The first thing you notice before you
even get the PSP out of the box is the well designed packaging.
A strong inner cardboard assembly holds the power adapter
and cables in separate compartments within the box and unfolds
neatly.
When you get the PSP out of the box, the
next thing you will notice is it's size. It’s much
smaller and lighter than you`d expect, but it's sturdy and
solidly built.
Compared to something like a Nintendo DS,
the PSP is smaller, lighter and feels more substantial.
To us, the DS feels like a childs toy.On the other hand
the PSP feels like a stylish portable electronic device,
which is exactly what it as, as we now find out.
That Screen
The PSP is itself is eye-catchingly cool, being rectangular
in shape with rounded outer edges and styled in a slick
and sexy black colour. It boasts a 16:9 ratio widescreen
TFT LCD which is centred in a sleek ergonomic design, with
a high-quality finish that fits comfortably in your hands.
We think the screen is awesome, arguably the best display
available to date in the handheld games market. With it's
incredibly sharp 4.3inch liquid crystal screen with three
brightness settings, we think you will love this little
baby. The screen really is something extra special and is
one of the best qualities of the PSP.
It offers bright, vibrant colors with no smearing of ghosting
during game or action scenes. One word of advice here though,
don't eat chips or crisps whilst using the PSP or let little
sticky fingers near it. The screen attracts fingerprints
very easily, which is why is is shipped with it's
own special cleaning cloth.
Once you have the PSP in your hands, you will do everything
in your power to protect it in the same was as a lion protetcts
it's cubs! You won't want anybody to touch it in case they
smudge the screen or even drop it !
Well fear not. Those clever poeple over at Logitech have
come up with a solution.
Logitech’s PlayGear Pocket™ offers
full gaming control inside its protective shell – even
the shoulder triggers are accessible inside the case! The
lid easily adjusts to any angle, working as a sun visor -
great for playing outdoors and your Logitech® earbuds
can be plugged into the headphone access port so you can listen
to your favourite tunes on the go. Finished gaming? - simply
close the lid and safely store the PSP inside PlayGear Pocket™
or travelling use its unique desktop stand feature to enjoy
movies, music videos, photo slides and more.
Familiar Buttons ?
The first time you switch on the device you are asked
to input basic system information such as the date
and your regional time zone. The system`s built-in
GUI arranges menu options in rows and columns and
is extremely easy to navigate.
The control buttons on the PSP are similar to the
Playstation2 joypads. There is the familiar circle,
cross, triangle, square, R1, L1, start and select
buttons. There is also a directional pad and an analog
stick.
It's a good, clean layout that's easy to hold and
use even after several hours use. Music and picture
viewing options are listed in the easy-to-navigate
menu system.
A cool little feature with the date is that the
background colour changes with the months, only a
little thing, but a nice touch we thought.
The PSP
has some truly outstanding built-in sound capabilities,
utilizing the onboard speakers. If you buy the PSP
Value pack, included is a little neat pair of headphones,
with an in-wire remote control disc (bit like the
iPod). These headphones work great and are amazing
for games as well as music.
When in the music playback mode on the PSP, you can
set “atmospheres” similar to surround
sound systems. You can have Jazz, Heavy, Unique or
nothing at all.
Once you have set your mood, all the normal functions
such as fast forward, rewind, skip, repeat, loop and
pause are accessible.
