Introduction

The last time I think the Nintendo had faced some serious competition in the handheld market was against Sega's Game Gear, which in my opinion was a technically superior handheld gaming device. Well now similar to the console market, Sony has come out with their own alternative to the Gameboy/DS handheld duo, which is the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). We have been hearing about Sony's new handheld for quite sometime, and the hype surrounding it actually has been stronger then I actually thought it would. Now we got our hands on the US PSP Value Pack direct Sony, which we promptly puts through all its paces. So how does the PSP perform and does it have a chance against the Nintendo DS? You're going to have to keep reading to find out our take on the new Sony PSP.

Included in the Package

One thing that has been highly controversial about the PSP was that the system was not going to launch with a normal package. Instead, you are forced to buy the "Value Pack" if you want the PSP right when it releases. So what are you getting from this value pack, you might be wondering? Here is the list of items in the value pack:

• AC Power Cord
• AC Adapter
• Battery Pack
• Headphones with Remote Control
• Memory Stick Duo (32MB)
• Wrist Strap
• Pouch
• Cloth
• Printed Materials

I also got two "special UMD's", which are shipped with the first million PSP value packs. These include a Spider-Man 2 movie, as well as a sampler disc that showcases future games and movies. The Spider-Man 2 movie was very impressive, as the visuals were sharp and clear, which makes for a satisfying viewing experience. On the other hands, Sony could have done better with the sampler disc, as it contains clips from the games, rather than playable demos. But all in all, I'd say you get good value from the "Value Pack" (hence the name).

Design

It wasn't too long ago we saw those different (some fake) concept arts of what the PSP was going to look like. I remember taking a look around the Internet and seeing some that were close to what the PSP looked like and others that looked like a PS2 console with a screen on it. Now that we have the PSP lets take a look at the US design, which is by the way almost identical to the Japanese version.

My first impression of the Sony PSP was one of absolute awe, as I can't begin to express how slick the PSP really looked up close. First off, the handheld's LCD screen was one thing that impressed me most, as it was a lot bigger then the screenshots of the unit portray it to be. The screen's actual specifications are 4.3-inch, 480x272, TFT LCD, and even that is not enough to really do the PSP justice as it really seems bigger than that.

From here we look at the rest of the PSP's features, which looked equally impressive. At the bottom of the PSP you will find all of the buttons that control your PSP, such as volume, menu selections, as well as your start and select buttons. From there you have your typical PlayStation-style four button combination of X, Circle, Triangle and Square on the right side of the unit. On the left side, you have the directional pad as well as a very small joystick. And now finally the top of the PSP includes the two shoulder buttons. If you haven't heard already, there had been many complaints regarding those shoulder buttons in the Japanese version, none of which were experienced on my PSP unit.

Inserting the PSP games, which comes in the form of UMD's, turns out to be a no-brainer. You simply need to open up a latch at the back of the unit, and slide the disc right in. Before I got the PSP I must admit I was curious to see how this was going to work, but it works quite easily and I don't see any future problems pertaining this as they were with the original PlayStation.

Performance

Well now we have really talked about everything there is to talk of in terms of the design of the PSP. Now let's move onto the performance of the unit. Well to test the unit I used the two UMD's that came with the unit, as well as a few first-party games including NBA, Wipeout Pure, and Twisted Metal: Head On (reviews for these games are coming as well).

For starters, let us begin with the two included discs, which include the sampler disc as well as the movie Spider-Man 2. The sampler disc included both movie and game previews, all of which really showed off the stunning clarity of the PSP. I think by watching this disc I really saw how truly remarkable this little LCD screen on the PSP really is. Moving onto the Spider-Man 2 movie, I must say that this was probably the most amazing thing I have seen in quite sometime, as this little unit played the movie beautifully. The sound on the unit was great (when using headphones) and the overall clarity of the movie was excellent. The one thing I do wonder about though is who really is going to want to watch a movie on this little of a unit as I did receive a pretty large neck-ache following watching the movie.

Now let's move onto what this unit was made for, and that is games. From my experiences with the games I mentioned earlier, I must say that Sony did a rather amazing job with this handheld. First off, you can see they did their homework when creating it, as it really is quite comfortable on the hands and eyes. All face buttons are intuitively and ergonomically placed, with the slight exception of the small analog stick. I just feel that it's too small, but with some time and practice, you'd get used to it.

One thing I have not yet been able to try is the online capabilities of the PSP, which according to Sony, will be available to coincide with the launch of the PSP on the 24th of March. With that being said, setting up the PSP is a breeze. For those that have setup their home wireless connections, connecting the PSP can be done in a matter of a minute or two. Not only does the unit supports online play, but also allows close-by link play, which means you and a buddy can play against/with each other easily.

What I really liked about the PSP was that it has room to grow, due to the USB 2.0 hookup and memory card expansion. This means you can put your own movies, music, and pictures onto the PSP to really make it your own. I think this is something that really makes the PSP stand out, as you're no longer restricted to playing games or watching movies on the PSP. You can personalize it to you heart's content, making it "Your PSP".

One major concern I had with the Sony PSP was the battery life, which actually still will remain a concern for others. I found that the battery can last anywhere from three to five hours, depending on how much you are actually using the unit while it's powered up. One reason why I found this not to be as big of an issue as I had thought was that I don't think many of us are going to be playing the PSP for three or four hours straight.

A Look to the Future

So what does the future hold for the Sony PSP? Well in my opinion, the race between the two handhelds (PSP vs. DS) is going to be a tight one this year, with one of the two taking a dramatic lead next year. I believe the PSP definitely has the capabilities to become the best handheld out there, but it needs to make sure to create a strong game library like the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. I think with the future of the online play and the ability to really customize the PSP, this unit is really a must have purchase this year. I feel that when the online play catches on and we see some solid games come out for the platform, next year we could be seeing the PSP as the most dominate handheld in gaming history.