Deciding on whether to get a PSP-3000 or 3DS

[Gil_Hamilton]

Except you can buy an extended life battery, which when put into the PSP can make it last 10 hours of gameplay(From personal experience) if you use ISOs instead of that blasted disc drive.

It also increases the thickness back to the Mk. 1's. but only in the battery area.

In addition, many PSP-1000s had trouble with the Square button not working a lot of the time.

The early runs had a terrible [] button, owing to a serious form-over-function design attitude. It was fixed pretty fast, but as it was not called out by a major cosmetic revision, no one cared.

Plus, 2000s and later have the video/audio out port.

Meh.
3K even lets you play games on interlaced standard-definition TVs... not that anyone cared by the time it hit.
All 3 devices with TV out play games in a window in the center of the TV, though. Apparently there's a hack to make it scale games to the full 720*480 so it won't be windowed. I would look into that if I actually ever used the feature as more than a shits-and-giggles thing.

[odditude]

Plus, 2000s and later have the video/audio out port.

Meh.
3K even lets you play games on interlaced standard-definition TVs... not that anyone cared by the time it hit.
All 3 devices with TV out play games in a window in the center of the TV, though. Apparently there's a hack to make it scale games to the full 720*480 so it won't be windowed. I would look into that if I actually ever used the feature as more than a shits-and-giggles thing.

...or you just use the scaler on your TV to blow it up. even my crap Olevia can do that.

[kode54]

What TVs have a scaler that can fix a tiny picture in the middle of a 720x480 video signal? My TV has a scaler fix for widescreen video pictures being letterboxed in the middle of a 4:3 signal, but I doubt the PSP TV output resolution is that high. Or is it?

[odditude]

both my old crappy olevia and my newer lg have a nifty zoom setting that works flawlessly.

[Gil_Hamilton]

both my old crappy olevia and my newer lg have a nifty zoom setting that works flawlessly.

Zoom partially alleviates the issue. It's still a window inside the screen, just a slightly bigger window.
And it's STILL more hassle than should rightly be involved. If I have to reconfigure my TV beyond just selecting the input, it becomes a case of "device manufacturer done fucked up."

[odditude]

both my old crappy olevia and my newer lg have a nifty zoom setting that works flawlessly.

Zoom partially alleviates the issue. It's still a window inside the screen, just a slightly bigger window.
And it's STILL more hassle than should rightly be involved. If I have to reconfigure my TV beyond just selecting the input, it becomes a case of "device manufacturer done fucked up."

oh, they definitely done fucked up. the xmb is full-screen; why aren't the games?

on both of my TVs, though, zoom gets close enough to full-screen that it's a non-issue.

[Gil_Hamilton]

both my old crappy olevia and my newer lg have a nifty zoom setting that works flawlessly.

Zoom partially alleviates the issue. It's still a window inside the screen, just a slightly bigger window.
And it's STILL more hassle than should rightly be involved. If I have to reconfigure my TV beyond just selecting the input, it becomes a case of "device manufacturer done fucked up."

oh, they definitely done fucked up. the xmb is full-screen; why aren't the games?

on both of my TVs, though, zoom gets close enough to full-screen that it's a non-issue.

My assumption is the system menu was updated to run in 720*480 when output to TV. They can't update all the games to change them from 480*272 to 720*480, and are hesitant to add in a global scaler as some games ALREADY run a bit sluggish without the (admittedly small) extra work.

[odditude]

My assumption is the system menu was updated to run in 720*480 when output to TV. They can't update all the games to change them from 480*272 to 720*480, and are hesitant to add in a global scaler as some games ALREADY run a bit sluggish without the (admittedly small) extra work.

if they actually bumped up the internal resolution, they just interpolated to get there. no assets appear to be rendered differently.

i'm curious to see what happens when you run a ps1 title. might need to test that out...

[I.S.T.]

Except you can buy an extended life battery, which when put into the PSP can make it last 10 hours of gameplay(From personal experience) if you use ISOs instead of that blasted disc drive.

It also increases the thickness back to the Mk. 1's. but only in the battery area.

In addition, many PSP-1000s had trouble with the Square button not working a lot of the time.

The early runs had a terrible [] button, owing to a serious form-over-function design attitude. It was fixed pretty fast, but as it was not called out by a major cosmetic revision, no one cared.

Plus, 2000s and later have the video/audio out port.

Meh.
3K even lets you play games on interlaced standard-definition TVs... not that anyone cared by the time it hit.
All 3 devices with TV out play games in a window in the center of the TV, though. Apparently there's a hack to make it scale games to the full 720*480 so it won't be windowed. I would look into that if I actually ever used the feature as more than a shits-and-giggles thing.

Still, my point is that calling the 2000 objectively inferior to the 1000 is dumb like a butt.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Except you can buy an extended life battery, which when put into the PSP can make it last 10 hours of gameplay(From personal experience) if you use ISOs instead of that blasted disc drive.

It also increases the thickness back to the Mk. 1's. but only in the battery area.

In addition, many PSP-1000s had trouble with the Square button not working a lot of the time.

The early runs had a terrible [] button, owing to a serious form-over-function design attitude. It was fixed pretty fast, but as it was not called out by a major cosmetic revision, no one cared.

Plus, 2000s and later have the video/audio out port.

Meh.
3K even lets you play games on interlaced standard-definition TVs... not that anyone cared by the time it hit.
All 3 devices with TV out play games in a window in the center of the TV, though. Apparently there's a hack to make it scale games to the full 720*480 so it won't be windowed. I would look into that if I actually ever used the feature as more than a shits-and-giggles thing.

Still, my point is that calling the 2000 objectively inferior to the 1000 is dumb like a butt.

I can add extra batteries to a Mk. 1 too. And it will be more comfortable to hold and won't promise me a TV out I'll never use.

[odditude]

I can add extra batteries to a Mk. 1 too. And it will be more comfortable to hold and won't promise me a TV out I'll never use.

we shall agree to disagree. the lighter 2000 is more comfortable and less likely to cause a tendonitis flare-up for me. (i've also got a nice grippy silicone skin, though - while the added weight is negligible, it does bump the size back to original territory).

good thing both models are still widely available.

[adventure_of_link]

I can add extra batteries to a Mk. 1 too. And it will be more comfortable to hold and won't promise me a TV out I'll never use.

Unless you jury-rig a battery setup like my PSone on batteries, how do you add more batteries to it?

And I actually like the feel of the 3000, thanks.

[I.S.T.]

The extended life battery isn't really that much different than the one the PSP-1000 ships with(2200 mAh on extended life battery VS 1800 or so on the default PSP-1000 battery)... You'd add maybe an hour if you're lucky to the life instead of nearly doubling it like with a 2000 or 3000. The 2000/3000 draw way less power.

And if you prefer the 1000, fine, but using the words "objectively inferior" is not true in the least.

[Gil_Hamilton]

I can add extra batteries to a Mk. 1 too. And it will be more comfortable to hold and won't promise me a TV out I'll never use.

Unless you jury-rig a battery setup like my PSone on batteries, how do you add more batteries to it?

And I actually like the feel of the 3000, thanks.

Well, as-is, it means carrying extra batteries around. There's no reason it should be so

The extended life battery isn't really that much different than the one the PSP-1000 ships with(2200 mAh on extended life battery VS 1800 or so on the default PSP-1000 battery)... You'd add maybe an hour if you're lucky to the life instead of nearly doubling it like with a 2000 or 3000. The 2000/3000 draw way less power.

And if you prefer the 1000, fine, but using the words "objectively inferior" is not true in the least.

Yup. Gotta actually swap batteries or go REALLY oldschool with an external power pack.


And that's why I think the Mk. 2 should've been a running change and not a new model.

[grinvader]

How much more fun would this thread have been with the old word filter in ?

Tremendously so, that's how much.






You know it to be true.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Yes. Yes it would.

[sweener2001]

Inevitable hardware revision, hah. The most they can do is cram in that stupid right analog nub, or maybe make the system DSi XL sized and shove in a larger battery.

I'm satisfied with the battery life I already have, and I don't need a right analog nub.

you don't need it until a game you want requires it, at least. the battery isn't my biggest gripe with the system. it's thick and bulky the way the phat was. and they certainly haven't been helping themselves with launch, price drop, big accessory that high profile games require within six months.

aside from including the second nub from the get=go (it's like they purposefully didn't want to learn anything from sony's mistakes), they can shrink (thin) the hardware, or enlarge it. in either case, i'll wait for that. the dsl was way better than the ds phat, aside from that stupid hinge. any 3ds revision will be better, and i'll wait for that. with the 3ds, i oddly prefer to sound like a prick than admit that there's nothing i want to play on it until layton v. wright (us release still isn't guaranteed as far as i know. haven't been following it closely), so i might as well wait for a hardware revision.

as far as vita revisions go, unless i hear about hardware issues, i like the first revision enough right now. it'll be a while for either console, having a real job takes your time away. i also don't care to specifically wait for a revision because they're actually launching with a game that i would justify the system for. for me, it's uncharted.

[kode54]

I have plenty of downloads to play. And I have Shadow Wars and Ocarina of Time 3D.

I don't see how they can make it any thinner. It's nowhere near as bulky as the original DS, and it's only slightly larger than the DS Lite and DSi. And I doubt that any games are ever going to outright require that piece of shit circle pad add-on. And I only see one genre really making apt use of it, first person shooters, and fuck playing those on a portable or even a home console. I'll stick to playing those on a PC with a keyboard and mouse.

[blackmyst]

And I only see one genre really making apt use of it, first person shooters

After playing FPS games on the DS such as MP Hunters, I don't even see who in their right mind would ever want to go back to drunkenly wobbling the reticule in the general direction of an enemy using an analogue stick. Everybody's raving about the PSV's two sticks, but I don't get it. Why? You have an infinitely superior aiming method right there, touchscreen. When used well, it's damn near the closest anything has ever gotten to mouse controls (yes, it's better than motion aiming).

I'm never gonna get the circle pad for the 3DS because frankly, it's a downgrade. Just look at the new Kid Icarus game, it only uses the extra pad for lefty mode movement, and never for aiming, because the game is too difficult for such an outdated control method.

So yeah, I just have to laugh at anyone who's waiting until they build in a second circle pad into the 3DS. Enjoy wobbling through slow dumbed-down-for-analogue shooters.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Inevitable hardware revision, hah. The most they can do is cram in that stupid right analog nub, or maybe make the system DSi XL sized and shove in a larger battery.

I'm satisfied with the battery life I already have, and I don't need a right analog nub.

you don't need it until a game you want requires it, at least. the battery isn't my biggest gripe with the system. it's thick and bulky the way the phat was. and they certainly haven't been helping themselves with launch, price drop, big accessory that high profile games require within six months.

Which accessory is this? Because it can't be that retarded analog monstrosity, since absolutely nothing requires it and only one game was even designed with the assumption it was there.

aside from including the second nub from the get=go (it's like they purposefully didn't want to learn anything from sony's mistakes),

Dual analog nubs is retarded, except in a handful of specialized circumstances(Robot Alchemic Drive springs to mind).
And the Vita using nipples instead of sliders is stupid beyond belief for an ostensibly pocketable device.

they can shrink (thin) the hardware, or enlarge it. in either case, i'll wait for that. the dsl was way better than the ds phat, aside from that stupid hinge.

And a terrible d-pad, start, and anachronistic relic buttons.
I think the original DS had a ridiculously limited volume slider too, so that part, at least, wasn't a new bungle.

i oddly prefer to sound like a prick than admit that there's nothing i want to play on it ... so i might as well wait for a hardware revision.

Yes, kick the GOOD reason to wait to the curb in favor of "LOL NINTENDO ALWAYS CHANGES IT!111"

[sweener2001]

designing a game with the assumption that a peripheral is there is about one hair short of requiring it.

i never had issues with the ds lite d-pad. just the hinge and the volume slider.

having not handled a vita yet, i can't speak to the sticks, nubs, nipples, or whatever they are. i didn't like the psp nub very much, and i don't find the 3ds one to be much better. if i don't end up liking the vita sticks, i'll probably skip out on the system, or wait until a massive sale. i really want to play more uncharted.

having a second stick makes for decent camera controlling in any third person game. i also imagine it helps for flying games. it's not strictly a first person deal. that's fine that you guys are happy with your devices.

but like clockwork, nintendo waits a year and releases a revision. sometimes sooner in the case of the dsi xl. they did it with the gba sp, and ds lite. i don't see how this is so different from waiting for a goty edition of a game to come out, when you know it's happening. which i did for fallout: nv. i also waited to buy the movie sin city on dvd, because i knew a better release was on its way.

worst case, my loss? it's not like i'm never planning on buying the thing. but, i'll change my tune on my [faulty] reasoning and simply say that right now, no game on the 3ds makes me want to own the system.

[Gil_Hamilton]

designing a game with the assumption that a peripheral is there is about one hair short of requiring it.

So a port of Monster Hunter 3 is reason to hate the 3DS?

i never had issues with the ds lite d-pad. just the hinge and the volume slider.

Chews my thumb up, hates to issue diagonals.

having not handled a vita yet, i can't speak to the sticks, nubs, nipples, or whatever they are. i didn't like the psp nub very much, and i don't find the 3ds one to be much better. if i don't end up liking the vita sticks, i'll probably skip out on the system, or wait until a massive sale. i really want to play more uncharted.

I'll tell you when I see an analog stub I DO like.
I have some fond memories of the Saturn analog pad, but they're so old I can't really testify to their accuracy.

having a second stick makes for decent camera controlling in any third person game. i also imagine it helps for flying games. it's not strictly a first person deal. that's fine that you guys are happy with your devices.

It comes at great cost, though. You can't be using the stick and your face buttons at the same time. This is a pretty big issue.
Basically, I think Sony's original analog joystick was the way to do dual sticks. Large enough you could get some precision out of them and designed so your buttons were all at your fingertips while using them.
Or Namco's Negcon, if you want a more pad-oriented approach(though the Negcon is mentioned more as an illustration of concept since it's limited in functionality).

[kode54]

I didn't even mind that Ocarina of Time 3D had no camera control whatsoever, other than the first person mode.

[adventure_of_link]

I didn't even mind that Ocarina of Time 3D had no camera control whatsoever, other than the first person mode.

isn't this how OoT 64 came anyway?

As for hardware/firmware revisions, it depends. Normally with newer versions of hardware/firmware any kind of piracy/homebrew code exploit is usually patched..

[kode54]

Oh yeah, you're right.