DS vs. PSP Which will you buy? (1 Viewer)

[CaseyL]

I'm really super excited about the Gameboy DS because it's new and innovative, and could totally change the handheld market (Again) but, on the other hand I really don't care very much about the PSP. It's pretty bland, and there's not really any original games for it. But, that is of course my humble opinion.

Really though, I would like to know what other people think. Are you going for the DS, or the PSP?

 

[Marc Bax]

PSP is far too sexy to pass up. I'm not a Nintendo fan (lately) so the DS really doesn't interest me, plus it seems too gimmicky. So if the price is right I'll hop back on the handheld bandwagon for the first time since the ill fated Game Gear hopefully I won't get burned again.

 

[Scott L]

PSP is pretty much a mini PS2 that plays movies and mp3s outta the box. What's so innovative about the DS? 2 screens instead of 1?

I won't buy either until I need a portable mp3 player.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

I'm not a mobile gamer, but from what I've seen I would agree with this. At least with the initial releases that extra screen is not utilized particularly well. Just like any new technology, however, one would expect the developers to take better advantage of this feature as games evolve. Particularly if the gaming community embraces the platform and provides critical feedback.

That said the PSP is definitely sexy as mentioned above.

 

[BrionL]

I'm really looking at the PSP. The DS looks cool but I think I would get more enjoyment out of the PSP.

Brion

 

[Chris Bardon]

I'd disagree with that one-my Nomad keeps me sane on the long commute to and from work, and sanity is a good thing

To be honest though, I can't say that I'm all that interested in either. The DS is a cool idea, and if I had a lot more time away from home where I wanted access to games then I might care a little more, but portable gaming just isn't that important to me anymore.

That, and with the likely price tags both of these things are going to have, I'd rather save my money for the next gen xbox.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

In all honesty, the PSP is basically a portable console. While that's not bad, it's nothing new.

The DS is trying to deliver a unique experience, regardless of whether it's going to be successful or not. Nintendo's new idea is going towards what can be done with the technology we have to create a fun experience aside from amazing graphics or the best specs out there. I'd rather have a mini-N64 that does something really cool for a low price than a mini-PS2 that doesn't do anything new for a large price.

 

[Marc Bax]

Since prices haven't been announced how do you figure the DS will be that much (if any) cheaper?

 

[Scott L]

Oh but it *does* do something new. It plays your own Mp3s and movies, first of any protable gaming system that I know of.

The decent mp3 players start at $300...

 

[Sean Moon]

The PSP looks sexy in design, but so far all the games just look like PS2 ports, instead of some really new and interesing experiences. The notion of buying movies again just to put them on a PSP is ass though. Too bad there isnt a UMD writer to rip your own DVDs (like that would ever happen). The only concerns I have with the PSP are cost and battery life. With all that they are cramming into that little box, it cannot be cheap when it comes out. At the cheapest I would say it would probably be 200 or so. And also, with all it has to do (processor, screen, disc) the batteries will probably be eaten alive in that thing, and even if it is replaceable, the battery probably is not cheap.

The DS, while appearing gimmicky at the moment, does look like it could change things a lot for gaming. It is really just unique, and people dont know what to think about it. The games look like N64 level, which is not bad for a portable, but the touch screen part so far is not really revolutionary. I think in about a year we will see some really interesting ideas come from that though. And since the unit is from Nintendo, everyone knows they have a history of not wanting expensive hardware. It will probably get really good battery life and be cheaper than the PSP, like maybe 150 or so.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The DS' battery life is longer and it is, after all, a gaming device, so things like playing MP3s and movies shouldn't be much of a concern. Right now, the GBA has those 45 minute video carts that play cartoons, which could be modified in the future to have full-length movies on the DS (possibly with the movie on one screen and a menu on another), so the idea of movies on a portable isn't unique to the PSP.

There's also a rumor that the PSP might drop some functionality to be cheaper, such as the MP3 playback.

And do you really want to have to rebuy movies to watch them on the PSP? I heard some cool ideas involving connecting a PSP to a PSX and downloading TV shows you record, but do you really want to have to spend THAT MUCH money in order to do that?

I have a CD player that plays MP3s on it (and quite well) that cost less than $40. All I need is a CD-R (which are insanely cheap) and a CD-R burner (my computer has a DVD+-RW built-in already, so this is covered) in order to hold hours of MP3s on a single CD. Not quite as compact as a PSP, and it doesn't play videogames/movies, but a hell of a lot cheaper and I have it right now.

 

[Levi]

The DS is goint to have Legend of Zelda games!! That, to me, is the defining difference between the two. No Zelda... No dice!

--LEVI

 

[CaseyL]

I can agree that the DS looks somewhat gimmicky at this point, and that the support for the dual screen is currently lacking (basically map screen, map screen, and map screen), but once developers get a feel for the possibilities, I think we will see some amazing games. The same goes for the touchscreen.

 

[Justin_D]

People, the DS uses a stylus! IMHO, a portable gaming system shouldn't be a PDA! I want to use buttons, not some stylus. Plus, the PSP has serious power compared to the DS. I think the DS is the start to the downfall of Nintendo.

Also, about price: 1st: No prices have been announced for either. 2nd: The PSP is suspected to have a higher price due to the power it has, but the DS has 2 screens. I have to think that this will add about the same ammount to the price...

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The DS's two screens won't add as much to the price as the huge screen and powerful innards of the PSP will.

From a design aspect, the PSP is smaller but the huge screen is vulnerable to lots of scratching while the DS is bulky but probably won't take as much real wear-and-tear on the screens.

And the stylus is not necessarily required for the DS. You can use your fingers with the touch screen, too. If anything, this is at least an innovative approach to gaming that Sony would never attempt.

Tentative pricing for the two units has been announced or at least hinted at. The DS will probably cost between $100-200, while the PSP will be between $150-300.

 

[Marc Bax]

Morgan you are one dedicated Nintendo fanboy (girl?). Lets chill on the speculation though. All your claims of battery life, price, which one will rock your socks off, are premature and make you look like a Nintendo employee.

 

[AndyVX]

If the rumoured 3 hours of gameplay battery life are true, you can count me out on buying the PSP. Hopefully Sony can get that figure higher before the thing launches. I also hope the thing doesn't just turn into a PSX/PS2 port machine.

And as for the DS. I dunno, something about having to hold a stylus whilst trying to press the buttons and somehow awkwardly going back and forth between the two seems like it could very well be annoying. And apart from that, the whole thing just kinda seems very gimmicky... like it's just some stop-gap solution for the time being.

On the whole, I'm not overly impressed with either, and unless there are a plethora of AAA games, I wont be buying either.

 

[Scott L]

I'm pretty sure 3 hours is for movie play, simply because the disc has to keep spinning. Gameplay will be much higher. Famitsu guesses around 10 hours with a special Lithium Ion developed by Sony.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

EGM did a cover story on DS vs. PSP, and all the info I've been talking about is from that story. Oh, and they chose the PSP as the one they're looking forward to the most, so this info isn't even biased in Nintendo's favor.

While the PSP is better off for having the disc-based format, that kills the battery live and also increases wear-and-tear on the innards....how many people have had their first-generation PS or PS2 replaced?

 

[AndyVX]

I'm sure the optical drive in the PSP will be pretty solid though. While it isn't mini-disc, it's similar enough that I can make this comparison...

I've had portable minidisc players for years that are still going strong to this day. They get bumped and jostled around just as much (if not more) than what the PSP will have to endure. Plus, they get a lot more usage than what the PSP will be getting. I'd wager that the drives in the PSP will be similar to that of the highend minidisc drives.

At least I hope they will be anyways.