Portable Showdown
Nintendo has had a monopoly on the handheld world of gaming dating back to when Sega’s game gear dared to challenge Gameboy. It seems for the past decade Nintendo has scared any other company from even thinking about stepping into their domain…until now.
Sony has become audacious enough to take a shot at the handheld world by releasing theirs, the Sony PlayStation Portable, otherwise known as the PSP. Nintendo, however, isn’t going to be taken down that easy. They plan to release the Nintendo DS (DS stands for either Developer's System or Dual Screens, can't seem to officially find out, though I predict most Nintendo DS fans will change the acronym to “Duh Shiz”). Nintendo has done well dominating the handheld world for many, many years, but I feel as though Sony will prove to be a contender. Sony may lead in home consoles, but when it comes to the handhelds, Sony will find itself demoted to “noob” status.
Here’s a chance to see each handheld broken down into its individual components so that you can decide which comes out the victor. And since I’m writing this article, and have a natural love for Nintendo, don’t be flabbergasted if you notice some biased opinions.
Screens
- The PSP has a 480x272 resolution, backlit, 4.5-inch (16:9 format) TFT* LCD screen.
- Both of the DS screens are much like the PSP’s in that they are backlit, TFT LCD screens, but the DS’s will be 256x192 resolution, 3 inch screens.
Whether you prefer a mini-widescreen or two original sized screens is up to you. Though, the DS’s dual screens offer potential that will yet be tapped.
VOCAB:TFT* - (thin film transistor) is a kind of LCD screen, but a better variant of one.
Game Discs & Cards
- The PSP new disk is called the Universal Media Disc (UMD), which comprises of 1.8 GB of storage room. The optical disc has a shorter turn around time for manufacturing, larger data capacity and lower media costs.
- For DS’s new compact cards, the unit uses newly developed semiconductor memory, which allows for lower cost, shorter manufacturing time and memory capacity of more than one gigabit of information
Both, the DS’s card and the PSP’s disk seem to offer great results. However, the PSP’s disk is new and adds a little bit more storage capacity which could offer more complex gaming than that of DS.
Graphics & CPU
- The PSP GPU (graphics processor unit) will be able to work 3D graphics. The GPU will have 2MB of VRAM, and be able to handle a max of 33 million polygons/sec and tosses out 664 million pixels/sec with transform and lighting effects. It’s CPU will run at a 333 MHZ with 8MB of embedded memory. The PSP has potential to be as good as the PS2.
- The DS’s GPU pumps out graphics Nintendo has never yet been able to match in any previous handhelds. It’s GPU has 656 KB of VRAM, and a capability of drawing 120,000 polygons/sec and displaying 30 million pixels/sec. The DS will have two CPUs, an ARM-9 CPU running at 67Mhz and an ARM-7 unit running at 33Mhz, with 4 MB of ram. Overall the graphics excell Nintendo 64’s graphics.
To be brutally honest, Nintendo is smothered by the PSP’s graphics. But don’t let graphics fool you. I remember back when the Sega Dreamcast came out I still preferred playing my Nintendo 64. Why? Because the games were just plain cooler.
Lets have a moment of silence for all the great Nintendo 64 games………ok lets continue.
Wireless
- Not much of PSP’s wireless capabilities have been publicly tested, but it will have 802.11b wireless networking for multi-player gaming.
- The DS will also have 802.11c wireless networking, but it has been tested. You will be able to connect to a wireless network 30 to 100 feet away, with up to 16 players. The DS also has capabilities to connect to a central gaming hub on the Internet, which could allow theoretically an infinite amount of players (I don’t know about you but that is one big Pokemon battle).
While both systems could be released with identical wireless capabilities, Nintendo has shown itself that it can fulfill its promise for multi-player gaming.
Controls
- PSP controls consist of a traditional D-PAD, Analog Stick, triangle/circle/X/square buttons, an L/R Trigger (one on each side), Start/Select/Home buttons, Power/Hold switch, Wireless LAN switch, and an Open switch for the UMD.
- The DS will have A/B/X/Y buttons, D-PAD, L/R shoulder buttons, Start/Select buttons, touch screen, and an embedded microphone for voice recognition.
Not much can be said about which controls will be better, though I believe the DS’s touch screen will take some time getting use to. Both, systems do add improvements to past button-and-D-PAD handhelds; PSP with its Analog Stick and DS with the touch screen.
Sound
- PSP will feature Dolby 7.1 multi-channel audio, with 3D sound, and MP3 capabilities.
- DS will have a 16-channel sound, which will allow for virtual surround sound.
Usually the audio portion of a handheld system is overlooked. Sound adds a whole new dimension that can actually draw the player into the game more than he/she even notices. Both systems have improved sound quality, and should prove pleasing.
Playtime
- PSP will have a play time of 2 hours DVD quality, and 4 hours standard quality
- DS, after a 4 hour charge, will have 6-10 hours of game play time (depending on whether you have light on or off and have the system in Sleep mode).
I’ve got to say that the DS whoops up with its longer gameplay time, even though the gameplay time isn’t extraordinary long itself, it’s just longer than that of the PSP. Unless PSP fixes this in its short amount of time before it comes out, I see no reason just to play a home console instead. With this battery length, I can’t see PSP coming out with any decent RPGs or Action/Adventures, seeing as both consume a plethora of time. But I suppose when your PSP runs out of batteries, you can just whip out your DS.
Ports & Other Features
- PSP: Memory Stick Duo Slot, USB Slot, Be able to play DVD quality movies.
- DS: GBA Port, PictoChat, Microphone
Sony has said that they want the PSP to be multi-functional system that can relate to various people (EXAMPLE: PS2 having a DVD player). Nintendo, on the other hand, is still sticking to its oath of having a system dedicated only to games, and not to other arbitrary purposes. With Sony’s USB slot, much interaction between the PSP and computers can be had to download any assortment of content. DS’s GBA Port can be used for playing GameBoy Advanced games, and for new hardware, expanding its functionality enormously. DS’s microphone allows for a possibility for gamers to tell the DS systems what to do; it may also be used as a way to chat between gamers as they play over the internet.
So there you have it, the battle of the handhelds. After much thinking and meditation, I have concluded Nintendo the underdog. I have much love for Nintendo, but I don’t predict this will be an easy battle for them. A lot of people are skeptical about Nintendo’s crazy innovation and about their lack of graphic power compared to the PSP. Those who do buy the DS when it comes out will most likely be our beloved Nintendo groupies and gaming connoisseurs.
Nintendo has come out with a system ready to be taken advantage of. Personally, one Zelda game, though I haven’t heard concrete evidence for one, is enough for me to run out and spend $150. Nevertheless, I’ll be there November 21st to get my DS. For those of you who are sitting the fence, I hope Nintendo impresses you. I know they’ve never failed me.
Related Links
- Wage your own DS/PSP battles in our "Portable Showdown" forum thread
- Also read Luke's article "DS Means Dying Satisfied"
Sony has become audacious enough to take a shot at the handheld world by releasing theirs, the Sony PlayStation Portable, otherwise known as the PSP. Nintendo, however, isn’t going to be taken down that easy. They plan to release the Nintendo DS (DS stands for either Developer's System or Dual Screens, can't seem to officially find out, though I predict most Nintendo DS fans will change the acronym to “Duh Shiz”). Nintendo has done well dominating the handheld world for many, many years, but I feel as though Sony will prove to be a contender. Sony may lead in home consoles, but when it comes to the handhelds, Sony will find itself demoted to “noob” status.
Here’s a chance to see each handheld broken down into its individual components so that you can decide which comes out the victor. And since I’m writing this article, and have a natural love for Nintendo, don’t be flabbergasted if you notice some biased opinions.
Screens
- The PSP has a 480x272 resolution, backlit, 4.5-inch (16:9 format) TFT* LCD screen.
- Both of the DS screens are much like the PSP’s in that they are backlit, TFT LCD screens, but the DS’s will be 256x192 resolution, 3 inch screens.
Whether you prefer a mini-widescreen or two original sized screens is up to you. Though, the DS’s dual screens offer potential that will yet be tapped.
VOCAB:TFT* - (thin film transistor) is a kind of LCD screen, but a better variant of one.
Game Discs & Cards
- The PSP new disk is called the Universal Media Disc (UMD), which comprises of 1.8 GB of storage room. The optical disc has a shorter turn around time for manufacturing, larger data capacity and lower media costs.
- For DS’s new compact cards, the unit uses newly developed semiconductor memory, which allows for lower cost, shorter manufacturing time and memory capacity of more than one gigabit of information
Both, the DS’s card and the PSP’s disk seem to offer great results. However, the PSP’s disk is new and adds a little bit more storage capacity which could offer more complex gaming than that of DS.
Graphics & CPU
- The PSP GPU (graphics processor unit) will be able to work 3D graphics. The GPU will have 2MB of VRAM, and be able to handle a max of 33 million polygons/sec and tosses out 664 million pixels/sec with transform and lighting effects. It’s CPU will run at a 333 MHZ with 8MB of embedded memory. The PSP has potential to be as good as the PS2.
- The DS’s GPU pumps out graphics Nintendo has never yet been able to match in any previous handhelds. It’s GPU has 656 KB of VRAM, and a capability of drawing 120,000 polygons/sec and displaying 30 million pixels/sec. The DS will have two CPUs, an ARM-9 CPU running at 67Mhz and an ARM-7 unit running at 33Mhz, with 4 MB of ram. Overall the graphics excell Nintendo 64’s graphics.
To be brutally honest, Nintendo is smothered by the PSP’s graphics. But don’t let graphics fool you. I remember back when the Sega Dreamcast came out I still preferred playing my Nintendo 64. Why? Because the games were just plain cooler.
Lets have a moment of silence for all the great Nintendo 64 games………ok lets continue.
Wireless
- Not much of PSP’s wireless capabilities have been publicly tested, but it will have 802.11b wireless networking for multi-player gaming.
- The DS will also have 802.11c wireless networking, but it has been tested. You will be able to connect to a wireless network 30 to 100 feet away, with up to 16 players. The DS also has capabilities to connect to a central gaming hub on the Internet, which could allow theoretically an infinite amount of players (I don’t know about you but that is one big Pokemon battle).
While both systems could be released with identical wireless capabilities, Nintendo has shown itself that it can fulfill its promise for multi-player gaming.
Controls
- PSP controls consist of a traditional D-PAD, Analog Stick, triangle/circle/X/square buttons, an L/R Trigger (one on each side), Start/Select/Home buttons, Power/Hold switch, Wireless LAN switch, and an Open switch for the UMD.
- The DS will have A/B/X/Y buttons, D-PAD, L/R shoulder buttons, Start/Select buttons, touch screen, and an embedded microphone for voice recognition.
Not much can be said about which controls will be better, though I believe the DS’s touch screen will take some time getting use to. Both, systems do add improvements to past button-and-D-PAD handhelds; PSP with its Analog Stick and DS with the touch screen.
Sound
- PSP will feature Dolby 7.1 multi-channel audio, with 3D sound, and MP3 capabilities.
- DS will have a 16-channel sound, which will allow for virtual surround sound.
Usually the audio portion of a handheld system is overlooked. Sound adds a whole new dimension that can actually draw the player into the game more than he/she even notices. Both systems have improved sound quality, and should prove pleasing.
Playtime
- PSP will have a play time of 2 hours DVD quality, and 4 hours standard quality
- DS, after a 4 hour charge, will have 6-10 hours of game play time (depending on whether you have light on or off and have the system in Sleep mode).
I’ve got to say that the DS whoops up with its longer gameplay time, even though the gameplay time isn’t extraordinary long itself, it’s just longer than that of the PSP. Unless PSP fixes this in its short amount of time before it comes out, I see no reason just to play a home console instead. With this battery length, I can’t see PSP coming out with any decent RPGs or Action/Adventures, seeing as both consume a plethora of time. But I suppose when your PSP runs out of batteries, you can just whip out your DS.
Ports & Other Features
- PSP: Memory Stick Duo Slot, USB Slot, Be able to play DVD quality movies.
- DS: GBA Port, PictoChat, Microphone
Sony has said that they want the PSP to be multi-functional system that can relate to various people (EXAMPLE: PS2 having a DVD player). Nintendo, on the other hand, is still sticking to its oath of having a system dedicated only to games, and not to other arbitrary purposes. With Sony’s USB slot, much interaction between the PSP and computers can be had to download any assortment of content. DS’s GBA Port can be used for playing GameBoy Advanced games, and for new hardware, expanding its functionality enormously. DS’s microphone allows for a possibility for gamers to tell the DS systems what to do; it may also be used as a way to chat between gamers as they play over the internet.
So there you have it, the battle of the handhelds. After much thinking and meditation, I have concluded Nintendo the underdog. I have much love for Nintendo, but I don’t predict this will be an easy battle for them. A lot of people are skeptical about Nintendo’s crazy innovation and about their lack of graphic power compared to the PSP. Those who do buy the DS when it comes out will most likely be our beloved Nintendo groupies and gaming connoisseurs.
Nintendo has come out with a system ready to be taken advantage of. Personally, one Zelda game, though I haven’t heard concrete evidence for one, is enough for me to run out and spend $150. Nevertheless, I’ll be there November 21st to get my DS. For those of you who are sitting the fence, I hope Nintendo impresses you. I know they’ve never failed me.
Related Links
- Wage your own DS/PSP battles in our "Portable Showdown" forum thread
- Also read Luke's article "DS Means Dying Satisfied"