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Sony: 'No plans' to address PSP-3000 screen interlacing

SCEA responds to complaints that latest handheld's brighter display highlights screen lines, saying they are natural result of afterimage remedy.

Though the controversial recall of the PlayStation 3 platformer Little Big Planet hogged headlines this week, another Sony-related controversy was also percolating. It has to do with the PSP-3000, the just-released redesign of the increasingly popular PSP handheld.

The second hardware revision in as many years, the PSP-3000's main selling point is an improved LCD screen that offers more vivid images than its predecessor, the PSP-2000. As can be seen in GameSpot Hardware's hands-on evaluation, the new portable has a wider contrast, broader color range, and a brighter screen, all with the same battery life.

Ghosty on the left, interlace-y on the right.

Ghosty on the left, interlace-y on the right.

Unfortunately, the souped-up graphics appear to have a bit of an Achilles heel. According to an increasing number of reports on both the official PlayStation forums and PlayStation-centric sites such as PSP Fanboy, the new screen has visible scan lines interlacing the image horizontally. One OPF poster even whipped up a side-by side comparison of the issue (pictured), which some critics had hoped could be remedied via a firmware update of some kind.

After surfacing last week, the PSP-3000 complaints have reached a mass critical enough to draw a response by Sony--a response those suffering from interlacing issues won't be too happy about. "On some occasions, scan lines may appear on scenes where brightness changes drastically, due to the hardware features of the new LCD device on PSP-3000," Sony Computer Entertainment America reps told PSP Fanboy. "Installed with this new LCD device, [the] PSP-3000 offers more natural and vibrant colors on its screen, but the scan lines have come out to be more visible as a result of improving response time to alleviate the afterimages on [the] PSP-3000. Since this is due to hardware specification, there are no plans for a system software update concerning this issue."

219 Comments

  • Silk_Wood

    Posted Jan 8, 2009 6:10 pm GMT

    I got a one for X-mas and yeah...mine is fine

  • SteelSoldier13

    Posted Dec 16, 2008 8:16 pm GMT

    snakes3425 the reason for that is because sony sort of messes up allot, take the home release for example, but hey as long as they fix the problem it's all good

  • pukmok

    Posted Nov 22, 2008 11:36 am GMT

    Just bring on the PSP2 Sony so I can play all my ps2 games on it.

  • ponyoncrack

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:45 pm GMT

    Handheld gaming seems (to me) like a waste of time, effort and money. Except of course if it's Mario.

  • mjc0961

    Posted Oct 28, 2008 7:30 pm GMT

    Haha, Sony can't get anything right on their screens. They can keep their PSP-3000, then.

  • blancobo

    Posted Oct 28, 2008 10:46 am GMT

    That is why I still own my first PSP (first model)... I recognize the benefits of the slimmer, ever more skype friendly revisions but have not bought another one. We should be more careful with this marketing strategy... I would like to get a newer PSP model... but this will happen when we get a slimmer, double battery life, and well (reliable market proven version). I know.. I have to wait. Perhaps the ad states that Sony is not addressing the issue but I am hoping they will not sit arms crossed at this issue.

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 5:18 pm GMT

    Psp's are so frickin' awesome, these machines truly were created by god. Just one thing please lord: a San Andreas Stories trilogy.

  • SickzLife

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 5:45 am GMT

    The only difference between the 2000 and the 3000 is the LCD screen and the built-in microphone. It's not that great of improvement to convince the fat and slim owners to upgrade. When you think about it, Sony has done a lot to fight off piracy. And it will took some time before the 3000 got pirated.

    It certainly is better than saying, "Hey, we're going to sell a new PSP because yours is hackable."

  • snakes3425

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 10:40 am GMT

    Wow so when Microsoft messes up, people go completly crazy with every kind of law suit and conspericy theory in the book, but when Sony messes up people simply laugh and ignore it.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 7:08 am GMT

    Mine is working fine. I dont see what all the fuss is about.

  • godofwarfan1

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 8:01 pm GMT

    i just ordered the psp 3000 ratchet and clank size matters pack off of amazon the day before all of the sources like gamespot and xplay started talking about the problems with the screen. i doubt the screen is going to make playing the games less fun then it would be. at the moment, i have been playing a lot of manhunt 2 and god of war on my psp. i have the 1000. i don't think this will be a huge problem.

  • pimperjones

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 2:41 pm GMT

    For the last time. This complaint is of technical ignorance on the gamers part, not a design flaw. Those scan lines existed prior to the LCD upgrade, because that's how the games were designed. The ghosting on the original LCD made the scanlines invisible, but now that the ghosting issue has been resolved and the brightness, gamut and contrast boosted those inherent faults in the original game are now visible. There is nothing Sony can do, the pay of seeing more detail and less ghosting, is that you will now see things that you were never mean't to see. It's kinda of like DNM aka Digital Natural Motion on higherend LCD TVs, they try to create fluid motion on an non fluid 24fps film negative scans. By doing this you get rid of films 24p motion blur, but in return all films look like they were shot on a cheap BetaCam and all duped frame step-printed scenes look jittered. It's really just over teching something that never really needed upgrade

  • steveguttenberg

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 11:33 am GMT

    They're not very good at wording responses to complaints, are they?

  • teh_phix

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 9:17 am GMT

    reminds me of the problems people notice when upgrading to a 100mhz lcd tv compared the traditional. i havn't seen either with my own eyes of how they really look. but i do know that if you use a camera on lcd screens in motion you notice really nasty stuff you would otherwise maybe never notice.

  • XXMadManVII

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 8:43 am GMT

    Way to support your product sony!!! good job. btw, how much did you have to reduce your projected profits?

  • TripSe7en

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 7:49 am GMT

    Meh... The PSP-(Insert Model Here) has never been a favorite for me. As a gamer, I have always leaned more towards the Game Boy / DS line of portable gaming. The games tend to be more fun and built around a broader fanbase than most of PSP games. I had a PSP when it came out and was happy with it, but it did not really step up in terms of quality games IMO. I hope Sony fixes these problems so that people with the PSP can enjoy what they paid for but I will still continue to play clubhouse games on my DS with my fiance. (The iPhone is actually starting to blossom as well as a possible contender for casual mobile gaming.)

  • Strigidae

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 3:59 am GMT

    Come on Sony. You're letting us down. Stop concentrating on profits and listen to the gamers. Soon you'll loose your Japanese market to Microsoft too.

  • gandalf_storm

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 12:14 am GMT

    lol, so glad i didnt bother, i have a slim and lite, mainly use it for music, if you check the release list for the psp, its worse then the ps2, you can tell what sony are concentrating on

  • MSTHEAT1

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 9:01 pm GMT

    I still play on my original PSP,thanks.My"slim"sits in a dresser drawer,considering it does almost none of what it says it will do.So I guess the"3000" is out,as well as the PS3.At least Microsoft has the balls to own up and try to remedy problems,as well as release new versions of hardware.Piss off Sony!!

  • dark_monk56

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 8:12 pm GMT

    You can't whine at a company to fix a problem, then continue whining because they fixed it too well. You don't want ghostly images? Fine, get the 3000, but know there's a tradeoff. In my opinion, it's worth it.

  • viniterra posted Oct 23, 2008 7:12 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    viniterra

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 7:12 pm GMT (hide)

    At least there is no useless HD-DVD drive

  • pimperjones

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 6:53 pm GMT

    For all those people complaining about Sony fixing the damn screen. Didn't anybody read the article???? Sony has just said that the reason you get those scanlines is cause the new screen is too bada$$ for those old games. What did you expect, you get a new screen with better visuals, of course your old games that were designed to run on the old screen are gonna look bad. Live with it.

  • -mostwanted

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 6:35 pm GMT

    and this is why I won't be getting one as coold_steam said there is really no difference between them both the the PSP2000 can do more than the 3000 anyways. Who is really going to play the PSP in the sun, maybe light but we have feet and heads that can block those things. If you had at least made some more hardware changes come on SONY!!!!!!!!!!

  • coold_steam

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 4:38 pm GMT

    now diff. 4 me between 2000 and 3000
    they only added more color to the screen

  • Lisandro_v22

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    @Takashi_Dragon:Strange how the picture in this report contradicts the picture in the hands on hardware review.

    yeah, I wonder if...

  • Skreb-Masters

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 12:11 pm GMT

    Now there's really no reason to upgrade. I'll stick with my PSP Slim thanks.

  • endocrine

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 12:10 pm GMT

    Too bad their new hardware does no fix the after image. I remember back when the original PSP came out and they had problems with the screen interfering with the button response. Sony's response was a similar too bad, we aren't going to fix it.

    Maybe instead of putting money in to new hardware they should put that money into customer relations...

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 12:02 pm GMT

    I think it's been blown out of proportion.

  • Grouchy_Dude

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 11:09 am GMT

    Wow. Thanks Gamespot! I was actually saving money to buy this next month. I guess I'll save my money for more games. I have a first generation HD tv and it had a "gaming" setting for when I hooked up a gaming console. The "gaming" mode had all kinds of scan lines that it irritated the heck out of me. I stopped playing on the HD tv and just use my old 20 inch television. Thanks again, Gamespot. I would have been miserable if I bought this junk.

  • glennwinton

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:54 am GMT

    Ra-Devil, first of all, the 2nd psp made the load times better, a good improvemnt, the psp 2000 is in every way better than the original, second, you for some reason go off on an idiotic, irrevalent rant about how xplays better than GS, saying that GS sucks for giving GTA4 a 10(i dont think i should get a 10, more of a 9.5) but you fail to realise that xplay gave the game a 5/5 in other words, a 10

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:53 am GMT

    I think Home being delayed till 2010 could be the cu de gras for Sony.

  • Joystick_n_hand

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:53 am GMT

    I was really gonna grab one of these 3000's.Not anymore! Thanks anyway, Sony.

  • levitius

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:52 am GMT

    what a cock up lol

  • fighterace10

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:51 am GMT

    Poor Sony's just having one hell of a time this generation, aren't they?

  • Javier

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:47 am GMT

    So basically, condensing the lenghty explanation of Sony in three words: "Suck it up!"

  • darkride66

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:43 am GMT

    redskinStu said "It's always refreshing when, tired of buisness, political and economic news, you can always turn to Gamespot for irrelevant stories like the one above."

    Irrelevant? Are you kidding. Don't you know that if you hold the PSP3000 at a certain angle in certain lighting situations when you have the contrast and the brightness cranked up and the screen suddenly goes from light to dark, if your squinting really close for a brief second you can see SCAN LINES! Hardly irrelevant!

  • darkride66 posted Oct 23, 2008 10:34 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    darkride66

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:34 am GMT (hide)

    kothos said "ChaosXeno you are mistaken... they (MS) have fixed any and all occurrences of the RRoD. They only consoles you will ever, EVER see it on anymore are launch consoles that haven't RRoD'd yet."

    That's certainly not what I've heard. Retailers report the newest 360's still have a 10% failure rate - still much better than 30-50% reported since launch - and Microsoft insiders themselves have confirmed that 100% of the 360 consoles launched up to this point have the same flaws that can lead to rrod. Currently there is a class action suit against MS before the courts in California claiming that the number is 50% and MS has been covering it up. It'll be interesting to see if the case proceeds of if MS just simply buys their way out again.

    Not quite the same issue as occassional scan lines on the new PSP3000. It's funny that TX360 would even bring up the 360 hardware issues. Everyone knows it's still a problem - and that it didn't just effect launch consoles. Way to lose your credibility.

  • mertron1

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:24 am GMT

    what did people expect...instead of just bringin out a new psp they decide to tinker with the original...again.
    its a brilliant device but lets now concentrate our money sony on the next installment and stop causing all these issue's..your already lagging behind microsoft now..who could buy your whole company in a heartbeat.

  • DamianW posted Oct 23, 2008 10:19 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    DamianW

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:19 am GMT (hide)

    Come on Microsoft. Release Xbox45 or whatever you wanna call it, show Sony how it's done.

  • AngelCage-2 posted Oct 23, 2008 10:19 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    AngelCage-2

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:19 am GMT (hide)

    @kothos

    really no more RROD? and then why MS keeps the extended warranty time and why i and everyone here (except you of course) keeps looking at gouy with Elite-RROD models... new ones, not old systems???

    trying to negate the persistence of RROD is evidence of a trully xbot. MS had reduce the failure rate, but is not a aceptable failure rate yet.

  • Ra-Devil posted Oct 23, 2008 10:17 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Ra-Devil

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:17 am GMT (hide)

    So who actully bought a PSP-300? I mean, I've got the first PSP, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I mean it plays all my NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, GBA, Gensis, Mega CD, Game Gear and Playstation games just fine. What? There are other games actually made for the PSP? No there arent'. There are these really crappy things called games made for the PSP... get it straight random voice in my head...

    Nobody should have bought the second PSP, and the fact that Sony brought out Version 3 in like 8 months shows that either a huge amount of people bought it, or that nobody did... to which they shouldn't have bought this one.

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with the original PSP, it can do everything you need fine. And yes, I completely and utterly agree with X-Plays review of Crisis Core, and I think that Adam Sessler is better at reviewing than any of these nut-jobs at GS that gave GTA IV a perfect 10.

  • Amir29

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:14 am GMT

    Hahaha!!! You guys are ridiculous. Look at the picture. Who plays their PSP THAT close to their face? The fact is that changing image quality and playing an old game will make you see the low quality of that game. How many of us have tried to play PS2 games on our HD TVs and immediately noticed A LOT more pixelation and jaggies? PSP-3000 is obviously there for developers to take advantage of the new screen. Chill out. These things take time. LBP getting delayed? Well, one week to make sure the content is not offensive is really not that big of a deal. Actually, that's quite fast. And at least they were responsible enough to get it done. Does anyone realize how much a recall for such a massive quantity?

    And the new agreement is nothing new. MySpace went through the same controversy when they introduced music. Its really nothing new in the world of online sharing. They need to watch you, let you know that updates will alter your system (not break it), and make sure that you don't try to sue them when other people play your levels on LBP or songs on Guitar Hero without trying to sue them for distributing your creations for free. Its unbelievable how upset you guys get over such small issues. Please, just give it a rest. In ten years has Sony really let us down in the long run? Are we forgetting that they were the breath of fresh air after Nintendo? And while Microsoft is making money on their console, are they not the ones that are losing on sales just to be the state of the art console?!

    Seriously? I think Sony knows what they're doing. I think it would be wise for us to see how it unfolds before we start spewing uneducated trash out of our mouths. PS: Not a fanboy. I give credit and faith to those that deserve it. And people, for the last 13 years, Sony HAS earned it.

  • grf7291

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:12 am GMT

    i'm sticking with my handy dandy PSP-1000
    i've never had a problem with it

    as to the PSP-3000, its enticing, but this issue lets it down for it, i'm hoping that this screen issue will be similiar to the launch PSP issue when people complained about dead/stuck pixels
    maybe sony will gradually work to fix the interlacing
    at least i sure hope so

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