Buyer's Guide: Nintendo DS versus Sony PSP

Release date: 11/21/04
Price: $129 system only, $149 with game bundle
Display: Dual 3-inch TFT LCD with bottom touch screen
Dimensions: 5.85x3.33x1.13 in.
Weight: 8.84 ounces

The Nintendo DS has a foldable clamshell design and features two separate LCD screens (hence the DS--dual screen--name). The top screen is a normal 256x192-pixel display, but the bottom display has touch-screen technology that lets you use a plastic stylus or even your fingertips to control games just by touching the screen. You'll also be able to interact with games using the system's built-in microphone port.

The system has the familiar directional pad and input buttons found on all controllers, but the touch-screen input device and new microphone-control capabilities provide remarkable new gameplay experiences only possible on the DS. One of the most popular DS games, Nintendogs, makes extensive use of both the microphone and the touch screen. The addictive puppy game lets you use the touch screen to pet your dog or toss a ball around, and you can use the microphone to call your dog or teach it commands like "sit".

Nintendo has also recently launched its Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service that lets DS owners play multiplayer games against each other over the Internet. Many DS games already let you play multiplayer games with other DS owners within the same physical proximity, but the new Nintendo Wi-Fi service lets you play against other people online anywhere in the world (but you'll want to stay in the same region to keep latencies low). You can race against friends online in Mario Kart DS or steal all of your friend's fruit in Animal Crossing: Wild World.

The Nintendo DS is Nintendo's most current portable game system. Nintendo released the Game Boy Micro system several months after the DS, but the Micro is merely a miniaturized version of the Game Boy Advance and is only capable of playing GBA games. The DS, on the other hand, can play DS games and has an extra cartridge slot that can support legacy GBA games (in single-player mode). The GBA still has a steady stream of new game releases, but the most highly anticipated games will only be released for the DS.

Release date: 03/24/05
Price: $249 Value Pack, $299 Giga Pack
Display: 4.3-inch TFT LCD
Dimensions: 6.7x2.91x0.91 in.
Weight: 8.36 ounces

While you can't mistake the Nintendo DS for anything except a game system, you could easily confuse the Sony PSP with a flashy new electronics convergence device--in fact, that's exactly what it is. The PSP is primarily a game device, but it's also a video player, digital music player, and now an Internet Web browser thanks to a recent firmware update.

Holding the PSP is like holding a little movie theater in your hands--the screen dominates the entire system, and all the buttons are black or translucent as to not draw attention away from the screen. You'll understand why as soon as you see the system's supersharp 480x272 widescreen display playing a Universal Media Disc movie. The image quality is outstanding, and it's no wonder why many PSP owners spend more time watching videos than playing games on the system.

UMD is a new optical media disc format that Sony uses for the PSP. All PSP games use the new disc format, and you can also get UMD versions of several major movie releases including Clerks and Napoleon Dynamite. The system can also play video and music from Memory Stick media. Just encode your videos in a PSP-compatible format and transfer it to a Memory Stick for PSP playback. Same goes for music, too--just transfer your MP3s onto a Memory Stick and let the PSP handle the rest.

The PSP has a lot of good games, but many are portable versions of popular game franchises present on the major console platforms like Burnout, SOCOM, and Grand Theft Auto. That's not to say the games aren't worth playing, though, as the graphics, sound, and gameplay are all fantastic.

Unlike the DS, the PSP's internet connection settings are stored on the console itself, so you won't have to set everything up all over again if you decide to play a different game. However, both Sony and Nintendo could stand to learn a great deal from Microsoft's Xbox Live implementation.

The PSP offers nearly 20 online-capable games, notably SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo and Twisted Metal: Head-On. SOCOM is unique because it allows up to 16 simultaneous players and voice communication via headsets, a feature no other handheld comes even close to offering.

Your online experience will change considerably from game to game on the PSP. SOCOM offers a server browser, where you can find your friends and even visit message boards, but most games don't give this level of support. Depending on the title, you might be able to choose whom you play against, or you might get a random pairing. The PSP's ad hoc mode also allows for local game sharing and multiplayer action.

Neither console truly has an edge when it comes to Wi-Fi implementation, unless you go to McDonald's a lot. We're expecting that line to firm up a bit more in the coming year, as both consoles will be offering numerous online-capable games.

So Which One?

Both systems are game machines, but there's no denying you can use them for other applications. The PSP truly has a leg up on the DS in terms of secondary features. The PSP's UMDs allow for on-the-go movie-watching, its built-in browser can use an Internet connection to decent effect, and the Memory Stick expansion slot makes the system a playback device for videos, pictures, and music. The DS, on the other hand, is quite limited in terms of extracurricular activities. Nintendo has a not-yet-released Play Yan peripheral that can add video-playback capabilities to the system, but the DS's low screen resolution is a far cry from the image quality that the PSP provides. If you're looking for a jack-of-all-trades portable device, the PSP is the better bet.

When it comes to style, there's no arguing the PSP's good looks. The DS looks like a Frankensteinian Speak n Spell compared to the glossy curves of the PSP. If appearances were the only concern, the DS would have died an untimely death sometime around March. Nintendo is putting more effort into style, if the Game Boy Micro and Revolution are any indication. Given the fact that Nintendo has redesigned the Game Boy Advance countless times, we're betting that we'll have a better looking DS system soon enough.

To say that one system is clearly better than the other would be flat-out wrong. Both systems come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. If you're after innovative games that you can't find anywhere else, the DS would suit you well, not to mention save you a bundle of cash. The PSP has raw graphical power in the form of a beautiful screen and a powerhouse of a processor, but it comes at twice the cost of a Nintendo DS. The great screen is perfect for watching TV shows or catching a movie while on the go. And if that weren't enough, the PSP can double as an MP3 player, image viewer, and even more. While the PSP does have an equivalent number of solid games, it doesn't have nearly as many of the exclusive must-have titles that the DS has. It all depends on what you're looking for, as both systems offer very compelling arguments for your dollars.