Remember the PlayStation Portable hardware revision, the PSP Go? The little handheld that was killed before it could reach its prime? Not sure why Sony hasn’t supported its handhelds since the launch of the original PSP, but here we are. There are several ways Sony could have given the handheld a fighting chance, but they did not. As such, we’re left here, the few but proud PSP Go owners, sad that our beloved little handheld was dead at launch. Give me a minute, I need to pour one out for our fallen handheld comrade.
PSP Go had many good points, even over today’s Vita. Here are the top 10 reasons to miss the little guy. I’m certain you’ll all agree that this list expounds the triumphs of the PSP Go over both the PSP and the Vita and proves that it certainly is the best handheld in ever.
Did you have a PSP Go? What are some of your fondest memories of it? It’s not too late to pick one up! Amazon still has them in stock .
Essential Reading:
PSPgo <3
Top Ten Reasons to Miss the PSPgo
10. It's so tiny!
The PSP and the Vita both do a lot. You can watch movies, surf the internet, listen to music, and I guess, if you want to, play games. But both are a bit large and unwieldy for a handheld, mobile device. Since the PSPgo collapses in on itself, it is the perfect size handheld to carry with you.
9. Won't catch the analog nub on things.
The PSP and Vita's analog sticks do, for the lack of a better word, stick out from the device. As such, if you do try to put it in your pocket, purse, etc., there's a good chance you'll catch the analog sticks on various things. Those damn things pop off easily as it is, and who wants to constantly replace them? That's why the analog nub on the PSPgo was just so darn perfect. Even if you didn't slide close the handheld, the nub wouldn't catch on anything and break.
8. Thanks to hand cramps, your gaming time is easy to budget.
Since the device is so cute and tiny, it's not entirely conducive to comfortable gaming. Anyone with long fingers or large hands will most likely experience moderate to severe hand cramps. This seems like it should be a problem, but it's really if you turn your thinking around. The hand cramps are a sign it's time to put the games away and interact with real life. No timer needed!
7. No memory sticks, no need to move data!
The PSPgo had a whopping 16GB of space all ready for downloading pleasure. It also had an additional slot for adding more storage. Ignore the fact that it only accepted Sony's Memory Stick Duo cards, which were rather pricey. The point is, with so much space already on board, there's no need to swap out memory sticks like you do with the PSP and still have to with the Vita.
6. Digital-only means less things to lose!
Thanks to the fantastic download-only technology, you have no UMD discs and no cartridges to lose! Losing the UMD discs didn't happen often because they were large, but it's sadly easy to lose those Vita cartridges. The propriety memory sticks for the Vita are even smaller than the cartridges and even easier to lose. If I didn't keep all my memory sticks and cartridges in an old Sega Game Gear game case (you read that correctly), I know I would have lost them all by now.
5. Digital-only means decluttering your gaming life.
Buying physical copies of games comes with a true sense of ownership. You have it on your shelf. It's not dependent upon an online service that could take it all away in an instant. But game cases are bulky. They take up shelf space. They pile up. You have to dust them. With the digital-only setup for the PSPgo, you'll never have PSP games cluttering up your shelf space.
4. Slightly better battery life than PSP or Vita.
Since it doesn't utilize UMDs or an OLED screen, the handheld runs faster, more quietly, and its battery lasts slightly longer than the Vita. The battery does last quite a bit longer than the PSP, but even I have to admit that's not saying much.
3. It's very light.
Without the need for UMD discs, the PSPgo doesn't need bulky hardware to function. It weighs 5.6 ounces, a whopping one ounce difference between the PSPgo and PSP. The Vita weighs 9.2 ounces, and you can certainly feel that difference when carrying the devices. My purse often becomes a dumping ground for me to hold everything for everyone, and every ounce matters when it comes to portable gaming.
2. When it's closed, there's an analog clock on the screen.
You don't wear a watch. You want to know what time it is, but you don't want to pull your phone out and waste the battery by activating the screen. With the PSPgo, as long as it is on, battery is wasted no matter what! When it's closed, it has a lovely analog clock on the screen that you can check out at any time without wasting your precious phone battery.
1. Only handheld that will fit in your skinny jeans pockets.
Your phone doesn't count. Your phone SHOULD fit in your pockets, because that's kind of the point of having a mobile phone. Emphasis upon mobile. The 3DS will fit in some pockets, the PSP never really fit in a pocket, and the Vita certainly doesn't fit in a pocket. Know what fit in a pocket, even a skinny jeans pocket? The PSPgo. We need to make handhelds small again so they will fit in skinny jeans.