Good time to get in?

[Betagam7]

I've been thinking about adding a PSP to my collection for awhile now. With all the different versions available can someone tell me if I'd be losing out drastically by buying an original PSP on the cheap now the slim and go version are available?
Is there anything the original PSP can't do that the new ones can. I'm not interested in the PSPgo with its download only content as I'd like to buy physical games, but does the PSP allow this in the same way or is it more like a DS/DSI situation?

[SegaFan]

There's no difference in terms of main features, the slim version is obviously an improvement on the original but only like the DS Lite is better than the original DS. It depends if that matters to you. The PSP 3000 has a built in microphone and TV out but I've never used either, technically the 3000 has the most features but no significant improvements. The PSP Go is just a PSP without a UMD drive, it has no exclusive games since the same PlayStation store is available on all PSPs.

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

There's no difference in terms of main features, the slim version is obviously an improvement on the original but only like the DS Lite is better than the original DS. It depends if that matters to you. The PSP 3000 has a built in microphone and TV out but I've never used either, technically the 3000 has the most features but no significant improvements. The PSP Go is just a PSP without a UMD drive, it has no exclusive games since the same PlayStation store is available on all PSPs.

Cheers, what about firmware? Do any versions have it/not have it?

[SegaFan]

I'm not sure what you mean. All versions have firmware, I don't know about the differences between firmware on different models.

[kawaiipikachu]

Well My choice be go for a new system as i have heard people haveing problems with abused secondhand systems which leaves which way to go eather a 3000 or go for a Go

Go for a Go if you got both
A: a means to pay as in credit card or have the prepaid card avaliable in your region
& b: a high speed but exspensive internet connection .

Get a 3000 if you
A: no way of paying for the downloadable games
B: if you only got a cheap ADSL or worse dialup internet connections .

[pdRydia]

I am one of those who's had trouble with used systems. If you can, buy a new system, and if you can't, try to go to a store you trust and ask the salesclerk to direct you to a gently used system--and buy an extended warranty on any used system, should they offer it.


The original PSP 1000 is large and heavy. It has the smallest RAM/internal storage of your options. It is also your cheapest option. The battery is removable: since the PSP guzzles battery power, some people remove the original battery and replace it with something better. This unit's UMD door is the most sturdy.

I don't understand the differences between the PSP 2000 and the 3000, except that the 3000 is more expensive on account of it being newer. I choose a PSP 2000 over the 1000 for reasons I can longer recall--I think it had to do with reports of dead lines of pixels in the 1000. The UMD door to the 2000 is pretty flimsy.

The 1000, 2000, and 3000 allow you to play UMDs, as well as download game to a removable memory stick. UMDs can come quite cheap, even at stores like Gamestop. Daxter, for example, regularly goes for $6 around here, while the PSP store wants somewhere around $15 for it.

The PSP Go cannot play UMDs. This of course means you will not be able to take advantage of the secondary market. It also means that the unit is smaller and weighs less. The screen is smaller. It has larger internal memory and RAM. Its battery is unremovable. It is also your costliest option at this point, both in terms of the unit itself, and in the fact that you have to buy new games for it.

[SKTTR]

Don't buy a PSP!

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Don't buy a PSP!

Good informative answer, especially for someone who's already expressed interest in a PSP. Hey, if he doesn't get a PSP, then at least he has the benefit of missing out on a huge library of awesome games that he can't get on other systems!

Beta, I'd recommend getting a PSP 2000 or 3000, whichever you can find depending on price. The 3000 really has no distinct advantage over the 2000—it's just newer and has some extra useless features (mic? OK, thanks...). The only real advantages are extra battery life and maybe a slightly brighter screen.

The PSP 1000 is bigger, has drastically shorter battery life, and you'd be dealing exclusively with used systems.

The Go, obviously, is crap. The main benefit of the Go is that a lot of games are starting to be released on PSN, so if you can't find a particular game you're looking for, you can just download it onto your memory card. Just make sure to get a big card.

[Refa]

I'm lookin' to get a new PSP also. From what I've gathered from this thread I don't really want a 1000, and I don't want to pay more money for a 3000 if It doesn't have anything significantly better than the 2000. So that leaves the 2000 and the Go. I'm interested in the Go because I've heard problems with UMDs from friends w/PSPs, but at the same time, the costs are high. Any help on the matter would be appreciated (2000 or Go)

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Refa

I'm lookin' to get a new PSP also. From what I've gathered from this thread I don't really want a 1000, and I don't want to pay more money for a 3000 if It doesn't have anything significantly better than the 2000. So that leaves the 2000 and the Go. I'm interested in the Go because I've heard problems with UMDs from friends w/PSPs, but at the same time, the costs are high. Any help on the matter would be appreciated (2000 or Go)

You'd be insane to get a Go. They're nearly twice as expensive as a brand new 2000! I've never had a single problem with UMDs other than that they load loudly. With a 2000, you also have the benefit of being able to buy cheap used games, and sell games you don't want to keep. You can also, of course, download every single game that will be available to download on the Go, so even if you don't want to use UMDs, you can just download the games via PSN onto your 2000's memory card.

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by Refa

So that leaves the 2000 and the Go. I'm interested in the Go because I've heard problems with UMDs from friends w/PSPs, but at the same time, the costs are high. Any help on the matter would be appreciated (2000 or Go)

The 2000 can download anything the Go can, and you can buy external memory. Tah-dah!

As for the UMD thing, I've never had any problems, even with used ones, although I've certainly heard from a storeclerk that others have. When pressed, he quietly suggested that most people with UMD troubles have them because they mistreat their UMDs. Personally, I consider UMDs only slightly more durable than a PSX or PS2 game--which can become permanently and irreversibly broken by a single scratch. Treat them intelligently and you shouldn't have trouble.

[edit] Except possibly the Minis--I'm not sure the 2000 can download those.
[edit] [edit] Nevermind, it can.

[SegaFan]

So that leaves the 2000 and the Go. I'm interested in the Go because I've heard problems with UMDs from friends w/PSPs, but at the same time, the costs are high. Any help on the matter would be appreciated (2000 or Go)

Buy a 2000 and if you don't like UMDs don't use them, that way at least you have the option and nothing to lose.

I've never had any trouble with UMDs though and if you ask me they're probably safer in the long run. If your PSP breaks down (the battery is bound to go eventually) you are completely at Sony's mercy when it comes to recovering your downloaded games. You can't back them up and re-transfer them without logging in. If Sony aren't interested in helping once it's no longer supported you've lost everything. But if you have physical copies that's got to be a safer option. Downloadable content is very short-sighted.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

Buy a 2000 and if you don't like UMDs don't use them, that way at least you have the option and nothing to lose.

I've never had any trouble with UMDs though and if you ask me they're probably safer in the long run. If your PSP breaks down (the battery is bound to go eventually) you are completely at Sony's mercy when it comes to recovering your downloaded games. You can't back them up and re-transfer them without logging in. If Sony aren't interested in helping once it's no longer supported you've lost everything. But if you have physical copies that's got to be a safer option. Downloadable content is very short-sighted.

You know all of your DLC is on an account, right? So (I would assume) you can redownload them if your PSP breaks down...At least that's how it works with the 360. Can anyone comment on this? Not sure about this, so I'm most likely wrong, but that's what I'd assume would happen.

Your last comment was pretty biased there. You're making a complaint about Sony/PSP, and that somehow equates to DLC is destined to fail? I fail to see your reasoning/logic there.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Refa

Your last comment was pretty biased there. You're making a complaint about Sony/PSP, and that somehow equates to DLC is destined to fail? I fail to see your reasoning/logic there.

You don't see his logic because you're thinking illogically. His comment isn't biased. He argues that DLC is shortsighted, therefore the PSP Go isn't the best option. That's perfectly logical. Whether you agree or not is another story.

Personally, I weigh the advantages and disadvantages like this:

PSP GO: Cannot play UMD PSP games. Can play DLC PSP games.
PSP X000: Can play UMD PSP games. Can play DLC PSP games.

[SegaFan]

You know all of your DLC is on an account, right? So (I would assume) you can redownload them if your PSP breaks down...At least that's how it works with the 360. Can anyone comment on this? Not sure about this, so I'm most likely wrong, but that's what I'd assume would happen.

You can redownload them now but there's no guarantee that you will be able to once the PSP is no longer supported. You can still play 20 year old Game Boy games, I do from time to time, and if you can't do the same with downloaded PSP games in 20 years time that's short sighted.

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

You can redownload them now but there's no guarantee that you will be able to once the PSP is no longer supported. You can still play 20 year old Game Boy games, I do from time to time, and if you can't do the same with downloaded PSP games in 20 years time that's short sighted.

According to wikischolars: "A guest user can use his master account Download List to download free content or to purchase content on another console however, a single account can only be used on up to five consoles." Does that mean you can move copies of the game, at any time, between any 5 different devices, or that after you download it onto 5 different devices, you're SOL? Cuz with the way PSPs are breaking on me, that's kinda bull****...

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

According to wikischolars: "A guest user can use his master account Download List to download free content or to purchase content on another console however, a single account can only be used on up to five consoles." Does that mean you can move copies of the game, at any time, between any 5 different devices, or that after you download it onto 5 different devices, you're SOL? Cuz with the way PSPs are breaking on me, that's kinda bull****...

As far as I know, it's the latter. If you have a problem with breaking PSPs, I think you'd probably have to contact Sony. I imagine they're just paranoid about someone downloading games onto 100 PSPs/PS3s and selling them to people? Nintendo isn't the only company who's struggling to find a decent way to keep people from cheating them.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

You don't see his logic because you're thinking illogically. His comment isn't biased. He argues that DLC is shortsighted, therefore the PSP Go isn't the best option. That's perfectly logical. Whether you agree or not is another story.

Personally, I weigh the advantages and disadvantages like this:

PSP GO: Cannot play UMD PSP games. Can play DLC PSP games.
PSP X000: Can play UMD PSP games. Can play DLC PSP games.

My bad, I thought he meant all DLC is destined to fail.

[SegaFan]

It's only destined to fail until they come up with a way of letting you permanently back up games and restore them as you like without relying on servers/support still being active in the distant future (because they won't be). I'm not interested in buying games that I might not be able to play in the future. The challenge is to find a way of doing this and preventing piracy. A solution I thought of would be DRM that expires 10 years after your purchase, thereby allowing people to back up their old games once there's no longer interest in stealing it. Even that's not perfect for either side but it's at least workable.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

It's only destined to fail until they come up with a way of letting you permanently back up games and restore them as you like without relying on servers/support still being active in the distant future (because they won't be). I'm not interested in buying games that I might not be able to play in the future. The challenge is to find a way of doing this and preventing piracy. A solution I thought of would be DRM that expires 10 years after your purchase, thereby allowing people to back up their old games once there's no longer interest in stealing it. Even that's not perfect for either side but it's at least workable.

Have you heard of Steam?

[SegaFan]

Originally Posted by Refa

Have you heard of Steam?

Heard of, yes, but never used. What does Steam do about the problem?

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

Heard of, yes, but never used. What does Steam do about the problem?

Nothing...

[SegaFan]

That's probably why I overlooked it then. Surely I can't be the only one who thinks this is short sighted. Videogames are more than just throw-away fun, I want to be able to look back and remember this era of gaming, and play old games being reasonably sure they're not going to go away. That's half the point of gaming for me. What will future gaming historians do? Games that developers worked hard on could just vanish.

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

That's probably why I overlooked it then. Surely I can't be the only one who thinks this is short sighted. Videogames are more than just throw-away fun, I want to be able to look back and remember this era of gaming, and play old games being reasonably sure they're not going to go away. That's half the point of gaming for me. What will future gaming historians do? Games that developers worked hard on could just vanish.

I wouldn't agree with that particular argument, as I don't think current-gen games are going to disappear: video game archival is already well underway. Even the biggest, baddest library of the whole U.S. wants in on the action. We're in much greater danger of loser our older games, which (like their movie analogue, the silent film) no one preserved at the time of their making because they thought of games as cheap, disposable entertainment. Now the few copies of these old floppy- and tape-based games that exist are quickly deteriorating to the point where they can't be archived.

That's not to say I don't agree with you that it's a raw deal to buy stupidly expensive DLC that comes with no guarantee you will be able to continue playing the game in the future.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by SegaFan

Heard of, yes, but never used. What does Steam do about the problem?

You can redownload the games as much as you want.

pdRydia- Damn, that's awesome. Score one for the Americans.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Refa

You can redownload the games as much as you want.

You mean as long as the Steam servers are up and running. SegaFan wonders if that will be the case in 30 years.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

You mean as long as the Steam servers are up and running. SegaFan wonders if that will be the case in 30 years.

You could always back up the file.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Refa

You could always back up the file.

You have to connect to Steam to play them, which is difficult if Steam doesn't exist.