, is a pain in the ass on launch to get stuff recorded into MD format, and eventually uses proprietary compression very similar to mp3 to get more music on a disc.

MP3 is an open standard and MP4 is around the corner
Sony's Answer: ATRAC and ATRAC3 proprietary compression.

Everyone is starting to support DV Cameras and is using standard MiniDV Tapes
Sony's Answer: MicroMV, the idea was to be a smaller tape than MiniDV, however rather than use an existing or open standard, Sony develops an entirely new storage scheme for writing and reading from the tape. You connect the Camcorder to your pc and extract the video, and then find NONE of the Video Editing suites support the format your stuck with.

n3ok318

iTrader: (1)

so help the newb here, does this thing play normal DVD?

Yumcha

Nope.

Red-CL

Apples and oranges my friend.

Mp3's are audio files.

MP4's (short for mpeg4) are DVD Quality video files.


My media player only plays mpeg4 or avi files for video. All video can be converted to play in mpeg4.

rise

free avatar:

amisconception

NICE.

But, $250?

Well, I want one.

GTRspeeder

i dont know if this question has been asked before but here it goes...
my question is that will the new psp have a navigation system for cars?