Hands-on With the Redesigned PSP

Yesterday I got my grubby mitts on the new Sony PSP, arriving this fall and replacing the old familiar model that's been on the market, in its original form, for years. Here are some thoughts based on actually holding the new version and comparing it to the original.

First, it really is lighter: Sony says 33 percent lighter, and the difference is noticeable. Of course, the original PSP isn't all that heavy, so don't expect the thing to float up off the table by itself. The redesigned PSP also is 19 percent thinner, and that too is noticeable when you put the units side by side. Sony says battery life is much improved on the new model, too. The screen looks about the same as before.

A few of the ports and switches have been moved around to make you less likely to bump them by accident. The speakers are also moved so you no longer cover them with your thumbs.

Double the RAM means faster game load times. I didn't get to see the same game loading side by side on both the old and new PSPs, but based on prior experience with the PSP, game loads did seem noticeably faster.

New colors, as previously mentioned. I'm partial to the "ice silver," which will be bundled in the $200 Daxter pack (plus a Family Guy UMD disc). If you're into Star Wars, the "ceramic white" PSP (with Darth Vader silkscreened on the back) is also pretty cool looking, though on the geeky side. Also $200, it comes with Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.

The new TV-out port could be big for the new PSP. I watched a UMD video at full screen, pumped out by the PSP at 480p. Quality was on par with any non-upscaling DVD player, with no stutters. Gaming through the TV-out port was less of a thrill. Sony tried to spin games as being displayed in a "small letterbox," but there was certainly nothing small about it. The letterboxing is so severe I'd estimate only an eighth of the screen was actually used, though this will probably depend on the size and resolution of your TV. I doubt many will use the video out function for gaming, but if you're a UMD disc collector, you'll love being able to hook it up to any (progressive-scan) TV.

Oh, and if you don't care about the colors, the basic "piano black" PSP will still be available for $170; it has all the features described above but comes bundled with no games.

On the whole, the new PSP is about as impressive as when Nintendo slightly shrunk the DS. It's not the landmark achievement you might have hoped for, but considering it costs you nothing extra vs. the old version, it's a decent upgrade. I wish gaming could be played on a TV in full-screen mode instead of that silly letterbox, but maybe that'll be on tap for PSP 3.0 (or even a firmware upgrade).

The new models arrive in September (piano black) and October (white and silver units).