PSP vs. DS Which do you think is better?

[starfox316]

I recently bought myself an onyx nintendo ds 4 months ago. I have about 8 titles for the system and am pretty happy with the ones I own as far as game quality and replayability is concerned. There are even 4-5 titles I still plan to buy, not to mention countless other potentially great games slated to hit the shelves.
Bearing that in mind, recently I've found myself more and more drawn to the PSP demo at the local game shop and at Wal-Mart. I'm sitting there playing some so-so game going "Look at these f*cking graphics! Unbelievable!" The quality and picture on the PSP makes my DS look like E.T. on Atari, no joke! I've played GB advance games on my ds that have looked WAY better than a few of my ds titles.
So here I am, looking to jump the DS ship. I like most of the innovative titles and concepts that Nintendo is pushing, but graphically and gameplay-wise, it seems lacking. While the PSP is so good looking, I can't leave the demo stand. Yet I know nothing about the PSP game library.
I know that video game fan boys love to argue over which rival system is better (i.e. Genesis vs. SNES) and I'm not trying to start a thread like that, honestly. I just want to know the pro's and con's of this dilemma, what should I do?
Is the PSP worth investing my time and money into? I've already spent close to 500$ on my ds and can really only afford to pursue one hand-held right now.
So if you guys could, take into account game library, graphics, overall system features and quality, gameplay and just plain experience and let me know what you think. Which is a better hand-held to PLAY and to OWN, Nintendo DS or the PSP?

[jajaja]

Well.. the PSP is more powerful than the DS, but it all comes down to the games. After my experience it seems that the DS have more fun games than the PSP. Im not saying all games are better on DS, but the number of better games are higher, atleast thats the impression i have. Check out www.gamespot.com and www.ign.com for reviews on PSP and DS games :)

[Poofta!]

buying a psp doesnt mean you have to stop playing or even get rid of your ds. i have both. and honestly i play my psp waaaaay more.

thing is, its about what genres you like, if you like action/adventure/sports then psp all the way.

if you like rpg and strategy, then they are both great systems, with i think the DS getting the edge due to all the AMAZING GBA rpgs.

if you like quirky japanese and the touch screen, then obviously stick with DS.

like i said i have both, i run homebrew on the psp so i dont really buy games for it at all. it emulates snes at about 80%, genesis at 100% and everything prior to that also at 100%. you can also download UMD ISO if thats your boat. and recently the new firmware has been hacked so you can even play PS1 games on it.

psp has nifty non-game features too, just as mp4 and mp3 support as wifi (just like ds) except the browser is built in and free.

commercial psp games do have some gems, they are mainly ps1 and ps2 rehashes, but that doesnt make them any worse.

again, id have both. but keep in mind, if you buy a psp, youll need at least a 1gb memory card to make it worth your while, so keep that cost in mind. also psp games on average cost about 10 to 20 dollars mroe than DS, if youre planning on buying.

[Andred]

First of all, I'll point out that I'm a little biased. I like Nintendo more than Sony and I've only owned a DS. That said, I'll try to give you a balanced argument.

Yes, the PSP has better graphics and does more things. However, graphics are going to get old MUCH faster than great gameplay. And, according to many of the "in the know" sources (big review sites) the DS is the system with better games. Also, the DS and it's library is much better suited for portability than the PSP. And in a nod to the big N's innovation, I'll say that the DS provides completely new gameplay experiences whereas the PSP offers the same thing found on home consoles. Yeah, so I'm a little biased.

So it depends on your lifestyle and how much you value impressive graphics and the other functions that the PSP offers (music, movies, PS1 emulation). If you can sit down with your portable system for more than a few minutes at a time and like watching movies on the go then you should get the PSP. Or if you game on the go in short bursts and don't mind sacrificing graphics for superior gameplay, go with the DS. Or make up your own freakin' mind! :)

[Poofta!]

So it depends on your lifestyle and how much you value impressive graphics and the other functions that the PSP offers (music, movies, PS1 emulation). If you can sit down with your portable system for more than a few minutes at a time and like watching movies on the go then you should get the PSP. Or if you game on the go in short bursts and don't mind sacrificing graphics for superior gameplay, go with the DS. Or make up your own freakin' mind! :)

everything you said prior to this paragraph is trash.

this however is perfect, and youre absolutely right.

if you want minigame-esque gameplay and the 'just pick up and play' approach, the DS is ideal. the psp is more of a home console on the go experience, hell actually its more of a home entertainment center on the go.

still i wouldnt give up either of them =D

[cyberfluxor]

I own a DS, most of my friends own at least 1 DS, then there's 3 people that own a PSP (and their DS) and 1 that once had a PSP (but doesn't and never has had a DS). So, personal preference for me is the DS due to so many others owning one and all the variety of multiplayer games we own between the bunch of us. Also a huge plus is bringing your DS when at a convention (for all those con goers you know). So anyhow, the PSP does have some great titles on it that look beautiful and for that reason I'll buy one, but for their prices I'm not planning on it anytime soon unless somehow it's a must. That brings me to the cheap reason to get a DS and games. :)

[X SMF X]

I own a DS and have tried the PSP. I prefer the DS by far, I love the thing. I also have a hard time prying it away from my wife, I may need to invest in another one soon.

[jajaja]

Or if you game on the go in short bursts and don't mind sacrificing graphics for superior gameplay, go with the DS.

This is a typical error made my many many people. They think its not possible to have both good gfx and good gameplay. Of course, its fully possible to have both. I've seen people use this agrument especially with Wii. They try to justify the Wii's rather poor hardware compared to 360 and PS3 by saying that the gameplay is so much better. I doubt they wouldnt mind that the Wii had the same gfx as 360/PS3.

A good example is the Neo Geo. Back in the days the Neo Geo was superior compared to Genesis and SNES, but did the gameplay sucks because of this? No, the gameplay was also great! So its fully possible to have both, you dont have to choose. Its not like the developers says "hey, lets make a great game that really fun, but we make crappy gfx since we have to choose between fun and gfx."

[Andred]

This is a typical error made my many many people. They think its not possible to have both good gfx and good gameplay. Of course, its fully possible to have both.

I agree completely. You can definitely have both. But the DS doesn't have graphics. That means that any good games for the system automatically don't have both. And I think we can agree that the PSP has good graphics but so far, it has had very few great games. So it's kind of an either or in this situation.

[jajaja]

Yep, as i mentioned earlier i also think that DS have more popular games than the PSP. Its selling better for sure. Me myself gave a DS with Brain Training to my parents this x-mas and they love it :) But the way i interpreted what you said earlier was that you had to choose between fun games or good (gfx wise) games, which is not true.

[Trebuken]

Get a Sega Nomad and rechargeable batteries. It beats either system. Or a Turbo Express with a Hu-Card adapter.

Now I do believe that statement I also believe that you may as well have bothe systems and just be fussy about picking games for either system. Thay are both great but they do have different flavors. In a pinch I'd take the PSP but it's a tough call...

[poloplayr]

I have both. Regret ever buying my PSP to be honest.

[Snapple]

I wish I'd never gotten a PSP. I may just pawn it at some point.

My DS though, has in a very big way renewed my love for video games in general.

I used to be firmly on the Sony bandwagon. I love my PS1 and my PS2, but my faith in them is waning. Still got my DS though.

[udisi]

I have both, and I like both, but I'd say my DS gets a lot more playtime. One of the biggest things to me is playtime, My PSP seems like it dies right when I'm starting to get into the game, and it dies quick, I get like 30 secs to save and shut down or plug in the ac adapter or I'm gonna lose my status. The DS on the other hand lasts a lot longer and you know you still have a while when the battery light comes on to wrap up what you're doing.

As for games, both the PSP and DS have some good RPG's, action games, and puzzlers, the DS does however have much more of all these, so variety goes to the DS imo.The DS on top of this also has some different games like Trauma Under the knife and cooking mama which I like, although I thought loco roco for PSP is a neat new idea too.

Graphics, The PSP widescreen is amzingly pretty. I love it. The DS has good graphics. I see alot of people calling it's graphics bad, and I wouldn't go that far. It's not like the different between atari2600 and Nintendo, but more like the difference between a Gamecube and an Xbox. The PSP's graphics are better, but the DS's graphics are more than acceptable.

Price, ya can't beat the ds. you could buy 2 for the price of 1 PSP.

So you can see I lean towards my DS as opposed to my PSP. The biggest thing being as My DS to me is more portable in the fact that the battery life is great. Add a large library of good games, I'll take a graphics hit.

[appaws]

Another thing to factor in is the popularity of the two handhelds...not because its always better to have the more popular of the two, but because it seems that the MASSIVE sales of the DS are starting to attract game publishers to putting out big-name titles for it...like DQ9 for example.

I love my DS, and until I got Viva and Vegas (360) for Christmas, it was my most played system by far.

[Poofta!]

I have both, and I like both, but I'd say my DS gets a lot more playtime. One of the biggest things to me is playtime, My PSP seems like it dies right when I'm starting to get into the game, and it dies quick, I get like 30 secs to save and shut down or plug in the ac adapter or I'm gonna lose my status. The DS on the other hand lasts a lot longer and you know you still have a while when the battery light comes on to wrap up what you're doing.

As for games, both the PSP and DS have some good RPG's, action games, and puzzlers, the DS does however have much more of all these, so variety goes to the DS imo.The DS on top of this also has some different games like Trauma Under the knife and cooking mama which I like, although I thought loco roco for PSP is a neat new idea too.

Graphics, The PSP widescreen is amzingly pretty. I love it. The DS has good graphics. I see alot of people calling it's graphics bad, and I wouldn't go that far. It's not like the different between atari2600 and Nintendo, but more like the difference between a Gamecube and an Xbox. The PSP's graphics are better, but the DS's graphics are more than acceptable.

Price, ya can't beat the ds. you could buy 2 for the price of 1 PSP.

So you can see I lean towards my DS as opposed to my PSP. The biggest thing being as My DS to me is more portable in the fact that the battery life is great. Add a large library of good games, I'll take a graphics hit.

i dont know what psp you have... they give you a warning like 20 minutes before anything happens... and the battery lasts for about 6 hours.... plus even when it does turn off cause of power failure you dont lose your status at all.... next time you turn the system on youre right back where you started

by the way, the thing with the psp remembering where you are when you turn it off is amazing, no other system has that. it even works in emulator!

[sirhansirhan]

I have both and like both, but I really think you'd be a fool to buy a PSP at this point, especially if you had to trade in your DS to do it. The PSP already feels like a dead system--nothing good has really come out for it lately (although I was one of the few who liked Work Time Fun, and Gitaroo-Man Lives! is sweet, too), and nothing good is on the horizon. The DS is thriving, though--in the past couple of months, I've bought Final Fantasy III, Contact, Yoshi's Island 2, Elite Beat Agents, Children of Mana, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Touch Detective, and Magical Starsign, all of which are varying levels of good.

[Damaramu]

Everyone knows that Sony is the Captain of Handheld Gaming. Any game on PSP is automatically amazing.



:wink 2:

[poloplayr]

Everyone knows that Sony is the Captain of Handheld Gaming. Any game on PSP is automatically amazing.



:wink 2:

:)

Absolutely, otherwise why would those two chaps start that terrific alliwantforxmas.com fansite?!

[Tommy]

Well I have a PSP right now and I am going to be picking up a DS in a few weeks. I like the Castlevania games and my kids love mario so like a few of like a few of the digits wrote, it's all about preference and what you like. I liked Untold Legends and SOCOM so that's why my wifey got it for me. I am going to get 2 DS LITE's, one for the adults and one for the kids. They are cheap enough around 129 dollars a piece and I think we will enjoy them. Have fun and enjoy gaming while you can

[eric nintendo]

Much prefer the DS to the PSP. As someone who appreciates old school gameplay and quality 2D, the DS certainly wins out. The PSP is an amazing piece of hardware, but it falls far short in the area of great games or fun.

Beyond Mega Man: Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X, there isn't much I'm interested in on the PSP. Meanwhile the DS has games like Trauma Center, Mega Man ZX, all the Castlevania games, Phoenix Wright, Elite Beat Agents, Yoshi's Island 2, Kirby games, Wario Ware, New Super Mario Bros., FF III, etc.

[Tommy]

Much prefer the DS to the PSP. As someone who appreciates old school gameplay and quality 2D, the DS certainly wins out. The PSP is an amazing piece of hardware, but it falls far short in the area of great games or fun.

Beyond Mega Man: Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X, there isn't much I'm interested in on the PSP. Meanwhile the DS has games like Trauma Center, Mega Man ZX, all the Castlevania games, Phoenix Wright, Elite Beat Agents, Yoshi's Island 2, Kirby games, Wario Ware, New Super Mario Bros., FF III, etc.


Definetely hear you on this one. I appreciate the PSP as a solid piece of hardware and I also appreciate the DS due to the fact that there is a plethora of games for the system. On long trips or just bored I like to game it up on the PSP. Hopefully when I get some DS LITE's here soon I can see what I have been missing out on

[klausien]

It is all about what kind of gamer you are. If you need state of the art graphics and semi-useless media functions, the PSP is for you. The homebrew functions of the PSP are not immediately accessible for the average player, so I am not taking them into account here. They can be a blast, but they can also brick your PSP.

If you like unique gameplay & the ability to play GameBoy Advance games, and also don't have a problem with N64-esque graphics, then the DS is a good choice. I have both systems and have played each of them for hours, but the DS has a slight advantage. I have more DS games by quite a bit, and also find it annoying that every time I pick up my PSP after some weeks, the battery has drained and needs to be charged before I can play. Irritating to say the least.

I am going to do a pros & cons:

Sony PSP Pros:

Large, clear display
Multimedia capabilities
Graphics that are just shy of PS2 level on a handheld
Analog control
Very nice aesthetics
Gadget lovers joy
Lumines
(Homebrew capability)

Sony PSP Cons:

Bad refresh rate on the LCD
Poor battery life
Load times hearken back to the early days of the PSOne
Badly designed D-pad & Square button
Delicate analog nub
Uses a non-standard removable media for both games (UMD) & multimedia (Memory Stick Pro Duo)
Anemic software library
A bit on the pricey side for both hardware & software

Nintendo DS Pros:

Excellent battery life
Backwards compatibility with all GBA games
Clear, crisp screens with good refresh, especially on the DS Lite
Touch screen control is innovative & fresh when used correctly
A home for 2D gaming
Gigantic software library filled with some true gems
Nintendo's stable of franchises
Castlevania
Best Mario Kart thus far
Affordable hardware and the newest A-list games come out at $35
(DS Lite has a very nice design)

Nintendo DS Cons:

Graphics are N64 quality (not really a con necessarily, but compared to the PSP it is)
Storage medium size issues make for mediocre sound
Friend Codes
So-so D-pad on both models (better than PSP though)
No analog stick (Touch screen is not a viable subsititute)
Stylus is a bit on the small side, even with the DS Lite
Touch screen can be a nuisance when used improperly by the developer.
A large amount of licensed cartoon crap in the software library

I am sure I have missed a lot of pros & cons for both, but they prove my initial point. The PSP is for those interested in graphics and more mainstream, 3D games. The DS has a little of everything, as well as featuring the touch screen. If you don't like the touch screen, PSP is a better choice. If you are bored with "adult-oriented" wargames and the like, get a DS. Both have something for everyone, but the DS has the edge.

[RockyRaccoon]

Right, each Console have both thier Own Advantages and Disadvantages. Theres a DS..and a PSP in my house. The DS is mine, the PSP is my Boyfriends.

I like the DS for it's seemingly insanely long Battery life (Theres sometimes long stinits at work I'm forced to sit and wait and the end of the nights, where this makes me grateful 'forgetting to plug my DS in last night!' isn't such a big issue. )... and the Nolvelty of the touch screen is nice, too. Some ports to it, such as Resident Evil : DS, almost make it seem like these games were MADE for a system with two screens, a Mic and a Touchscreen... while some games barely use the Touchscreen at all... like Sonic RUSH..I ave yet to use the touchscreen in that game. The Games I have for it are fun, and keep me busy.

The PSP, on the other hand, also has a nice modest battery life when I borrowed it one time. The Ability to shove movies in there was awesome. The game I played was Maverick Hunter X that night....it was 'okay', but it wasn't the Megaman X I remember at all.. which was frustrating to a degree. The Ohter game was YuGiOh GX : Tag Force.. which was the best YuGiOh Francise game I've played yet. The Ability to also act as a Mp3 player and Emulation Machine is peachy keen.. and it more sort of a 'portable entertainment system' more thant just a 'Gaming Handheld'. I want (and will get.) A PSP for Medal of Honor - Heroes.

So both systems have thier ups and downs. the DS is nice, the PSP is nice. I want both. the DS is a nice, disturbingly tough for it's phsyique and provides easy quick and fun gaming, While the PSP will ultimatly replace the Ipod Video and MP3 player purchases I planned, and be my nice little FPS Portable machine.

SO yeah, don't feel you need to choose one over the other.

[ganondorf]

The DS for games, for extra features and stuff, the PSP. I have a ds, and want a PSP for emulation.

[Abman]

I have to go with the DS hands down. I've had some fun with my PSP, but way more with my DS. I'm also not a fan of ports and a huge chunk of the PSP library is PS2 ports. Not to mention I don't buy portable systems to actually take them places. I get them just to play all the great games that are made for them. I've havn't taken my PSP or DS on a car trip yet.

I feel the DS has a more appealing library now, and it's about to get better. Sqaure Enix seems to be supporting it like it was a Sony system :P. Plus I love unique games like Truama Center.

[Alucard79]

I'll say DS even though I only bought it to play the Castlevania games. The PSP has a lot of cool features but just isn't utilized well.

[7th lutz]

I have to say the ds.

I didn't own the psp because of its price and there are very few games I would like to the psp. Sony did screw up the psp with the ill-advised idea of the psp having the umd format. It appears to be mostly ports of ps 2 and ps 1 games. I wouldn't be shocked if the psp looses third parties.

The ds is a very good handheld. The graphics aren't as good as the psp, but has more games that I want including soon to be Dragon Quest 9. The games that I played are very good like Final Fantasy 3.

I just buy handhelds for games for the most part, not for trips.

[agbulls]

I sold my PSP and used the money towards my Wii when it came out. The funny thing is that it was the second time I owned one. There really is no debating that it might be the biggest disappointment ever in terms of poorly utilized hardware. There are just too few good games that aren't available elsewhere. Sony even knows this and now has its advertising focused around video playback---have you guys seen this? Talk about clueless...

Nintendo understands that you need different types of games to justify buying a portable system. Sony figures we'll just be happy with Socom on the go because its Socom. WRONG.

I'm not going to play portable versions of the exact same thing I can play on my big TV. I want new experiences. Until they realize this, the PSP will continue to do just average.

[starfox316]

Thanks again for all the feedback so far!


Since starting this thread, I've spent close to 3 hours in various shops and stores, exploring the PSP library. I have to say that I was pretty dissappointed. Ape Escape was fun for me in 8th grade, probably not now. I saw 3 such AE titles while cruising. Some anime-style RPG's caught my eye (I really enjoyed the Golden Sun titles for GBA) but upon further inspection I wasn't thrilled, but the saying is "can't judge by a cover". Other than maybe 2 or 3 games, I didn't even have any interest in the PSP titles. So i cruise over to the old DS wall to check it out, I immediately see 8-12 games I consider must-haves that I don't have. Not to mention the dirt cheap GBA new/used collection!
The PSP price really jumped out at me. Hmm... Gunstar Heroes, Trace Memory AND Brain Age ...OR... Madden 2007 for around the same price, hmm. Who pays 50+ dollars for a handheld game? I never have.
Meanwhile, I discovered and bought some really fun games for the DS/GBA that are going to tie me up to the system for at least the next few weeks. Advance Wars for GBA was purchased at EB for under 10 bucks, I liked that game so much that I went back that night to grab Advance Wars: Dual Strike for the DS. Plus Age of Empires, Elite Beat Agents and Trauma Center were recieved for christmas, all really impressive.

Sooner or later I'm really going to consider the PSP, when I have tons of useless cash lying around. But for now, I've got my money on the DS in this fight. The games are too much $$$ and the good games are too few. and 249$ is steep right now. Maybe have to wait and see how the system develops and is supported, kind of like how I'm waiting out this wii/ps3 deal. It's too uncertain right now, and heck, I've already got some really great DS games and a sqeaky clean DS Lite to boot!



Thanks again for the input, and by all means keep posting. Which leads me to an idea, does anyone know of a good strategy/ war sim game (Age of Empires or Advance War, etc.) for the GBA/DS? Also looking for puzzle games in the same vein as Kirby's avalanche or Robotnik's bean machine. Or just flat out any games for the GBA DS that you consider unbelievably awesome, thanks

[ManciGames]

I owned both for about a 12 month period. The PSP collected dust while the DS needed constant recharging. I ended up selling the PSP and have never regretted.

So, you could say that I prefer the DS over the PSP.