Hardware Purchasing a PSP Go

[zygie]

Hey 'temp. I've decided to buy a PSP Go. This will be my first Sony handheld so I'm pretty new at this. There are only a handful of PSP titles I want to play, so my primary use will be playing PSX games and emulating the GBA and SNES systems. No plans on buying any UMDs for now either, too poor right now as a foreign student. I'm located at Bangkok, Thailand right now, so I can't hope for used/refurbished items that much, and I've set my mind on a brand new system anyway. So off to the questions:

1) Any reason I'd choose a PSP 3000 over the Go? They're pretty much the same price (albeit different stores, some have a higher price on the Go, some have it on the 3000) at approximately $185. Went to almost 10 stores and the lowest price range is about that. Some do have it at $200-$220 so screw them. The Go also has that sweet 16GB internal memory and I could pretty much install CFW and play GBA/SNES games that I already have. I have pretty shitty net so I'm not hoping on being able to download 1GB+ PSP games. Oh and they don't bundle any Memory Sticks on the 3000 either.

2) Any particular PSP region I should avoid? Or recommend getting? The store in which I expressed interest had a NA-region on it, if Wikipedia is correct that a device code ending in "1" is a NA unit. (0 - Japan, etc)

3) So far, there hasn't been any Go shipped with more than a 5.70 OFW right? To be sure, I should check still, but yeah, had to throw that one in.

That's it for now, I'll ask some more if I think of it. Thanks.

 

[prowler]

Memory cards for the 1/2/3000 will be costing you more than if you would get a PSP Go, even then you won't be getting a 16GB for cheap and sometimes you might even get a fake. I have a PSP Go and I would recommend it to anyone.

Nope, any region is fine.

That's for new PSP Gos, yes but you might get stores selling refurbished as new. Even if it does have higher firmware, you can still softmod it.

 

[zygie]

Alright, cool. What's your opinion on the controls? People keep saying they get cramps and the button quality (or at least the analog nub) isn't that great, but I don't really mind, god knows my hands kill me whenever I play a button+touchscreen game on my DS Lite. Works great because you get to have frequent breaks. Haha.

I'll probably look for a real Memory Stick Micro, 16GB is the max right? Not that urgent though, the 16 GB internal is a lot.

How about battery life? One concern is that it isn't removable. How long does it usually last you?

 

[prowler]

The controls are great. My PSP history is 1000 > 2000 > Go.
Each system I had to get used to it. 2000 was way too light comparing to the 1000 and the Go is just different but in a good way. Analog isn't as bad as everyone says and the buttons are the best out of all the systems.

A 16GB Micro is cheaper than a 16GB Pro Duo but the internal storage will keep you going.

Battery life is a problem (4 hours (shorter on max brightness) I'd say but I keep it charged when I'm not using it) but you can make it last longer if you keep the brightness to 1 or 2, there really isn't a difference and you shouldn't have it on high anyway.

 

[zygie]

Thanks for the input, that sounds fine. Got a DS to kill time for charging anyway.

Now to pit those merchants against each other and try to push down the price.

 

[IrakoSeigen]

I own a PSP-3000, never used a Go.
If we talk about pricing, a PSP-3000 + 16 GB MemStick > PSP Go. A GENUINE 16 GB Memstick for PSP-3000 costs around 70 bucks, so you see the difference.
About quality, I state the same again, never tried a go, but buying a PSP over 2000 is the best you can do (screen improvements are highly noticeable), and now is the time, prices are quite low.
I wouldn't recommend a Go for someone who wants to go with the originals, PSP-Go games library is much smaller than old PSP's one. Not all the UMDs have a PSN version, so you were going to lose A LOT of games, but if you're planning to unbrick it, go ahead.
I was about to buy a Go for myself, it's a pretty-looking media player with PSP games, so sounds like a great deal.

 

[prowler]

Screen is much better on the Go than it is on the 3000. Dem scan lines.
PSP Go is obviously great for a pirate but I'm gradually buying all the games I want off PSN so I'm ready to sell my Go for the Vita.

 

[zygie]

I got a Go and I'm pretty much happy with it. Screen's great, battery life is as expected, games run fine, emulated or otherwise, and I even got into the scene at a good time (popsloader in PRO!) since I want to play a lot of PSX games I missed out on. Clicky buttons are somewhat nice, it's like the opposite of the DS Lite which I have.

DS Lite = squishy face buttons, clicky shoulder buttons.
PSP Go = clicky face buttons, squishy shoulder buttons.