Why I Decided to Buy a PSP Instead of a Nintendo Wii
While PS3 and XBOX 360 have both received terrific reviews as products, I just did not have that much extra money to spend. I did look at and play both PS3 and XBOX 360 while I was out though. The graphics and gameplay are great on both systems, but unless you have the extra $500+ to spend, I would avoid these products (at least until they drop in price when news of the next big system hits).
So, for me, I had cut it down to the Playstation Portable or the Nintendo Wii. I went back and forth between the two systems in the store looking at price, games, playability and everything you can imagine.
The PSP was $50 cheaper than the Wii, but this was not a big enough different to make up my mind.
The way you are able to play the Wii by controlling the characters with your own body is the one factor that had me leaning towards the Wii. I have played the sports package that comes with the Wii at my friend's place, and there is no doubt that it is a very fun addition to video games.
Despite this, I ended up choosing the PSP for several reasons.
The main reason was the fact that it was portable. I can take the PSP with me anywhere and play it whenever the extra timeis there. The Wii is strictly a plug into the TV system.
The PSP is also a portable DVD player. It is true, however, that it is frustrating to know that the system only plays UMDs, special smaller DVDs for the PSP system. Programs are constantly coming out; however, to defeat the necessity of UMDs by converting your DVDs into files small enough to fit onto whatever memory stick you have in your PSP.
The PSP also serves as a video MP3 player. The system will play essentially any music or video you place onto the memory stick. You can also place photos on the memory stick and watch a slideshow on your PSP, similar to video iPods.
The PSP also allows you to transfer saved files between it and a Playstation 2. You do need a special cord to do this, but the cord is relatively inexpensive if purchased online.
Finally, the PSP has a wireless internet adaptor built into the system. Using this, you can browse the internet anywhere a wireless network is set up. You can also play other people with PSPs over the wireless network.
Published by Shane Carney
I am a graduate of USC. I have worked for the USC Sports Information Department, the Los Angeles Avengers, Sports Fan Magazine and Realfootball365. I have been a freelance writer for the Contra Costa Times f... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentGreat article. We are also trying to decide which gaming console to get for our household.
You make a good choice but remember that at $250 with the Wii you get a free game with your console while at $199 you get only a PSP with no game at all. Also you can't save your game on your PSP either unless you buy a separate Memory Stick Duo for it which will cost you more while the Wii already had save feature fully functional. Also remember that the PSP isn't very durable like the Nintendo DS lite, if you accidentally drop it into the ground or on someplace hard like a concrete floor or stair with a UMD still inside your PSP, the UMD will not function very well and sometime the disc inside will break and won't be able to load. Just be cautious with your PSP, also something worth mentioning, also look for Metal Slug Anthology coming for the PSP this April, this title is a portable version of the same run, jump, and shoot collection from SNK Playmore which was already released for the Wii last year, so be glad that SNK finally deliver this for your PSP.