***CLICK HERE TO BUY A PSP FROM KELKOO.CO.UK***
The PlayStation Portable launches today across Europe, and to say we’re excited would be the biggest understatement of the year.
It’s the new iPod, you know. Only with less irritating David Gray adverts.
As usual, Japan and America had PSP launches long before we did. And they’ve been insanely popular: 5,000,000 of them have already been shipped worldwide. And now it’s our time to play catch-up.
Hand-held games consoles have traditionally been, well, a bit crap. Millions of Gameboys were sold, but you could only really play them in the 36 minutes of the day when it wasn’t too sunny or too dark. The Sega Gamegear had a colour screen, but it was so blurry that playing on one was about as easy as drunk pottery. Then there’s the Nintendo DS – a more gimmicky piece of kit you’d be hard-pushed to find. It’s half console, half stylophone.
The PSP seems likely to be the most popular hand-held console ever. It has high-quality full-motion video on a (relatively) huge screen, high definition sound and wireless network capabilities. That means that you and up to 15 friends can compete in one of the PSP’s many multiplayer games. It also means that you can wirelessly connect to the Internet and download new game content to the PSP’s memory stick.
Although the PSP is primarily a games machine – on launch day alone, you’ll be able to buy new GTA, Pro Evo, Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer, Tony Hawks and Tiger Woods games – Sony are obviously hoping that their new console becomes the byword for portable entertainment.
We were a little unsure about this boast at first; after all, the PSP takes new format UMD discs, and history is littered with failed formats like betamax or minidiscs. But it looks like movie studios are throwing their weight behind UMD. You’ll be able to buy movies like Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Dodgeball. No real cinema classics, but with 100 movies scheduled for release before Christmas, we’re sure they’ll come along.
And, best of all, because the European model was launched last, it’ll be the most advanced version of the PSP available.
We don’t have a PSP yet, but if you do, leave your comments about it below. Or just buy us one.
Find the cheapest way to buy a PSP at kelkoo.co.uk
Read more:
PSP World – Our new favourite PSP blog
[story by Stuart Heritage]
