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10 Reasons to Save Your Money and NOT Buy a PSP Go

By brownkidd on October 5th, 2009 in Featured, Tech + Gadgets, Video Games

sony-psp-go_1

We’ve had the PSP, the PSP-2000, the PSP-3000, and now Sony just recently released the PSP Go. Is the fourth time really the charm?

The general consensus has been, “it’s pretty, but meh.” Sure, there are improvements like 16GB of built-in storage space, a built-in mic, and the ability to connect Bluetooth devices like a PS3 controller (not sure why you’d even wanna’ do that in the first place), but is the new system really worth it? I like sexy new gadgets as much as the next guy, and the PSP Go is about as sexy as they come (especially the white one!), but let’s set aside our geekiness for just a moment and break this down logistically.

1. Unlike previous PSP models, the Go’s battery is built in. This means if you need to replace your battery for any reason, you won’t be able to do it on your own without voiding the warranty.

2. The screen is smaller! Traditionally, new system do things bigger and better. The screen on the PSP Go is .5 inches smaller than the PSP!!!

3. After three previous versions of the PSP and millions of gamers begging for a 2nd analog stick, you’d think Sony would listen, right? Wrong. Still only one anilog nub, so get ready for another year of clunky FPS controls. Until the inevitable PSP with a touch screen that you know damn well those bastards are gonna’ release for the 2010 holiday. Speaking of which…

4. No touch screen? Seriously? It’s 2010, Sony. Stop being an asshole.

5. Already have an older PSP and a huge collection of UMD’s lying around? Get ready to re-buy that huge collection if you ever wanna’ play those games on your PSP Go. Sony currently hasn’t acknowledged any inkling of a plan to transfer your games onto the Go.

6. Similarly, all your old PSP accessories won’t work with the Go either. If you have a few of Sony’s propriety memory sticks lying around, you may as well just chuck ‘em or use ‘em for something else. The PSP Go uses the insanely-way-smaller Memory Stick Micro. And if you were thinking of using the charger for your old PSP on the PSP Go, think again. Sony changed up the charger for no other logical reason than to piss you off.

7. The Minis are such a ripoff!!! With the launch of the PSP Go, the PlayStation store now has a collection of smaller games called Minis, which are nothing more than just stripped-down, more expensive versions of iPhone games. If a game had Wi-Fi multiplayer and downloadable content for the iPhone, don’t ever expect those features to come to the PSP. Now, I know that you can download Minis on older PSP systems as well, so this isn’t necessarily a full-fledged reason not to buy a PSP Go, it’s more or less just a reason not to get suckered into buying Minis in general.

8. You can’t play UMD games!!! While there are no doubts that the UMD format was stupid, bulky, and in no way ideal for portable gaming, a huge chunk of the PSP’s library is currently only available on UMD. This means you’ll just have to wait until Sony decides to release certain titles as downloadables.

9. The regular games are a ripoff, too!!! Since the PSP Go can’t play UMD discs, this means you’re limited to the small selection of games currently available on the PlayStation store. Sony decided to take advantage of this by charging obscene prices for content. Whereas you might be able to buy a used UMD at your local GameStop for only $7 or so, you’ll probably spend anywhere from $10 – $20 on the same game on the PlayStation store. Probably the most insane price I’ve seen is one of the Guilty Gear games going for $30. Thirty fucking doll-hairs!!! That’s the same amount you’d spend on a brand new, shrink-wrapped physical copy in a store! The only difference is, the store price factors in production costs, shipping costs, and the store’s profit. With these downloadable games, there’s nothing to produce or ship, and no necessary up-charge for a store to profit from, other than the PlayStation store which is no-doubt profiting off of a bunch of suckers who don’t know better.

10. THE PSP GO IS TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FUCKING DOLLARS!!! Are. You. Serious!? You can get a used PSP for as little as $60 at a used game store or pawn shop. That’s a HUGE difference, especially when you consider the fact that older PSP models can download and play the exact same games as the PSP Go as well as the huge library of UMD games currently available.

Seriously, save your money.

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Tags: , , | |
  • ihateyou
    This is stupid. Your poor and stupid. I hate you.
  • THEAMAZINGLEAF
    1st. Tell me aren't 16gb Pro Duos about 100 bucks maybe on sale for 80 now. So wouldn't it cost the same to get an OLD FAT PSP (Slim/Light PSPs are still Fat compared to my Tiny GO) with 16gb in it. 2nd. Who the HELL was playing UMDs in their PSPs still (i stopped carrying those fuckers around along time ago) u can buy anything new for 1st day Download. The only thing i don"t like is how small the BUTTONS are maybe my HANDS are HUGE because everyone else is saying how they have to reach for the thumbstick where it feels like it's in a better place than the previous PSPs.
  • That's true that the 16GB Pro Duos are pricey, but think about it, most of the beefy games range from 1/2 a gig to a gig and a half. Not many people are gonna' be touting and entire gaming library on their PSP. Once you beat a game, there's really not much point in keeping it on the memory stick, and you can always re-download games that you purchase from the PlayStation store. The only thing I could see a person wanting that much memory is for movies, but who really watches movies on their PSP!? Sony tried to get people to watch movies on their PSPs with UMDs and that failed. The only other reason I could see how anyone could need that much space at once is either for a.) music, or b.) porn so that they can skip class and spank in the middle/high school bathrooms.

    With UMDs being SOOOOOOOOOOO cheap in comparison to to the download-only games, it just doesn't seem worth it.

    I'm not trying to be a dick and hate on the PSP, I'm just pointing out the hard facts.

    Do I want a PSP Go? Fuck yes! Do I want to pay $250 for one and lose the ability to play all my imported games on UMD and have to pay more-than-used prices to download stuff? Fuck. No.

    If the PSP Go was $150... shit, even $175, it wouldn't be a huge deal as long as the downloadable games were reasonably priced, but it just seems like Sony is taking advantage of loyal consumers who are blinded by the appeal of shiny new toys, regardless of the numerous obvious disadvantages.

    It just seems like Sony's whole game plan is "no steps forward and two steps back" at this point.
  • No reason to justify a purchase of the PSPGo unless you're a frivilous spender. 16GB Pro Duos go for $60 at FRYS Electronics. If you're that LAZY to carry around UMDs - God help you. It still doesn't justify the $250 price tag. The only way i'll pick-up a PSPGo is when its jailbroken with the ability to upload ISOs of PSP games. Otherwise, i'll stick with my fat jailbroken PSP classic ^_^
  • edd
    i think the psp go is good i would buy it 250 but its like the ps3
  • DR-DEATH
    ur the biggest sony hater i ever seen !!

    ur talking just like if they killed your mother or something ?!
  • You have no common sense do you, DR-DEATH? You must be a Sony fanboy.
  • Mark
    There are many legitimate reasons to argue that the PSPGo is overpriced but you have failed to mention a single one.

    PSP Go's competition is the iPod. If you want to become a respected game journalist you should first demonstrate a better understand of the market.

    This sound like little more than a fanboy rant intended to get hits.
  • The journalist approached this article like a consumer pointing out the facts you should avoid the PSPGo - especially if you already own a PSP. As a consumer, I could care less about the PSPGo's competition. But if you wanna go there - already the PSPGo fails without a touchscreen feature. The iTouch makes compact internet surfing a luxury in WiFi areas.
  • Crim
    Numbers 2, 3, and 4 are really horrible reasons.

    2 - People complained that the PSP was too big and laughed how a portable gaming device didn't fit well in their pockets.
    3 - They need to release the PSP 2 for that. What happens when you add a second analog stick in? What about all the previous games without second stick support? Sure, it can just do nothing, but what about newer games? Original PSP owners won't be able to play them. It'll create a divide in their fanbase, and developers will be annoyed.
    4 - Fail, seriously, fail.
    Though I agree with everything else.
  • 2 - I've been a PSP owner since I stood in line for the original in '05. I'm still impressed by its size and the widescreen is very attractive. Sony got the PSPGo going backwards with its smaller screen priced at $250.

    3 - Game developers would take consideration for original PSP owners by choosing the second analog nub optional in button configuation. It may not be as convient as the newly 2nd analog nub controls. But atleast they give you a choice.

    4 - I'm sorry but the journalist is correct. The PSP technology been around for over 5 years and they couldn't throw in the ability to have a touchscreen? I've always hated surfing the net with the PSP due to the lack of a touchscreen. This is where I favor competitors like Nintendo DS and even the Apple's iTouch.
  • LOLFANBOYS!
    It's funny how Nintendo can make a few adjustments to a handheld and successfully sell it as a new product (DSi), yet Sony can completely balls it up and make something, on the whole, inferior to it's previous product.
    Sony needs to decide if it's making a media device or a games platform, because at the moment, it's sandwiched between the two big guns of those respective markets (Apple iPod & Nintendo DS) and losing the battle. The PSP Go seems to be very confused as to where it wants to be.
  • Yeah, the $250 price tag is ridiculous for those already knee deep in a PSP UMD collection and no way to transfer those games. Sony should've clearly stated who they're targeting the PSPGo to.
    Despite Nintendo leaving out GBA compatibility in DSi - atleast you still have access to a back catalogue of physical DS games right away. For $250 - the least Sony could've added a touchscreen feature for smoother internet browsing.
  • Morgenstern
    yea ur reason about the prices for the games is complete bullshit!... most of the downloadable games that i have seen on there are priced comparatively with the NEW product... and most first party sony games are priced far less than the NEW prices at the store... prime example MLB 09 the show is priced on the store for $31.99 it retails NEW for $39.99... even used the cheapest you will find it is $34.99... so riddle me that... thats just one example! Hot shots golf open tee 2... on the store is $21.99... in the store its $29.99!... Just between those two games i would of saved at least $10 by downloading them from the store! not saying that all games are priced that way but most of them are priced fairly... maybe u should do a little more research before you write another flame monger article to get page hits!
  • With the PSP Go you're FORCED to buy comparatively to NEW prices. With an older PSP, you have the luxury of paying way less for the same game. Sure, there's a $10 price difference for SOME games, but think of how huge the difference is when compared to used prices. Read the article correctly before you talk junk. I never once brought up new game prices.

    What it comes down to is tangible vs intangible. Should you REALLY be paying as much or more for something that Sony doesn't have to pay to get manufactured, packaged, shipped, and priced high enough so that brick & mortar stores still make a profit? You're paying extra money that goes nowhere but Sony's pockets. But if you're happy with that, more power to ya'.
  • Morgenstern
    but if you read what i said all of the games that i referenced cost more for a used copy than the downloadable cost... besides the fact that they are first party sony games... with the exception of gran turismo and motorstorm... almost every first party sony game is less than what the new copy retails for... the point im making is the point your ignoring... One way or another sony is making money... but they are doing the right thing by charging less money than a retail store for THEIR games... they cant force EA, or Activsion to price their games accordingly like sony does... i just think their coming down on the wrong company here... thats all
  • Obviously you're not aware of places like www.gamedude.com
    New games release for the PSP UMD format all the time. A few weeks after they been out on the
    shelves the retailer has no choice but to lower the prices to make space for newer titles. Sometimes the prices are dramatically low - lower than those download prices. The journalist is right on point.
  • do_butana
    its 2010?
    WHAT I MISSED NEW YEARS EVE :(
  • Two months until the new year (2010) . Aren't we nitpicking?
  • Scott
    What a terrible article.
    Sony hasn't announced "any inkling" of a program to convert UMD games to game downloads eh? Well...there's this one:
    http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/59050
    That's a good deal more than an inkling.
    And don't hold your breath on a touch screen. Or second analog stick. If they did either of those things, the games that used them would be unplayable on the original PSPs, making it effectively a PSP2. So we definitely won't see the extra stick or anything like that until the PSP2. Of course, if you knew anything at all you'd have figured that out, as it's sort of obvious really. Stop acting like they're obviously going to include a new stick, it's not happening.

    Either get some facts straight or don't publish articles.
  • So you REALLY don't see anything wrong with them charging over $100 more for a system that you admit doesn't change much over the original? Wow, I love Sony to death, but you it seems like most of you are blinded fanboys who don't mind the fact that a huge company has you in their pockets.

    The basic point of the article is this: the PSP Go price is unjustified as are the prices of the games. At least with an older PSP model, you have the choice of buying games cheaper used. You don't have that option with a go, you're restricted to paying whatever Sony wants you to pay, and that's not fair. There's no reason a digital download should cost as much or more than a retail copy of a game.

    If that's not reason enough to save your money and wait for a price drop or just get a an older PSP model, I don't know what is.
  • Scott, you need to keep up with current events. That link you posted was 4 MONTHS ago !
    Sony has changed their plans as recently as SEPTEMBER: http://kotaku.com/5367207/sony-nixes-plans-for-... And if you don't like KOTAKU - you can google the same article on other gaming sites. PSP is 5 year old technology ( as old as the Nintendo DS ) and they couldn't atleast added a touchscreen for simpler internet browsing ? I'm sorry Scott but that's not a good enough excuse. The extra stick issue I personally could care less about.
  • While I don't agree with the price or the placement of umds vs downloads, both seem like something still early to moan about.(at least for sony's typical new product runs)

    Touchscreen?save for psp2 i guess, I could go either way.

    In due time, prices will drop and bundles will appear.

    m2 cards will drop as larger capacities show up and as time goes on.

    A lot of games started out with good ol d-pad. I like having a analog nub,but don't really need it to play a hot shots games, old fighters, rpgs,etc.

    That being said, Sony did mention that both will continue to exist just as the ps2 and ps3 exist(one obviously more price friendly than the other). The Go is meant for the more on the go casual user with all general entertainment in mind(thus such a large capacity to accommodate videos,music,photos,or games.)

    Not many people want some intensive crazy "left4dead,gears of wars-esque" game mobile on such a small platform(plus, how uncomfortable would that be??small screen,cramped hands from long plays on freaking tiny console). If a person is some hardcore gamer, They're probably giving more attention to their large console.
    Mobile gamer?probably DS(facts do say the ds has done better on a portable gaming, or more popular.) That all said, old psp owners who own for the gaming aspects won't budge for the psp Go. Psp owners more mobile,also own other consoles(most do) and use it for all the features, will probably wait for a drop/bundle.

    I sorta see where your reasons lie,but it sounds more like a "screw you,sony in general" article.Thats fine,too. Plenty others probably reciprocate. Just seems like a lack of open mindedness for the larger picture in things. People bashed on the Xbox when first released for large size,price,etc.now its a freakin powerhouse. few years ago, ps3 was 600 dollars.now, way cheaper(with some changes though).Just sayin, while its no gem now, given some time-its reception could improve drastically with some changes here and there(bundles,price,etc.) I'd like to give it a whirl(bluetooth internet tethering?interesting...),but of course I'll wait for a drop and will probably still keep my old psp even then. Not tryin to be "too critical",but wanted to give my 2 cents I guess.
  • AJH-PSP
    this article is great i think the go is bullshit and im glad there are other people who also agree
    but in my country it is worse because they are $450 au and our dollar is 90 us cents so sony are just being fuckheads about it its more expensive than a ps3 i mean come on and also the games on the store are $54 and when you take into account the exchange rate its like an arse raping
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