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PlayStation In Your Pocket

DATE: -0/5-/2004
COMPANY: Sony Computer Entertainment
PRODUCT: PlayStation Portable

Since its initial announcement back at E3 2003, the Sony PSP has been the topic of much discussion, debate and speculation. As expected, the PSP was a major part of Sony's Pre-E3 press conference and after a brief demo clip showing some of what the system is capable of, it should go without saying that the system has some power behind it.

Scheduled to be released later this year in Japan (and Spring 2005 in North America), the PSP -- which stands for PlayStation Portable -- is Sony's entry into the handheld market. Sporting a 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD display with a resolution of 480x272, the PSP could more aptly be described as a portable PS2. The graphics shown off in the demo reels, which included Metal Gear Solid: Acid, a Gran Turismo game and an Armored Core game, looked almost on par with what we're currently seeing on the PS2. Essentially, the PSP marks the jump from 2D to real (not the pseudo-3D found in the GBA) 3D on the handhelds. To say that I was blown away by what I saw on the demo reel would be an understatement.

The PSP also features all of the basic portable functions of other handheld systems like built-in stereo speakers, sound and brightness control and an earphone jack. Hmm, well -- maybe it has a little more than the current portable leader. The system also supports both USB 2.0 and 802.11 Wi-Fi LAN connectors, which will allow for multiple PSP's to connect for multiplayer gaming among other things. Yes, the PSP is about more than just gaming. During the press conference, Sony showcased the PSP's music and video functions. One of the highlights of the demo was a brand new Spider-Man 2 trailer running straight off the PSP. Sony also showed off a new trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which is coming to DVD and UMD, the PSP's storage medium, soon.

Down on the show floor the system was playable, but only in the loosest sense of the word. While I was able to hold the system, none of the games shown from the previous day were playable on the floor. Instead, it was basically a host of playable demos meant to give show-goers a feel for the system. Though the system was bolted down, the system feels nice. A cursory glance may say otherwise, but the system's button layout, which includes the four face buttons found on the Dual Shock controller (Square, Circle, Triangle, X) and two shoulder buttons, feels great. Even the analog stick, which looks like it might be really uncomfortable to use given its position under the D-pad, also feels better than it looks.

As far as how games looked when playing on the system, I was just as impressed as I was the previous day. The image was very clean and, in some aspects, looked a little smoother than on the PS2. Again, no real games were showcased, but so far things look great.

Unfortunately, with all the information comes even more questions. The biggest, of course, is how much all of this is going to cost. Sony has been reluctant to announce a price, so hopefully more information will be released on that soon. In addition, the question of battery life still looms over the head of the system. While this question was addressed briefly, nothing was made official. Right now, all Sony is saying is that battery life will be better than most portable DVD players on the market.

Most major developers have already pledged support to the system, including EA, who showed off a demo reel of its own which included games like NFL Street and Need for Speed.

With the launch still a ways off (unless you're an importer), there are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered about the system. More details should be released as we get closer to the system?s Japanese release.

GameVortex :: PSIllustrated :: TeamPS2