Manage updates with the Download AppSony PSP
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: PSP-1001K
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Sony PSP elevates portable gaming to the next level, but its multimedia functionality falls short of its full potential.
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CNET editors' review
Sony PSP price range: $100.00
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: Rob Dubbin, John P. Falcone, and David Rudden
- Reviewed on: 03/22/2005
- Released on: 03/24/2005
The good: The Sony PSP is a slick portable gaming system highlighted by an impressive wide-screen display and PS2-like graphics. It also boasts built-in Wi-Fi, a Web browser, and the ability to play music and videos, as well as to store images.
The bad: The Sony PSP's multimedia functionality is underwhelming, especially for video, requiring expensive memory cards. The load times on the UMD games can be excessive.
The bottom line: The Sony PSP elevates portable gaming to the next level, but its multimedia functionality falls short of its full potential.
User reviews
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The PSP Rocks!
by cosmicac on March 29, 2005
Pros: The Screen, The Look, The Sound.
Cons: The Price, The UMDs, The Sony Memory Stick
Summary: I'm sorry but I can't stand stupid cheap people. If you can't afford it don't buy it and don't review it. There are problems with ...
Summary: I'm sorry but I can't stand stupid cheap people. If you can't afford it don't buy it and don't review it. There are problems with this device; it is not perfect; but most of the big problems can be overcome. My screen was perfect right out of the box, but if there is a problem with dead pixels, just buy it from Wal-Mart; they have a great return policy: 90 days no questions, with a receipt. I bought the PSP for my nephew, but once I saw what this thing could do, I bought one too. The game play blows Nintendo out of the water and watching Spiderman 2 the movie, blew me away: I had a RCA PVP but I returned it because it was a hassle making the MPEG-4s and the picture wasn't that great: well, UMD movies, no hassle just pop it in and get blown away by the screen and the sound. The games are limited: I would get Ridge Racer and Lumines for now, but give Sony a chance to put out more media: I want more UMD movies. The only thing I really don't like is the Memory Stick, but if they can improve capacity and price, I can live with it. Despite the PSP short comings, if you want the best portable game system on the planet get it.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Just what we needed.
by Jamie314 on March 20, 2005
Pros: More adult games, MP3 playback support, MP4 video support, familiar controls, stylish and sophisticated design.
Cons: Overpriced, the usual Sony launch defects, proprietary and expensive Memory Stick Duo is the only way to put on MP3s and Videos.
Summary: One of the better things to emerge from Sony's hut in Japan in the last few years.
The graphics and gameplay are suitably impressive - I have only played ...Summary: One of the better things to emerge from Sony's hut in Japan in the last few years.
The graphics and gameplay are suitably impressive - I have only played Ridge Racers and Lumines (JPN Versions) on my import PSP, but if the US versions are just as polished then they're onto a winner. The gameplay if impressive from a controls point of view, as the buttons match up with the PS2 controller, except for the little analog 'nub' which I have found to be just the ticket for tight cornering in RR.
The features are relatively impressive, the video quality is very good and sound is almost on a par with iPod quality - but the huge drawback is the Memory Stick Duo. This proprietary format is currently too small to place an entire DVD movie on, and does not come easy on the wallet.
Altogether, from a gaming perspective, this device is almost unparalleled - there is nothing with a screen quite so breathtakingly big and sharp, nothing with the physical game capabilities (yes, there is the DS, but it still uses cartridges with little storage space) or graphical power in this generation.
Right, onto the usual defects. A number of units have experienced dead pixels (myself included - I have one in the bottom right corner, but it is only visible in the loading screens), some have problems with the square button sticking and becoming unresponsive (I do not have this - apparently was only a problem on the initial JPN units, ie 2004), ****-eyed disk drives and this whole UMD flying business - which, try as I might, I have been unable to replicate.
The only obvious problem with the system is the loading times from UMD. Lets face it, optical systems are not the fastest things, and the PSP is no exception. Ridge Racers has a load time of around 15 seconds at the beginning, with no further waiting (although with the volume muted you can hear the UMD drive whirring into life). Don't get too hung up about this though, Ridge does a good job of keeping you entertained in load screens :P
All in all, this is a classic case of you getting what you pay for. If you can't swing the $250 for the PSP, then you can get the DS - but don't come crying to me when Pokemon Dash gets a little tiresome.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great portable console
by Templeguy on March 13, 2005
Pros: Big Screen, games
Cons: square button ( heard Sony fixed the problem)
Summary: For all those people who gave a negative rating for the PSP. Have anybody actually have the PSP? Have anybody actually played the PSP?
Summary: For all those people who gave a negative rating for the PSP. Have anybody actually have the PSP? Have anybody actually played the PSP?
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Overall, Good
by Kasuran on February 26, 2005
Pros: Big, vibrant screen.
Cons: Pricey, design flaw.
Summary: Overall, this is a good first attempt from Sony to produce a portable gaming, or multimedia console/system. Using UMD's can be the future of gaming but they'd ...
Summary: Overall, this is a good first attempt from Sony to produce a portable gaming, or multimedia console/system. Using UMD's can be the future of gaming but they'd have to become a little cheaper first. At 40-50 dollars a game it's rather expensive and the 250 for the console itself is pretty high. Battery life is short though I say Sony did that on purpose to make you buy extra batteries. Overall a good entrance to the portable gaming industry though Sony has some work to do on designing for the next model.
Pros-
Screen- big, clear, colorful
Appearence- looks great
UMD's- perhaps the next thing in multimedia?
Release titles- more and better choices.
Cons-
Price- high, high, high
Battery Life- low, low, low. However, you can buy extra batteries to replace it when it dies.
Movies- Well now I have to go re-buy them in UMD for at least 20-30 dollars? Not to mention battery life is too short to really watch them.
Square Button- Yes, this is the big complaint. It seems the screen just happens to be "too" big. The responder to the square button had to be adjusted to the right so it didn't interfere with the display~oops.
Universal gaming- That's a no no here. Region codes prevents the use of games foreign to your console. Ex. US PSP can't play imports. Nintendo DS has no region codes so it's a green light there.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Portable Gaming Device!
by Kev50027 on March 28, 2005
Pros: Awesome Screen, great controls, looks great, awesome graphics, good battery life.
Cons: fingerprint magnet.
Summary: I love my PSP. I love everything about it exept one. The thing is sexy looking and feels good in your hand, but the problem is the entire front of ...
Summary: I love my PSP. I love everything about it exept one. The thing is sexy looking and feels good in your hand, but the problem is the entire front of the device is shiny reflective plastic. This attracts fingerprints like a magnet and makes it so you really have to use the included screen cleaner a lot. Also the reflective surface makes it impossible to play outside, and hard to play in a bus or train, as any light that is reflected from the screen to your eyes makes the screen less brilliant. It gets to the point where if there is a directly lit object reflecting, like a lamp of a tree that is lit by the sun, you cannot see the screen at all. This is my only complaint, the games are great, the graphics are awesome, the device is small, and sexy. I have had no problems with the battery life so far. I played it for several hours today and it only went down to 67%, saying i had almost 4 hours left.
4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I think this is better than any other portable molti-media device.
by MrWho7 on July 17, 2005
Pros: Almost everything you can imagine.
Cons: Nothing unless you have problems spending $250.
Summary: This is better than any IPod, Nintendo DS, portable DVD player, and any other portable device. I play games that are better in every aspect than some early PS2 games. ...
Summary: This is better than any IPod, Nintendo DS, portable DVD player, and any other portable device. I play games that are better in every aspect than some early PS2 games. Also I can download applications, emulators, and ROMs and put them onto my PSP. Along with the new games out for PSP I also play NES, SNES, Genesis, GBA, and PS classics along with homebrew applications that I've downloaded off the internet and stored on my PSP via USB connectivity. The PSP only comes with a 32MB memory stick which is a limited amount of memory, however I purchased a 256MB memory stick off of eBay for only $35 which holds over two hours of video, thousands of pictures, and over a hundred songs. Instead of watching downloaded movies off of my memory stick I can also watch movies stored on UMDs which are in 16:9 widescreen and are in high-def. Most of the games for PSP are also multiplayer. Multiplayer games can be played against someone in the same room or across the world due to the PSP's wireless internet connectivity capabilities. Also with these capabilities you can store downloadable content onto your PSP like new maps, corses, tracks, cars, ships, etc. These capabilities also allow people who own the game Wipeout Pure to surf the internet and visit any site with the PSP at broadband speeds. The PSP is like your own computer that fits in your pocket but only costs about one fifth of the price. If your looking for portable entertainment the PSP is the best way to go.
Updated
This is better than any IPod, Nintendo DS, portable DVD player, and any other portable device. I play games that are better in every aspect than some early PS2 games. Also I can download applications, emulators, and ROMs and put them onto my PSP. Along with the new games out for PSP I also play NES, SNES, Genesis, GBA, and PS classics along with homebrew applications that I've downloaded off the internet and stored on my PSP via USB connectivity. The PSP only comes with a 32MB memory stick which is a limited amount of memory, however I purchased a 256MB memory stick off of eBay for only $35 which holds over two hours of video, thousands of pictures, and over a hundred songs. Instead of watching downloaded movies off of my memory stick I can also watch movies stored on UMDs which are in 16:9 widescreen and are in high-def. Most of the games for PSP are also multiplayer. Multiplayer games can be played against someone in the same room or across the world due to the PSP's wireless internet connectivity capabilities. Also with these capabilities you can store downloadable content onto your PSP like new maps, corses, tracks, cars, ships, etc. These capabilities also allow people who own the game Wipeout Pure to surf the internet and visit any site with the PSP at broadband speeds. The PSP is like your own computer that fits in your pocket but only costs about one fifth of the price. If your looking for portable entertainment the PSP is the best way to go. If you want to find out more about the PSP and its cababilities i highly suggest you visit this site: www.pspupdates.comUpdated
For any questions or aditional information visit www.pspupdates.com3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best portable game system ever made
by DrDennis on May 20, 2005
Pros: brightest clearest screen, best stereo sound
Cons: not a kids game, i am afraid they will break it
Summary: I am 47 years old, and I thought these old tired eyes could not ever again tolerate playing a game on a portable system. Then I picked up the PSP ...
Summary: I am 47 years old, and I thought these old tired eyes could not ever again tolerate playing a game on a portable system. Then I picked up the PSP for my son, and it is the coolest gaget I have had since my first palm pilot. I admit I play it more than my son. So far I have only rented games, and I do have the Spiderman 2 movie. The graghics and sound are the best I have ever seen on a portable including our portable DVD player. Also the battery life is the best I have ever experienced in a hand held. Having a memory card is sure nice to have as well. It is so cool and beautiful, that I fear kids might break it, it major drawback. The solution, get it for yourself, let the kids play their gameboy. The price is $250, and I doubt the price is coming down anytime soon, so go get this koolest gaget, you will be glad you did.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Graphics Beautiful
by unit_g on May 15, 2005
Pros: Graphics, Design, Webbrowsing Capabilities, Movies
Cons: Have not encountered any Cons thus far
Summary: Graphics, Design, Webbrowsing Capabilities, Movies, Games
Portable = PSPSummary: Graphics, Design, Webbrowsing Capabilities, Movies, Games
Portable = PSP3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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It's really cool, but...
by e_tram on April 19, 2005
Pros: Great looking games and movies, and a huge screen.
Cons: Comes with a small memory card, gets dirty fast, sometimes difficult to use.
Summary: The games and movies look really good, though the frame rate on the movies can be noticably slow at times, though the picture is great. Getting your own movies on ...
Summary: The games and movies look really good, though the frame rate on the movies can be noticably slow at times, though the picture is great. Getting your own movies on the memory card so that the psp will recognize it is a major pain. The memory card provided will not hold more that about 5 minutes of video, and only about 7 or 8 average length songs at the lowest quality. Everything that is put on the memory card has to be very specific. I think that it is a great machine, but with lumines being the only great game out right now, in may not be worth the price.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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How can you even think about askingis PSP better than DS?
by adean25 on April 16, 2005
Pros: Movies, able to download media from your own pc, also if you have a dvr with satellite tv you can slap it on there to. Did I mention web browsing? Music!
Cons: Battery life. No built in hard drive. EA games charging us the same price for games $50...grrr Screen makes me nervous without a cover.
Summary: DS please how can you even mention that in the same sentence with the PSP? I am so glad that I am alive to expirience this technology that I hold ...
Summary: DS please how can you even mention that in the same sentence with the PSP? I am so glad that I am alive to expirience this technology that I hold in my hands (when i am not to busy writing reviews) or playing the other platforms I own.
I can't believe that if I choose to, I can stop playing my game and just chill to some tunes without pulling out my ipod. Also, I like the fact in some game menus it allows you to use your own playlist.
How about if you don't feel like any of the above media you can pop in a movie or access your memory card for stuff you uploaded yourself? I wonder about the amount portable porn out there as I speak.
I will say that the battery life could be a tad bit better(3.5hrs). But I ride the train everywhere and they have outlets so I am lucky in that sense. I don't know if we could get an external hard drive for the PSP at some point but the memory sticks will do for the time being.
I do however like the fact that you can actually pull up a menu that lets you know how much battery life you have % wise along with time left.
I don't like the fact that I have to wipe down my PSP before and afer usages. It's like the silver backing on the Ipod's which unless you have a cover you are pretty much gaurunteed to scratch it up. I must say the case provided does make me feel bettter about protecting my PSP.
All in all the unit is an all around useful and fun handheld. Thank you Sony once again for bringing fun to me. Remember when you got your PSOne? Exactly.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: PSP-1001K
- Description: Sony's worldwide reputation for creating unique, attractive, high-quality, advanced technology products rests on a long line of innovations embraced by people from all walks of life. With a diverse product lineup serving a variety of lifestyles and industries, Sony continuously strives to introduce new products and technologies to meet changing market needs.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Type Handheld game console
- Media Type UMD (Universal Media Disc) ,
Flash memory card - Supported Flash Memory Cards Memory Stick PRO Duo
- CPU 333 MHz
- RAM 32 MB
- Sound Speakers - Stereo
- Network 802.11b
- Width 6.7 in
- Depth 2.9 in
- Height 0.9 in
- Weight 9.2 oz
Display
- Type 4.3 in Color TFT active matrix
- Resolution 480 x 272
- Color Depth 16.7 million colors
Game Controller
- Controls Left trigger,
Start button,
Right trigger,
Circle key,
Triangle key,
Square key,
Cross key,
Select button,
Analog stick,
Directional buttons,
PS button,
Sound button,
Display button
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones / remote control,
1 x USB ( Mini-USB Type B ),
1 x DC power input Power
- Battery Rechargeable - Lithium ion
- Battery Required 1
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Headphones with remote control,
32MB Memory Stick Duo,
UMD demo disk,
AC power adapter,
Hand strap,
Carrying case
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Sony PSP - Handheld game console,
UMD (Universal Media Disc),
Flash memory card,
333 MHz,
32 MB - Integrated -
Sony PSP 1000 Entertainment Pack
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Sony PSP - Handheld game console,
UMD (Universal Media Disc),
Flash memory card,
333 MHz,
32 MB - Integrated,
Black -
Sony PSP 3000 LittleBigPlanet Pack (Black)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Sony PSP 3000 - Handheld game console,
UMD (Universal Media Disc),
Flash memory card,
333 MHz,
64 MB,
Black
Accessories
- Lexar Memory Stick Pro Duo 256MB
- MediEvil: Resurrection (PSP)
- NBA Street (PlayStation 2)
- Sony High Speed Memory Stick Pro Duo 1GB
- SanDisk - flash memory card - 1 GB - MS PRO DUO
- Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (PSP)
- Gretzky NHL (PSP)
- MVP Baseball (PSP)
- Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory (PSP)
- FIFA Soccer (PSP)
- Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (PSP)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour (PSP)
- MLB (PSP)
- World Tour Soccer (PSP)
- Metal Gear Acid (PSP)
- Smart Bomb (PSP)
- Lumines (PSP)
- NBA (PSP)
- Spider-Man 2 (PSP)
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix (PSP)
- Ridge Racer (PSP)
- Wipeout Pure (PSP)
- Ape Escape: On the Loose (PSP)
- Dynasty Warriors (PSP)
- Nyko Theater Experience (PSP)
- Nyko Charger Case (PSP)
- Nyko Screen Armor (PSP)
- Intec PSP Dock It
- Intec PSP Power Max
- Intec PSP Pro Gamer's Kit
- Intec PSP Safe Case
- Logitech PlayGear Pocket (PSP)
- Logitech PlayGear Share (PSP)
- Logitech PlayGear Amp
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Sony
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
