Photograph: Marc SimonMajor attractions: A powerful processor and a phenomenal display make games look great. You can see reflections on a shiny basketball court, for example, and graphics never stutter. The PSP wants to be a media player, too: It can read MP3 or ATRAC audio files or movies encoded in MPEG-4 format from Memory Stick Duo cards. A 1GB Duo, however, costs about $200--only $50 less than the PSP itself. The console's price includes a remote control and earbuds; you connect the remote to a port below the joystick, and link the earbuds to the remote. Nice approach, except the jack obstructed my middle finger.
Photograph: Marc SimonSpin control: The PSP's 1.8GB Universal Media Disc (right) has a 6-centimeter diameter (not counting its caddy). Unlike a standard 1.4GB, 8cm mini-DVD rewritable disc (left), a UMD is a read-only disc; you have to use a Memory Stick Duo to watch your own videos.
Photograph: Marc SimonCaddy shack: Games, priced at $40 to $50 each, are available only on UMD. To play one, you insert a UMD (which never leaves its caddy) into a thin slot. The device comes with a copy of the movie Spider-Man 2 on UMD; other movies on UMD cost $20 to $29 apiece. For more about the PSP's movie playback and other features, see "First Look: Sony's Impressive PlayStation Portable."
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