Deals Now On Playstation Psp

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by Dennis Rosebrough:

You’ve probably done a lot of research and read reviews already, so I’ll just keep this short and hit the highlights.

- The screen: Yeah, it’s nice. I have no dead pixels.

- The games: A little skimpy right now, but I can easily imagine REALLY good ones coming to this platform. If you can live without a PSP for a while, you may want to wait for the good stuff. I haven’t tried any multiplayer games yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

- The video player: VERY nice. The Spiderman 2 movie looks fantastic. The movies are a little skimpy right now too, but if rental places (Blockbuster, airport stores…) start carrying lots of titles and new releases, the device is worth the purchase as a portable movie player alone. I hope there are plans for making UMD-R/RWs, because the memory stick is not yet practical for day-to-day storage of your own stuff.

- The MP3 player: More bulky than most that are out these days, but good enough. It’s a nice extra feature, but don’t buy it for this functionality alone. (Is anyone anyway?) The included remote is handy.

- The geek features: USB connectivity is kind of slow, but that’s probably because of USB, not the PSP. I had a little trouble connecting to my Linksys wireless router. I had to assign an IP address because it wouldn’t get a DHCP address automagically. Speaking of wireless, it SURE would be nice to be able to move files back and forth using a wireless network instead of USB, but I don’t think this functionality exists (yet). Haven’t used the IR port yet, don’t know what it’s good for since USB connectivity is included. Also, there are already hacks to make the PSP a Web browser and IRC client. This functionality was already built in, which tells me that Sony has plans for more functionality coming down the pipeline.

- Spiffiness: Very. They put a lot of thought into the design of this device, and I think it really paid off. I appreciate little things like the button to disable the wireless and the switch to disable all of the buttons (for watching movies or listening to mp3s) except the remote buttons. I wish the case were a little more ergonomic, but with the right grippie/protector, it’s fine.

- What you’ll need in addition:

1) A bigger memory card. For it to be useful at all, you’ll want at least 256MB. I would recommend at least 512MB, but they’re curiously hard to find anywhere now. 32MB just plain sucks.

2) Some sort of screen/unit protection, such as the rubber cover. You do NOT want that screen to get scratched!

3) Some games. It comes with none. I don’t like the bundles that everyone is selling, because there’s no discount. (Add up the price of the bundle and compare it with the prices of the separate items…) I suggest getting the Value Pack and picking your own games and accessories.

4) A carrying case and some UMD disc cases would be nice, otherwise they’ll get scattered all about. The games and movies do NOT come with a protective case, so unless you plan on ALWAYS returning the disks to their almost DVD box-sized boxes, you’ll need something to keep the discs from getting scratched.

If you’re the kind of person who has to have a PSP now, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it. If you’re not, then don’t let all the hype change your mind. It solidly earns four out of five stars right now, and as more games and movies are released, that rating will crawl towards five. If you’re somewhat interested in buying one, though, I do think you’ll eventually get one because it is a lot of fun and quite useful. Hopefully this will help in your purchasing decision!

Review by D. Keh:

I ordered the Sony PSP way before Dec. 14, 2004. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the shining, crystal clear, liquid-like 4.5″ screen! If you cover the control pad and buttons to reveal just the screen, you might think this is a tiny Plasma screen you’re holding!

I also own a Nintendo DS, so I am being very fair here; the dual screens is a nice touch; my wife loves to play ZooKeeper using the stylus; but compare the screens to the Sony PSP’s screen, it is not as sharp as the PSP.

The menu on the PSP is pretty intuitive, easy to navigate. Control pad and buttons are layout just like a regular Sony PS2 controller, except the joystick on the PSP, it looks like a round tape covering a hole or something, and I almost thought it is something I should remove. The analog pad is a little hard to use when playing any game requires precised movement, like Super bobble pop type of game, or shooters using cross-hair; but once get used to it, not a problem. The WiFi connection is easy to configure – switch it on and search and connect. I am getting a US verson next month to play wireless game with my wife.

People who has seen and played the PSP will tell you, the graphics are awesome! (yes it is a over-used word, but you’ll agree with me if you own one.) I showed it to the guys at the cellphone store while playing Ridge Racer, immediately they formed a line and took turn to play with their jaws dropping to the floor!

I also tried some MPEG4 video playback using a 512MB MS Duo, now this is what a portable AV player should be! It’s like watching a DVD movie on a plasma tv, smaller of course! No wonder Sony is going to including SpiderMan 2 movie for the first 1 million PSP shipped in the US. Watch it and you will see what I mean.

This is really a nice portable entertainment system, and yes, it plays MP3 nicely. It is larger than Apple IPod, but I love that big screen! Don’t forget to get a screen protector and a carrying case, you want the screen look good.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack some time ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. The Hannah Montana bundle followed shortly after because our 6 yr. old was Hannah Montana’s biggest fun. But we have 2 boys and junior maxed out on the GT Prologue on the PS3 and he ‘lost’ the 3000 we got him a few months ago at school so… here comes the PSP 3000 GT pack.

THE BUNDLE

———-

The bundle costs a little more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with a great game AND a memory card AND all the other freebies justified the extra expense.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in silver

- 2GB Memory card

- Gran Turismo, of course – click on the link for the game’s reviews

- A voucher for The Italian Job (not exactly a hit movie)

- More vouchers for a car and a few downloaded songs

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Since this is not our first PSP-3000, it was up and running within minutes but, trying to be objective, someone new to the PSP environment should be able to have it running with basic functions pretty quickly – half an hour to a couple of hours.

Note:

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will probably be using the included 2GB to archive photos – will hold over 1000 – because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB each and we just downloaded the digital copy that came with the Blu-ray 1998 Godzilla. The Italian Job… maybe we can find a buyer for it

FIRST PSP 3000 IMPRESSIONS

————————–

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good for the screen size (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, the 3000 comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. It’s worth noting that the silver finish is more forgiving than the regular piano black PSPs when it comes to fingerprints. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

—————————————-

Once charged, the PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

————————————–

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

—————–

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

PC INTEGRATION

—————-

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

———————-

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP 3000 vs. PSP GO

———————

The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because the Go price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t depend too much on our memory card’s limitations. In addition, we buy quite a few games on impulse and end up selling them a few days later because the kids don’t like them so we like the ability to sell our games and to buy games ‘used’. Not to mention the ability to trade games with other kids. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

———–

For anyone who happens to be a Grand Turismo fan, this is the perfect bundle. Well… the only bundle. If GT is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by Jeremy Reaban:

Well, first of all, don’t pay more than 0 for this. I guess it’s out of stock in many places, and so now only the gougers have them left.

It’s a decent starter bundle, but the main reason I got it was to get the PSP-3000 in silver. The shiny black ones are too fingerprint prone (I had a 2000 that way, anyway). But the silver one just looks nice and remains fingerprint free.

I actually was hoping to get a recently built one, but apparently these must have been left over for a while, because it shipped with firmware 4 something, which is about a year and a half old. I was hoping newer models would have fixed some of the problems with early PSP 3000 screens (lines through them), but nope, the lines are pretty obvious. My first one (since returned) also had dead pixels.

So if you want a silver PSP-3000, you really gain nothing by picking this pack over the others.

Anyway, for serious PSP ownership, it’s a bit lacking as a bundle. Gran Turismo for the PSP is a major disappointment. No career mode, no tuning of cars (except for drift races), glitchy graphics. It’s not terrible, but I’m sure the game will soon be discounted to .

The included memory card, 2 gigabytes, isn’t big enough to do anything with. Installing the Gran Turismo to it (which is basically a must, due to bad programming) will take up half of it. Much of the point of getting the PSP is taking advantage of Sony’s new downloadable game push.

The rest of the bundle isn’t worth much – a download of a bad movie, and 10 downloads from Sony’s music store. Unless you like Michael Jackson, a smattering of classic rock, or old Jazz, there’s simply not much. I couldn’t find a single song I wanted that I didn’t already have.

Review by Apprentice:

So this is the 3rd iteration for the Playstation Portable.

I’ve personally experienced the first 2, selling my original PSP Phat for the PSP Slim (2000).

I’ve done the same again and sold my slim and bought the 3000.

The improvements over the PSP 2000, are a improved LCD screen which I must say is pretty improved, and a built in Microphone. (Finally I can make use of the skype feature as well as chat online in psp games.)

So is this a justifiable upgrade? For the improvements not really.

But if you’re in the market for a PSP right now… The PSP 3000 is an ideal step into the PSP World.

Also following up the PSP 3000′s launch is the Firmware 5.00 which brings Playstation Store (found on PS3) to the PSP.

But this firmware will be hitting all iterations of PSP.

So…Great purchase for me…Hope all of you here on Amazon do the same

Review by Jeffrey Bergkamp:

The first thing I would like to say is that the scan lines are not nearly as big of an issue as others make them out to be. I have only noticed them slightly, and they are completely overlooked when comparing the overall quality of this new screen. It is brighter, has a higher contrast ratio to display more vivid colors, and ghosting is no more.

The included games Ratchet and Clank and Echochrome are both terrific in their own respect, but I have to hand it to Echochrome. It is a brilliantly done puzzle game that is as beautifully presented as it is mind-bending.

I highly recommend this unit if you have a PS3 because of the remote play capabilities. Being able to stream video, music, and pictures wirelessly is a dream. And now Sony is offering their Media Manager as a free download it is a breeze to add your own music and media right to the 1gb memory stick provided.

The best part about owning a PSP is that most games that you really want are now around , so you can beef up your library for cheap.

All in all I love the PSP 3000, do not let the worries of the scan lines scare you away.

Review by VC:

Enough good things have been said about this PSP2001 (aka PSP slim and lite)

Just to emphasize

Pros:

- Top notch screen

- Playing Madden on this and my xbox felt the same

- Extremely easy controls (well built buttons)

- Light weight (won’t feel the weight when playing for long hours)

- Battery hardly used when on sleep mode, I have put this on sleep for days and then continued my game from where I left!

- Well designed

- Video quality is amazing

- Video podcast download over the wireless is a GREAT add-on. I watch CNN highlights on this.

- Updating firmware was easier than eating a muffin !

Cons:

- None that I know of !

- A slight disappointment, if I may, I bought the component cable to connect to my 51″ TV. The video quality of the podcasts was unbelievably clear. Now, I knew that the game won’t use the entire TV screen (for those who don’t know, the game will use about 60-70% of your TV screen). But the quality of the game video was bad, in fact Madden looked terrible on the TV! That is something I did not expect from PSP.

All-in-all, money well spent on the console. I recommend this to anyone, any age, who would like have mobility but still be able to play their Madden etc. as well as get bit more out of the console with video podcast downloads over the air or a music player or a ‘OK’ web browser or location free client or whatever

Review by Nite:

Pros:

+A Very Powerful Handheld Device

+Plays music, movies, and allows you to look at photos

+Browsing online is fun

+A lot of accessories available

+Now has a good library of games

+Easy interface and control

+Very detailed screen and large

Cons:

-Online browsing isn’t that much fun

-Can’t organize a music library and UMDs aren’t all that fun to watch, even on road trips

-The battery life isn’t long lasting

-The screen is easily damaged

When the original PSP launched back in 2005, it eventually became subjected to heavy criticism. Not necessarily the console itself, but mostly that much of what it did, people didn’t see the use for in a handheld system, and the fact that its library of games wasn’t incredible. Nevertheless, the PSP has still shown itself to be a powerhouse of a console.

First and foremost, this review is not here to talk about the Nintendo DS. If you would like a review or comparison to the Nintendo DS, I highly suggest you look for reviews under the Nintendo DS or use the forums. Most people on the amazon community will be very helpful in helping you decide on which handheld is the best for you.

The new PSP is much better than the original. It’s slimmer, lighter, and a slightly bigger screen that actually makes some of the picture look a bit more crisp. Some games also run a little faster, and that more than helps the PSP out.

What the PSP has best been known for (and criticized the most for) is being a handheld entertainment center. It can do more than just play games. It can play music, go online, play movies, and you can look at photos. This is all built into the system and doesn’t require you to purchase any extra peripherals to use. While these are all good and well, they come with slight hitches. You can’t organize a playlist when it comes to the music, and while going online is great, it’s pretty sluggish when you have to input addresses and such via a keypad function similar to that of a cell phone. Movies are great too, but a UMD on the PSP’s small screen isn’t enough to replace a DVD or Blu-Ray disc.

Luckily, however, the PSP isn’t a home entertainment center and is a gaming console. In that respect it gets the job done. The Slim PSP works because the interface is very user friendly. You can select several things from the main menu to do. Whether it be to play music, browse photos or just start a game. When playing a game you can return to the home menu at any time. The system even sleeps if you suddenly have to put it down. The UMDs are also a great gaming format. There’s plenty of space, which makes some games live up to their potential in length, and also pushes how powerful the PSP is. In terms of graphics, it’s like walking around with a Playstation 2 in your pocket.

The PSP does suffer from a couple of setbacks. The battery is still pretty short in length. It lasts much longer in the slim PSP than the original, but it still isn’t that long lasting. At least you can always check how much battery is left, and when it gets low it’ll let you know. Even better for the PSP is that even if the battery dies in the middle of a game, you can just charge it and resume right from where you left off since the console will merely go to sleep.

The other setback with the PSP is that the screen can be damaged pretty easily. In order to protect it you’ll need to spend more money on accessories such as a case to protect it. It’s also not the most durable system you can buy. You have to be a bit more delicate with it because it’s a bit more fragile than most other consoles out there. Luckily, most of you probably won’t drop it purposefully, but in case a parent is looking at giving it to a child, you may want to watch to make sure they don’t drop it on a concrete or hard surface.

For a couple of years, the PSP has suffered the most from having a fairly tight library. Most of its more notable games were either ported from the Playstation 2 or ported TO the Playstation 2. With the PS2 no longer being the focal point, it has certainly allowed the PSP to grow much more. We’re now seeing much better games and much more expanded games. The library is still fairly short on fantastic games, but at least now it’s growing as a gaming system. If you’re interested in a PSP, now is not a bad time to grab one as there are better games being released and it’s been built to last.

The PSP is a good handheld device. With a volley of games to choose from all across the spectrum, the PSP really does serve as a good gaming choice for everyone.

Review by Thuy Nguyen:

It charges my psp really quick. The reason I gave four stars out of five because the connection is somehow is loose with my psp. I have to adjust it to get a perfect position before it can charge.

Review by Marques Young:

This charger was a quick fix. A friend of mine lost his and I was able to order and recieve this one quite quickly.

Review by Ellen Safir:

I purchased this PSP for my son, with money he saved up to buy a psp. I was a little concerned about buying a used electronic game device over the internet but I was pleasantly surprised. It looks like new, it works perfectly and he is very very happy. So thank you for making sure the quality of the products you advertise is good.

Ellen Safir

Review by Johnnatan:

I bought this psp because I was going to travel out of the country and I needed a psp to play while I was flying great system. I’m real happy with my psp

Review by Scott Posey:

The PS3 has a very tight knit gaming community. While the 360 has more people, the PS3 has more devoted fans. So, it goes without saying that their official magazine will share the same type of close knit community. The magazine itself is a monthly publication that has what you would expect, reviews, previews, blu-ray movie reviews, etc. The presentation though is where the magazine really shines. High glossy pictures, big pages, it looks nice. Compared to the 360′s official magazine (which is also pretty good), it’s miles ahead.

Review by Tom Mosgrove:

I typically would purchase The Official PlayStation Magazine each month at the store. Over time I have found that the magazine has become a very good resource for information regarding the PlayStation product line from Sony. In addition I enjoy some of the other articles and spotlights on technology and products that fit the gamers’ lifestyle. The only negative, which can be said of a lot of magazines, is the review section. While larger titles get feature articles and they can justify the ratings, they use a 5 star system, some of the smaller titles or titles that are cross platform, get smaller write ups, and if you, as a consumer are on the fence about whether or not you would enjoy the title, or it is a waste of your money, it is hard to make the call based on a short article and a star rating. Overall the magazine is a solid and informative read, however, I wish they would revise their product review system.