It came a bit by surprise when Sony's new Slim & Lite PSP™ model hit retail shops in Hong Kong yesterday (August 30th), about two weeks prior to the official Japanese launch. Currently only available through selected local
Sony partnershops, we picked up one unit, along with a Component/AV Cable for photo taking purposes.
Just as the name already implies, the new PSP-2000 model is slightly slimmer & lighter compared to the original PSP™, released almost three years back by now. More precisely and as advertised, the new PSP™ is 33% lighter (reduced to 189 grams from 280 grams) and 19% slimmer. Among other things, those figures result into the use of a lighter battery (with 1200mAh instead of 1800mAh capacity) and a slightly different UMD™ drive.
Speaking about the UMD™ drive, one may find it a bit confusing on how to insert the disc when using the first time. The disc drive no longer has a metallic tray, you just pop in the disc and close the lid. As long as you manage to realize which way the UMD™ has to be inserted, it's still a safe and easy task to do though.
Apart from the size and weight reduction, the most significant new feature is surely the AV-Out port. By connecting an Audio/Video Cable (sold separately and available as standard RCA, S-Video and Component variations), you can finally play your PSP™ games or watch UMD™ movies on your television screen. A feature that surely many have missed when purchasing the original PSP™ model.
The redesign further led to a number of minor changes, including relocation and abolishment of certain parts (i.e. the speakers have moved up, while a DC connector has been removed completely). As a result, a variety of (mostly third party manufactured) accessories will no longer be compatible with the PSP-2000 model consoles.
Finding some final words, the Slim & Lite PSP™ is a solid and worthy successor. If you don't own a PSP™ yet, feel convinced by any of the new features or simply like to own new gadgets, then this will be the right choice for you. However, if you just recently spent money on the original PSP™ and use it casually only, then we recommend you to consider carefully as the PSP™ Slim & Lite won't offer that much more.
PSP™ Slim & Lite Image Gallery (click for enlarged shot):
Play-Asia.com currently does not distribute the Asian PSP™ Slim & Lite models, however limited quantities of the Japanese Edition consoles are on preorder to ship next month.
A selection of PSP™ Slim & Lite compatible accessories can be found
here.
