Is it worth it?

TheBananaGuy

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Couldn't get this outta my mind - is it worth buying Sony PSP nowadays, when you can buy a good phone and a external battery, which is far more practical than just a gaming device? Really interesting to hear your opinions, but I doubt that there are arguments worth consideration. :?
 
Short answer - no, it's not worth it.
Long answer - everything comes down to finances. If you have spare money for gaming devices and you're constantly on the go, then a handheld gaming device is not just really comfortable, but it's practical, too. But if most of the time you're sitting at home, doing nothing, then PSP is a waste of money.
 
My brother bought a PSP twice, and both times sold them. The first time he brought a PSP (not vita), and the only games we played that were worth it were Final Fantasy and God of War (the graphics were actually somewhat impressive). It got boring after a while, then he sold it. When he purchased a PS Vita, the only reason he wanted it was for the Kingdom Hearts BBS game that came out. We beat the entire game in just 3 days, then he sold the PS Vita about a month later. Bottom line is, its not really worth it. The graphics are too underdeveloped and not on par with the new gaming systems out there. They probably just need to tweak the PS Vita more, but I doubt Sony has any plans for it any time soon.
 
To be honest, I agree with @person2234 . I have owned the first PSP and I ended up smashing it to bricks because I thought it would be fun to do. Real portable gaming is a thing of the past. A mobile phone has enough free options that will fit your needs. And if you do in fact travel a lot, invest your money in a laptop capable of running good games. A laptop has a lot more to offer, and would actually be worth the extra money.
 
Obviously, it depends on what you want out of your mobile games. If you prefer quick, pick-up-and-play games, stick to your smartphone. If you want console-like experiences on-the-go, go for a PSP or Vita.
 
If you are a commuter and take long public transit rides, then any portable gaming device will help. I don't want to use my cellphone for gaming because it will eat your battery quick. If you can get a cheap used PSP off of ebay and some game to go with it, it might be worth it. You won't win brownie points, but at least you will entertain yourself on long commutes and save on cell phone battery life.
 
If you are into RPGs, I suggest you to get one. In my opinion, the consoles this gen didn't have a whole lot of RPGs, especially good ones... but on the other hand, the handhelds had a wide variety of them and also, in great quality. PSP had great titles such as the strategic RPG Joanna D'arc, FFTactics remake, and JRPGs such as Crisis Core and Y's 7. It also had a nice cross-genre like Dissidia. Action games are not my area of expertise but I know for a fact MGS games and God of War are also great additions to its library. On the racing front, definitely get Gran Turismo.
 
I really would like an answer to this as well. I love the idea of the portability, but I dont have a PS3 or 4 so I wonder if that limits the utility of the VIta....I can at least say I'm more interested in it than I am in the DS.
 
My kid wants one, but I didn't think it was worth it. Now she says it's because there are some games that can only be played on PSP that she wants. Something Final Fantasy. Still not sure it's worth it.
 
Couldn't get this outta my mind - is it worth buying Sony PSP nowadays, when you can buy a good phone and a external battery, which is far more practical than just a gaming device? Really interesting to hear your opinions, but I doubt that there are arguments worth consideration. :?

It's not worth it just based off the fact support for the device died off years ago and has indeed been discontinued in favor of its successor, the Vita.

If you were going to get a gaming device, it should be a toss-up between the New 3DS which is coming in a number of months or the Vita which is available now.

A phone is obviously more practical due to the extensive variety of applications it has available for it, but that doesn't immediately make it the best option to go for.

What you should figure out is if you care more about a quality gaming experience, one that phones can't begin to match, or having a top end phone like the new iPhone XL with a big data plan.

You can have the best of both words, depending on how willing you are to skimp on the phone. Even a basic smartphone will offer you a much of the same functionality, but come at a price point that allows for more flexibility in buying a dedicated handheld console, or anything else for that matter, as well.

I really would like an answer to this as well. I love the idea of the portability, but I dont have a PS3 or 4 so I wonder if that limits the utility of the VIta....I can at least say I'm more interested in it than I am in the DS.

I would say it isn't limited in the slightest. I don't own a PS4 and my PS3 has been coldly abandoned over the past year or so. The Vita is my main console and I have over 100 games for it, its a nifty piece of tech that doesn't get the appreciation it deserves.

Something to consider as well is that many games on the Vita are cross-buy with the PS4 or PS3, so should you ever want to get another device chances are you'll have a built-in library to toy around with.

If you get a Vita you should definitely get PS+. $50 or less for 24 guaranteed games per year for each individual console regardless of if you own one actively or not. PArticularly for the Vita the 24 game guarantee is on the low end, for instance this month here is 5 games for the Vita. That's sort of the general rule as well, its hard to find a month in 2014 that goes below 4.
 
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

That series hasn't been good in a decade.

Everyone has different tastes, and my kiddo LOVES all things Final Fantasy. If I showed her your post, I'd hear about it the rest of the day. lol

I've never played any of this series, but she keeps trying to persuade me. I've seen her and my other family members play, but I never have. I might try it out just for her, but it's never really interested me otherwise. I'm a WoW fan (and yeah, I know, it's not as good as it once was either). Nothing lasts forever.
 
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Yes, I find buying the PSP is worth it. They are pretty cheap nowadays and if you get your hands on a high capacity memory card for it, the games for the handheld are amazing. I often use my PSP to play japanese visual novels, but besides anime videogames there are other great titles such as all of the GTA Stories, Ratchet and Clank Size Matters, or PQ which is an amazing puzzle game. On top of playing games, the PSP is highly customizable because it allows you to install your own music, photos and themes as well. It also has a built in Internet feature, however it is not very good. In the end, its all up to preference. If you're a gamer who likes to sit down for a while playing through a story, the PSP is good for you however if you're more of a casual gamer and only spend a few minutes at a time playing, then I would go with the phone.
 
Thanks for the info, Jay. I wasn't aware of how many different ways it can be used. I just knew she wanted it for a certain game. Good stuff!
 
I actually wouldn't mind buying a PSP nowadays because I'm more of an JRPG gamer and PSP games are alive and well in Japan, beating Vita by a looooong stretch. This is a highly niche opinion though obviously but consoles to me are worth it based on the amount of games I can play using it, and the PSP is currently still very useful to me.
 
I guess part of it depends on how much money you have overall for that kind of thing, and what your needs are. If you do a lot of traveling and commuting and would like games for that purpose, then the PSP *could* be worth it. I really wasn't overall impressed with it but my husband thinks it's 100% worth the money, so I guess it does come down to what your interests are as well.

I'd be just as happy with just a phone instead and doing most of my gaming at home with consoles, he's intent on having a PSP and having his games come with him.
 
It depends. If you travel a lot and if you have time during lunch break or opt to play video games outdoors then I believe a PSP would be a great buy. It has videogames with excellent graphics and you can also download PS1 games as well. One thing you need to keep in mind though when buying a PSP is that, companies stoped producing PSP games nowadays.