The latest incarnation of Sony’s handheld games machine, the PSP-3000, is possibly the most powerful, visually-lavish handheld console that money can buy. But is it perfect? Far from it…
Yes, the PSP-3000 includes a brighter, less reflective, anti-glare screen that has half the response time of its predecessor. Yes that screen has more colours than ever before and is still, on the whole, the most sensual thing you can hold in the palm of your hand. On occasion though, the pumped-up screen will show annoying scan lines, which leaves it looking fuzzier than Noel Edmonds’ untrimmed face.
And while it’s packed with features, there just aren’t that many new ones. Game controls are completely unchanged, although Sony’s product designers have treated us to an in-built microphone that can be used to Skype your mates over the Wi-Fi link. Speaking of which, that same Wi-Fi allows you to stream content from an internet-connected PS3 (but that’s nothing new). You can even plug it into your home TV for big screen gaming, watch telly on it on the move or use it as a satnav.
But for all this, the PSP-3000 is by no means revolutionary. It feels much the same as its predecessor. The DSi is adding webcams all over the place. Why couldn’t Sony kit this out with a touchscreen? Good then, but doesn’t have enough new features to warrant an upgrade.
