Sony PSPgo

The basics

The Sony PSPgo was one of this year's most anticipated gadgets. So does its UMD-free frame live up to the hype? Or is this a pricey alternative to the ageing PSP-3000?

The good

Pick up the PSPgo and you'll see its significantly smaller than the old PSP. The UMD drive is gone, replaced with 16GB of internal storage for stashing games downloaded direct from the PlayStation Store. The 3.8-inch screen is a stunner and its 43 per cent lighter than the older model. There’s something reassuring about physical buttons on a handheld hub and in that respect, the PSPgo does not disappoint. We played Gran Turismo PSP and found it far more enjoyable than driving games on the touchscreen iPhone. If you’re a hardcore gamer, these details are essential. Downloading games from Playstation Network is a hassle-free experience and there's loads of choice.

The bad

That said, we found the gaming experience itself a tad cramped. You’ll soon find your hands are in an awkward position which does not compare well to the bigger PSP-3000. The d-pad and controls could do with being closer to the centre, and the pastic casing feels cheap. But access to games has been the biggest issue surrounding the PSPgo’s launch. With no UMD drive, users need to download all their titles. The 16GB of on board storage doesn't feel enough, in spite of memory stick expansion. GT PSP takes up 3GB of space, meaning that getting any more than 5 big titles on the PSPgo is a struggle. Newer titles on PSN are prohibitively expensive – Football Manager 2010 costs £29.99 on the PlayStation Store. That compares to £17.99 for the UMD on Amazon.

The bottom line

The PSP Go is a nice idea, but the flimsy build and high prices for its download-only games let it down. Moving to downloads only is a bold move, but games should at least be reduced to match their UMD cousins. Compared to the Nintendo DSi, the PSPgo is on a par, with games aimed at more hardcore users. However, if you want a PSP, we’d still recommend going for the older version.