Hands-on with the PSP Go

I finally got the chance to spend some hands-on time with Sony's smaller, slide-up revamp of the PSP, and I came away impressed. The Go is indeed lighter and more compact than its predecessors, with easy-to-use controls and—more importantly—an improved display. But it still has that hefty $249 price tag.

Sony unveiled the PSP Go earlier this month during E3 in Los Angeles, but I didn't get my first crack at the new handheld gaming console (set to go on sale Oct. 1 in the U.S.; more details here) until Wednesday night, during an industry event in New York City.

I have to admit that I'd initially lost interest in the 5.7-ounce Go shortly after its big reveal at E3; after all, it's still basically the same PlayStation Portable, just a bit smaller, no UMD drive, slide-out controls, and a stiff $249 price tag (compared to the $169 PSP 3000, which Sony says will remain on sale after the Go hits stores in the fall). That might be tempting for gamers looking to get their first PSP, but as a PSP 3000 owner myself, I didn't see any compelling reason to swap.

But about a minute after a Sony rep handed me the Go, my old gadget lust began stirring again.

First of all: small is sexy when it comes to gadgets, and the compact Go definitely scores in the "sexy" department. The new PSP made for a great fit in my hand, and while the Go is about an ounce lighter than its 6.7-ounce predecessor, it actually feels a bit more solid than the 3000 (which—to me, anyway—feels almost too light for its size).

More importantly, the Go's 3.8-inch display is a clear improvement over the PSP 3000's 4.3-inch screen. Not only were the pixels packed a little more tightly together (simply by virtue of the Go's smaller display), but the annoying interlacing problems that plagued the 3000 were totally absent from the unit I tested. The Sony rep I spoke with acknowledged that the Go's display has, indeed, been tweaked to eliminate the distracting artifacts.

My fears about the Go's new controls were also laid to rest after my brief test drive. I didn't have any trouble gripping the slide-out control tray, and the analog nub—now moved to the right of the four-way navigational pad—was in easy reach of my thumb.

Last but not least, I loved how the XrossMediaBar flies up and away when you close the Go, with a digital clock smoothly sliding neatly into the XMB's place. Nice touch.

A few other notes: My Sony rep repeated that there will be a "goodwill" program for those looking to transfer their old UMD games to the Go's Flash memory drive, but denied that a music store or game rentals were coming to the PlayStation Network.

In any case, I'm still on the fence about whether I'll replace my PSP 3000 with a Go come October 1, especially given the $249 price tag, but I'm decidedly more enthusiastic about the new PSP than I was just a day ago.

So, PSP users: Anyone ready to cough up for the Go, or will you be sticking with your old consoles?