Why I Returned My PSP

Yes, I returned it.

Back in this thread I was pretty excited to have one, my head brimming with the possibilities! Within hours, I had figured out how to convert and play video on it, and then word started to spread about how to hack your home wireless network to allow you to surf the web. I even learned how to put e-books on it in a mostly-readble format.

Besides the hacks, the screen was gorgeous, and even the bundled Spider-Man 2, one of my favorite movies of the year, definitely added to device's value. I almost never got tired of watching Spidey and Doc Ock duke it out atop a Chicago elevated train (yes, Chicago - I saw Sam Raimi filming on the El with my own two eyes). But what about the games?

Turns out that although I definitely consider myself a gamer, I didn't find much to love with this little unit when it came to its stated purpose. The new Metal Gear game was about the closest to something that I wanted to play, and it seemed to be sold out whenever I went to a store that sold games. But that really wasn't why I got it - I was interested in the PSP as a PVP - personal video player. In that respect, it was great, exactly what you'd expect for a non-hard-disk-based player.

The problem though, was simple: I didn't use it. After the novelty wore off, I realized that the PSP is just a bit too bulky to carry around like a PDA (I've found in the past that I'm not a PDA person, should have been a clue). So that left planned times or routines when I knew I'd want to watch a converted TV show or movie. For many people who have long train or bus commutes, the PSP would be ideal here. However, my train ride into work is about 15 minutes in a typically standing-room-only space - hardly ideal for catching up on the latest episode of Family Guy.

The final nail in the coffin was when my company gave me a laptop. Now that I have a nice large display with me when I travel, my only remaining viable PSP use case has been usurped by a superior machine.

I still have a sweet spot for the PSP - for many people, it will scratch an ongoing itch. But at $250 plus the cost of memory, I just couldn't justify it based on how much I used it. Your mileage may vary.

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