Product Description

Introducing the smallest and mightiest PSP system yet. Download rich, immersive digital gaming or the best movies and TV shows saved directly to the ample 16GB hard drive. Browse the incredibly deep lineup of PSP gaming and movie content on PlayStation Network. Show off content via the ultra-crisp 3.8 inch LCD screen on the most portable PSP system yet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #270 in Video Games
• Color: Piano Black
• Brand: Sony
• Model: 98513
• Released on: 2009-10-01
• ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
• Platform: Sony PSP
• Dimensions: 2.20" h x 5.50" w x 6.70" l, 1.32 pounds

Features

• The ability to download games, movies, TV and other media directly from the PlayStation Network to your PSP Go.
• 16GB of built-in flash memory for file storage and removable memory expansion via memory stick.
• Bluetooth support for skype headsets and other devices.
• Slide out control design to maximize the ultra-crisp 3.8" LCD screen functionality.
• No UMD design makes for a quieter, more energy efficient device.

Amazon.com Product Description

Introducing the smallest and mightiest PSP system yet. With the PSP Go users can download the best digital games and movies directly to the 16GB built-in memory and use built-in Bluetooth support to connect a wireless headset to more easily utilize Skype to talk with friends. But best of all, you can show off content via the new ultra-crisp 3.8-inch LCD screen, maximized by the PSP Go's new slide out control design. Go versatile, Go digital, Go anywhere. Download friendly no UMD drive design integrates with the PlayStation Store and is more quiet and energy-efficient. View larger. Key Features: 16GB built-in memory. Bluetooth support. Slide out control design. Ultra-portable entertainment. All digital content - no UMD disks required. Download games and movies directly from the PlayStation Network. Ultra-crisp 3.8" LCD screen. Built-in microphone for Skype communication. Memory Stick Micro support for added memory. Slide out controls maximize screen space. View larger. The smallest, most portable PSP yet. View larger. The Most Portable and Powerful PSP Yet The PSP Go, has all the functionality that older PSP hardware versions had, but includes many important and exciting changes. Unlike previous versions whose primary means of playing media was via a built-in Universal Media Disc (UMD) drive, the PSP Go does away with UMDs altogether and instead relies on a media solution combining download functionality via Sony's PlayStation Network, larger onboard storage capacity and removable Memory Stick Duo support. This major change allows for a slim design, quicker access files and a much more quiet, energy efficient gaming experience since there are no longer any spinning UMDs. Other major changes include: Bluetooth support, allowing Internet Skype calls to now be made using compatible headsets; and more importantly, a change to the control scheme. The PSP Go features convenient slide out controls. Although these are consistent with historical PSP controls--featuring four directional arrows, the four familiar Sony face buttons and a left-oriented analog thumbstick--their ability to be placed out of view when not in use allows the PSP Go to maximize the use of its screen and your viewing pleasure. A Full Entertainment System in Your Hands The PSP was designed to handle all varieties of applications and entertainment -- music, video, communication, wireless networking, and, of course, gaming. PSP Go users will enjoy topnotch 3D games with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity audio. Its ultra-crisp 3.8-inch wide screen LCD display is bright and beautiful, and works well under many different lighting conditions. A Wealth of Games to Choose From The PlayStation Portable gaming library is hundreds of titles strong and covers a wide variety of genres. The PSP Go is compatible with all PSP formatted games and Sony has pledged to have all these available for download via the PlayStation Network's PlayStation Store. Whether you are seeking the hard knocks of football or other sports games, the strategy of a puzzle games, or the action and adventure of shooters and racers, there's sure to be many games in your future with the PSP Go. Via the PlayStation Store users can also download an assortment of PS One games ported over to the PSP format. The PSP Go is capable of graphics quality that is comparable to the PlayStation 2 console, but in a pocket-sized package, so whatever your game is you can be assured of a quality experience. Watch Movies and Videos on the Go When you just want to sit back and enjoy a movie or video on a long plane trip, or anywhere else, the PSP Go has you covered. It offers two options to do this: you can either transfer media ahead of time to a Memory Stick Duo, or using the PSP Go's Wi-Fi functionality, your free membership to the PlayStation Network and access to a hotspot, you can download movies, TV shows, game trailers and more directly to your PSP Go. If users prefer they can also download content ahead of time to a PS3 or a Windows-based PC, via Media Go software, for faster transfer to their PSP Go, and can also watch recorded television content downloaded to a Memory Stick Duo with the TiVo-To-Go service. (additional fee and a TiVo Series2 connected to your home network also required). Music and Other Functionality With the ability to play MP3, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+, and MP4 files, you can easily use your PSP Go as an audio player. Simply place your music on a Memory Stick Duo, and you can navigate your collection using the PSP Go's XMB (XrossMediaBar) to select your song to play. Built-in Wi-Fi Allows for Internet Browsing, Online Gaming and More With built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, you can access the Internet from any accessible hotspot. Once connected, you can surf the Web, check e-mail and visit the PlayStation Store to download games, exclusive demos and game content and even update your system and game software in seconds. The PSP Go is first and foremost a gaming device though. Ad hoc enabled multiplayer games allow PSP players in close proximity to play together, but your PSP Go's Wi-Fi connection also allows you to battle other gamers anywhere in the world over the Internet, in online infrastructure multiplayer games. Other functionality available remotely via a broadband connection includes: Internet radio; LocationFree TV, allowing you to view your home media setup from anywhere; RSS feeds; Remote Play, which gives you access to your PS3; and more. What's in the Box Black PSP Go system, AC power adapter and system documentation.

Customer Reviews

Cool hardware, LAME supporting infrastructure
You might think cool hardware would be enough, but, you would be wrong. Apple has cool hardware, but after playing a lot of games on a touchscreen, I didn't really care for it. I was ready to jump over to the PSPgo, which would deliver a far better gaming experience.

To be honest, I love the hardware, its cool, no worries. Smaller buttons, yeah, well, its ok. I don't mind. I have man hands and I can make it work. I really like the controls being under the screen, I don't have to hold up the PSP as high, it just "feels" better. I love the sliding mechanism. Some themes you can get make it so that when you slide it shut, a clock appears. Its really cool. Some of the controls, like the volume control, are in a truly irritating place. But its small, and portable, and sacrifices were made and I'm ok with that. I am a Sony guy, I love their stuff, and once again the Sony hardware team does not disappoint!

Problem is, when you roll a piece of hardware that has no UMD slot, you better have some awesome supporting infrastructure. And we know what cool supporting infrastructure is thanks to the iPhone and its Appstore.

There are a lot more games for the iphone than for the PSP. But the PSP is supposed to be a better, pedigreed gaming machine. We all know it. There are more Mustangs than Ferraris out there and most of us would rather have a Ferrari. And as for the gobs of games for the iphone, over 20,000 I think, how many games does one need, anyway? And most of them are junk.

So i was really excited about the PSPgo. Sony knows games and gaming systems. The PSPgo should smoke any wimpy touch screen gaming "system". And in terms of hardware, I think it does.

But the PSP go has its own issues. The bottom line is, you should buy a PSP with a UMD slot - for now.

Here are the reasons:
There are only 7 "mini" game titles in the app store at the time of this review.

There are 16 "exclusive" PSP downloadable titles.

Then there are hundreds of PSP games, but, the issue there is that many of these PSP games cost LESS on UMD than they do on the PSPgo! So not only do you lose the ability to buy a USED game, and the ability to RENT the game from gamefly, you also actualy get to pay MORE for the games in download format. Its INCREDIBLE!

Ape escape... $13.99 on Amazon.com, $19.99 via digital download on the PSP.
beaterator... $36.99 on Amazon.com, $39.99 via digital download for psp.

Other games are the SAME PRICE as getting a hard copy. Except, you don't get to sell or trade that hard copy when you are done.

The biggest software source that I have access to a huge back catalog of PSP games that are NO LONGER IN PRINT. Gee. I'm super unimpressed. We all know the only reason games go out of print is because they aren't selling anymore and you can buy a used copy at gamestop for $5.

And guess what - I could access all this software from a PSP1000, PSP2000, or PSP3000, and buy used UMDs and sell my games when I'm done.

The downloadable games should be CHEAPER than buying a hard copy. You aren't paying for extra convenience. You should be paying less because that game did not have to be pressed and distributed thousands of miles to get to you.

In addition, the Playstation store - which is your most convenient way of getting games - is very poorly set up. Forget seeing a video of the game, as you can on Amazon. None of the games for sale even have screen shots so I can't tell what the heck i'm buying. There is less information available than on the back of a UMD case in the store. Hello 1995!

There are also no customer reviews, so I can't make a judgement from that.

The free Rockband Lite took 30 minutes to download, which seemed waaay too long and a lot longer than the iPhone games I've been buying. In a world where you can download a Kindle book in 2 minutes, and a iPhone game in less than 5, without even using WIFI, a 30 minute wifi required download is going to get old in a hurry. Oh yes, I know I could tether it to a computer or PS3 with a USB cable. Hellllllo 2004. Lets not brag about that too loudly, the PSPgo is starting to be a King of Inconvenience.

The bad appstore, poor download prices, and lack of cheap, addictive games is a total deal killer for me. Yes, Sony will fix this. Over time. Not by Christmas 2009.

Buy a PSP3000 this year. And leave the PSPgo for another time, after Sony works out its growing pains...

Ignore the score
Ignore my score for a moment, please, because it doesn't really mean much. Looking at the scores already here on Amazon.com, I completely understand and can agree with most of them. As such, it's hard to really place a score on this new device. Honestly, I don't think there's been such a contentious electronic device launch like the PSP Go in...well, recent memory. Having refreshed the PSP what feels like a hundred times already, Sony, presumably feeling the sting from Apple's success with the iPhone/iTouch as a digital gaming device, decided to refresh the PSP yet again. And herein lies the problem.

The Go gets rid of the UMD feature of all of the previous PSPs and embraces the digital world in a remarkable way for a gaming device. Without getting too far into the "owning versus not owning debate" (let's keep this civil), a lot of people have flocked to the iPhone's bite-sized, digital-only gaming and Sony's new direction is pretty much inevitable. If a way of presenting games is making money, a company will always follow suit. The problem is that with the lack of a UMD drive, Sony's faithful who've purchased at least one PSP in the past are left high and dry. For individuals who have a nice UMD collection going, this move can only be met (and has understandably been met) with vitriol, with calls of "why are you ignoring us?" There was talk, at one point, of having a UMD transfer system that would allow gamers to somehow turn their UMD into a digital purchase. This was scrapped in the USA even though, from the sounds of it, Sony Europe still has a program for some games. Then there's the issue of the price. Buyers can easily purchase the slightly older PSP-3000 for about $170, $80 less than the PSP Go's $250 price point. To make matters worse, any of the digital products being released for the PSP Go will work on prior models, as long as they have a memory stick. Yikes.

All of this history going into today leaves the question is the PSP Go worth it? Well, that kind of depends (with one huge caveat I'll mention in a bit) on the consumer. The Go is about 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000 (more so for the original PSP) and has a slick sliding system that hides the keys. When closed, it's roughly the same size as an iPhone, a tad longer, wider and rounder but almost the same size. Unlike the other PSPs, this one does seem a lot more portable. It also does look and feel like a nice expensive piece of electronics. I remember when I first held the original PSP in my hands and it felt like an expensive system; this brings back memories of that day. While it doesn't have the UMD drive, it does come with 16 GB of storage space (which could cost you $60ish to get the same amount of space on the PSP 3000). One of the bigger new features, though, is the Bluetooh technology. The latest firmware update (available today) will allow tethering to your cell phone, which, if your plan allows for it, will allow you to use your cell phone as modem if you don't have Wi-fi available. It's a nicety and one I won't be able to use (thanks AT&T) but somehow I don't think a cell phone, even 3G, will be strong enough to consistently play online or be quick for downloads.

Not much comes in the box. You get a cell phone-like charging kit, based on a new framework for charging. It's kind of a "one jack fits all" multi-purpose plug-in. The cord has a USB connector on one side and the cell-phone-like plug-in for the PSP. This same jack will be used for other purposes like TV out, etc. This means that any of your old accessories won't work on the new system. It also comes with a voucher to download the PSP Go version of Rock Band Unplugged; this version is free to start out and comes with five songs ("Buddy Holly," "ABC," etc.) and then you just buy additional tracks à la carte. The demo for Patapon 2 comes pre-loaded, as well. The final thing, besides the manual, is the Media Go software which you can also download from the internet, to purchase games on your PC to transfer to your PSP. Nothing fancy. As a quick update, I've had more time to mess around with it and have started using the Media Go to download files. Like a cell phone, you can plug the PSP Go into your computer through it's power/USB jack to charge the phone. Media Go acts like iTunes (and has a similar skin) so you can download games through Media Go, directly to your PSP Go. It's a lot faster. As an example, it took me around the same time to download/install God of War (over 1 GB) via Media Go as it did Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (200ish MB) via the PSP Go 802.11b Wi-fi. The synching process will be familiar to anyone who's used iTunes or Zune software and is actually a bit easier and quicker, even if it takes an additional step.

So, again, is it worth it? This brings us back to that one caveat: the price. If you're not a current PSP owner, have embraced digital-only gaming and don't mind dropping $250 (as a comparison, you could get an Xbox 360 or a Wii for that price or less; or, for $50 more, a PS3) on a "new" gaming system that is technically about four years old in terms of games (meaning, not a "next generation" PSP), then yes. The PSP Go is a worthy purchase. It's still the same PSP, a strong, powerful device that has a good assortment of fun games. Even when the most angry at the product, you have to admit that. It's just a great device, whatever version you buy. But it's just not as well-rounded and consumer-beneficial as the older, cheaper models. So, if you're not that person above, either keep (or upgrade to) the PSP-3000 and you have the benefit of not only getting all the new digital games and "minis" available today but also play UMDs.

I like mine and am glad I purchased it. I love the portability of it and the lack of UMDs. But, I'll be honest, the PSP-3000 is still a cheaper and more well-rounded option.

A review from a first-day original PSP owner
The PSPgo is an interesting device. It would appear to many that this hardware revision seems to have taken one step forward (sleeker design, bluetooth capability, built-in memory) and two steps back (no UMD drive, price, purchases tied to the PSN Store). I'm here to say: I love my PSPgo.

First, a little bit of my background: I was an original adopter of the PSP-1000 system. I love the PSP platform and feel as though the hardware itself as well as many of the platform's games are severely unappreciated.

I want to provide some commentary for what kind of customers might be looking into purchasing a PSPgo:

1) The Gadget Geek

It's obvious, even from the customer images and official product images, that the PSPgo is one slimmed-down, sexy device. If you're into gadgets, the PSPgo will not disappoint: this is a much more portable, sleeker device than the PSP 1000 / 3000 systems. This handheld will fit where the old PSPs won't, that's for sure. The sliding-open of the controls is addicting; it mimics many of the cell phones that have this kind of mechanism.

2) Someone who is looking into purchasing their first PSP system

It's a tough call to truly recommend the PSPgo for those who are looking into purchasing this as their first PSP system. Personally, I would. Many probably wouldn't. As of right now, the PSN Store does not have all of the best PSP games available to download. However, they do have a fantastic current selection that includes Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2, LocoRoco 2 and more. As of today, they do not have several fantastic games on the PSN Store (Dissidia and Crisis Core, to name a couple). I can only assume, in time, these will be available.

The other consideration is buying used games at stores such as Gamestop. As a new PSP owner, you probably want to buy a lot of older games that you have yet to enjoy. These probably come in at fairly cheap used game prices at stores. If you have a PSPgo system, some of these prices are comparable; some are not.

If a first-time PSP owner does decide to purchase a PSPgo system, they don't want to worry about purchasing additional memory right out of the game, which is a nice little bonus.

3) Someone who currently owns a PSP 1000 / 3000

If you have the financial means, I think purchasing a PSPgo to compliment your PSP 1000 / 3000 system is a great idea. This is the kind of customer I am. I was able to use Amazon's video game trade-in program to knock the price down for the PSPgo system. I still have my PSP 1000 system around in case I want to play any of the games I have on UMD. And, not surprisingly (or maybe surprisingly for some), I have yet to have a hankering to go back and play any of the UMD games I own since owning a PSPgo. And I have some fantastic games on UMD that are not offered as a digital download currently on the PSN Store!

And I think this is where the PSPgo system gets a LOT of hate: the whole discussion about not being able to play any UMD games you may currently own. My thought on that is this: I think before owning a PSPgo, this might be a concern. But when you have one, you don't have a drive to play any of your UMD games. I have plenty to play in terms of PSX / PSP games I've already downloaded and have downloaded since owning the system. I don't know, maybe I'm just a special case or something.

Conclusion

I absolutely love my PSPgo: it's sexy, it's incredibly portable and I love having a whole smattering of games available right there on my system. The price may be a tad bit high, but if you can swing it, you'll love the PSPgo system. Since owning my PSPgo, I have not wanted to play any of my current UMD games on my old PSP system. There's a lot of currently released titles on the PSN Store to satisfy my needs.