Is Nintendo's dominance of the handheld gaming market about to come to an end? Will Sony's much-touted PSP console squish the idiosyncratic Nintendo DS? The Guardian's business section examines this very issue today - check the story out right here.
I think there's room in the market for both, but in terms of predicting the biggest seller, this fight is going to come down to five main issues:
Playability Both machines offer impressive tech specs, but technology is nothing without the games to showcase it, and as you'd expect, both Sony and Nintendo are bringing some strong licenses into the ring. PSP will see the likes of Metal Gear Acid, Gran Turismo Mobile and WipeOut Pure. DS gets Mario 64x4, Metroid Prime Hunters and Animal Crossing. Okay, so Sony's is the more instantly recognisable line-up, but the question is, how easily will these brands make the transition to a handheld environment? Nintendo has considerable experience in shrinking its major franchises to mobile proportions. Sony doesn't. But then Sony had no real experience in videogame hardware before launching PlayStation and promptly battering Sega's Saturn to death.
Connectivity Both consoles feature 802.11b compatibility allowing wireless multiplayer gaming - although the DS also boasts a, 'proprietary communication protocol, which provides low battery consumption'. To counter, PSP adds Memory Stick support (perhaps for storing music and image files) and USB 2.0 so you should be able to attach it to other Sony gadgets.
Novelty PSP is set to be a complete multimedia entertainment solution as useful for watching movies (the console's Universal Media Discs can hold two hours of DVD quality video) and listening to music (7.1 channels and 3D sound support) as playing games. Meanwhile, DS features a touch screen that will give players a new way to interact with game menus and characters, and a built in microphone for voice commands. There are two completely different philosophies at work here. Sony is saying, 'yeah, we do games, but we do other cool stuff as well'. Nintendo is saying 'DS will do games in completely new and interesting ways'. Both are valid and interesting - depending on what you want to get out of your handheld gaming device.
Portability PSP dimensions are 170mm x 74mm x 23mm with a weight of 260g. DS weighs in at 148.7 x 84.7mm X 28.9mm and 275g (including battery & stylus) making Nintendo's machine slightly shorter and chubbier - the latter due to a clam shell design that harks back to the days of the multiscreen Game And Watch. So, the PSP will fit better in your pocket, but the DS has a protected screen. And a stylus! In terms of battery life, Nintendo reckons you'll get 6-10 hours of gameplay from a fully charged DS battery, while Sony has yet to announce an official figure, although rumours suggest it could be a more modest 2.5 hours of continuous play.
Affordability Sony Europe president Chris Deering recently told trade publication MCV that PSP would come in "closer to £200 than £300." The Nintendo DS is launching in the US at $149.99 which will probably translate to £149.99 reflecting the loveable way in which manufacturers like to charge us more for things for no discernable reason. That's still likely to be £80 cheaper than the PSP though.
Okay so I've entirely glossed over elements such as graphics processors, CPUs, etc, but its easy to get seduced by the internals of these machines before you actually get to see the games. Don't be. All we can judge at the moment are the priorities of the manufacturers. And just as in the 'battle' between PS2 and GameCube, Sony's machine has the sex appeal and the big brands, while Nintendo has the quirky ideas and near-autistic focus on game design. It should be an interesting scrap.
