Hi everyone! We’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new PSPgo and today it’s finally here. PSPgo is now available in “Piano Black” and “Ceramic White” at all major retailers in North America for $249.99 (MSRP). In addition to its sleek, pocket-sized design with sliding screen, the launch of PSPgo marks the first time in the industry that complete, full-length portable games will be available in an all digital format. With the strongest software lineup ever available on the PSP platform in 2009, there’s no better time to pick-up the sleekest, most portable handheld entertainment device on the market.
When we launched the PSP-1000 in 2005, it was clear that there was a huge demand for not only a great portable gaming system, but a complete portable entertainment device. Since then, the PSP has sold more than 15 million units in North America and 53 million units worldwide – that’s no small feat! We’ve taken great strides to listen to your feedback and make improvements to the PSP system along the way, including a smaller, lighter form-factor (PSP-2000) and brighter, more vibrant LCD and built-in microphone (PSP-3000). Now, with the launch of PSPgo, we’ve taken the best portable handheld gaming device and made it even more suited for the mobile lifestyle.
To coincide with the launch of PSPgo, we’ll have a lot of great, new content available on the PlayStation Network
- PlayStation Network exclusives such as PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (available today), Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake and LocoRoco 2: Midnight Carnival
- Bite-sized “minis,” such as Tetris and Fieldrunners, ideal for quick gameplay sessions on-the-go
- More than 150 titles previously released on UMD Legacy titles such as God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL 10, Soulcaliber Broken Destiny, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
- More than 60 PS one Classics titles including Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid
- More than 2,300 movies and 13,000 TV shows from major studios and content partners
The recently introduced PlayStation Network Game Cards, which give you an additional option to purchase your favorite digital games at retail, will also be available starting today at participating retailers.
In addition, the PSPgo system will have a number of peripherals available at retail to compliment your entertainment needs.
- Memory Stick Micro M2 – Amp up your memory capacity and save even more games, videos, music and photos
- Cradle – Dock your PSPgo system to charge it, sync content with your PC or use video-out to view on a big screen
- Carrying Case – Store and protect your PSPgo system with stylish, durable carrying cases
- Screen Protective Film – Save the ultra-crisp LCD screen from surface scratches
- In-ear Headset – Listen to games, movies, and music with this premium quality headset
- Use with DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller and Bluetooth Headset – Use PSPgo with these PS3 peripherals
- AV Cables – Enjoy games and videos stored on your 16GB flash memory on the big screen
- AC Adaptor and Car Adaptor – Charge your PSPgo at home or in the car
As we mentioned before, included with the PSPgo system is a voucher to download a starter version of MTV Games’ Rock Band Unplugged from PlayStation Store. You’ll also receive a demo of Patapon 2 pre-loaded onto the system’s memory, along with an interactive ESRB application that explains ESRB Ratings and Content Descriptors and provides instructional videos on how to setup the PSPgo’s parental controls.
We’re extremely excited for you to try out the newest addition to the PSP family. Don’t forget to update your firmware upon purchase to ensure your system has the latest and greatest. As always, let us know your thoughts and enjoy!
@43, i’m doing the same
Sorry Sony, but Games is not enough for me, i want applications also. OK, you got Skype and the cumbersome Internet Radio Player but thats not enough nowadays. I enjoy playing Games but i also enjoy Apps. You should bring an open Appstore which anyone can create software for to your platforms just like Apple and Google Android have. Otherwise, more and more People will chose the iPhone/iPod which is more graphical powerful and advanced than the PSP anyway. I am sure i am not the only one feeling that way!
About prices, i think that i read somewhere that the ESRB didn’t let them sell the games at lower price because it would be unfair to other retailers AKA Game Capitalist Monopolist KING, GameStop
I’m just waiting for the UPS guy to show up with my super cool PSP GO but is Sony’s games coming to PSN?????????
I was really looking forward to Dissidia: Final Fantasy and getting Crisis Core but it not there. If it isn’t I’m returning it so I guess I can’t use it untill more info is giving…. :'(
@45…your OPINION are not FACTS.
Please point me to a handheld gaming machine with 16GB that plays modern exclusive AAA games for a better price. Doesn’t exist unless you want to go to a bigger format player like a 3000 with a 16GB stick…and guess what…that’ll run you about $250 too. (169 + 80).
ANYWAY…
For those that are finding the price of the go to be your barrier to entry don’t forget about the SONY PlayStation Visa that’ll score you $100 off. In Canada the SONY MBNA card will score you 10,000 points which is worth $100 in product.
I’M FIRST!!!!!!!!
i already bought Motorstorm Arctic Edge , Gran Turismo and Pixeljunk Monsters Deluxe now im on my way to best buy to get my psp go
@50 The ESRB has nothing to do with the pricing of games. This is all pure Big Corporation greed.
I’ll wait for the 4000. Everything is just wrong about the PSP Go in an age where are games would essentially never really be hours when they are DLC.
To all the people who are being negative about the pspgo it’s only been out for two to four hours can we wait like well I don’t know maybe a week or two before we make a comment? LOL no one can comment how the sell can be with two or four hours of sells, you guys make me laugh everyday with your blanked statement. Sony great update for this week but am going to have to wait on downloading anything because mine PS3 is being repair LOL oh well good thing I have a 360 but am not happy with that system as well man I miss my PS3. I will be buying a PSPgo but it will be later in the year again great year Sony.
Any chance medigo software coming for Macs?
Media go*
If the PSPgo comes out in silver, I “might” consider buying one. Until then, I’m stickin’ with my silver 2000.
The minis are supposed to be cheapie little casual games, yet they are priced the same as full PSN games.
The value proposition seems to be ‘We think you are suckers’.
Yes finally I’ll be picking one up this afternoon thank you very much
@ 61 ok then dont buy them you have the right to buy whatever you want so why you dont feel the same way when it come to us. lol i think your a true sucker if you buy things on what people say but that just my thinking.
This product is going to be a dramatic failure for Sony (at least until they significantly reduce the price).
There are so many things wrong with this product offering:
1. You can’t use your existing library of games.
2. You can’t borrow a game from a friend to try it out (before buying it).
3. You can’t rent games to play them for the weekend (or try before buying).
4. You can’t sell games that you’re no longer interested in owning (or that sucked but you had to buy because you couldn’t try it out first).
5. You can’t buy cheaper, second hand versions of games.
The value proposition for this product is significantly lower than for previous PSP products. And yet the price is significantly higher.
PSPNo thanks.
Just got mine and had a little fiddle before now charging to update the System Software.
I think the ‘Pause Game’ feature and Bluetooth linkups should be promoted more.
“Use with DUALSHOCK 3 Wireless Controller and Bluetooth Headset”,…Hmmmn so just this last christmas i get my girlfriend the 3000. You can’t control it with a DS3, F-U Sony, F-U.
@ 64 dang man whatever work for you but can we please wait and give the pspgo a week or two before we say its going to fail? also if you give it time like you do anything else most of these games price point will be lower.
People here comparing the PSP with an iPod are not gamers….
Price point: $175 with UMD conversion.
I think I will buy the psp 3000 Gran turismo edition instead of the PSP GO… Why would I pay 250$ for a psp go with nothing, When I can get the psp3000 with gran tursimo, free movie voucher, and 2 gig memory stick for $199… Now that does not make sence… Also I would rather buy another PS3 instead of a $250 PSP”NO”.
@70 exactly, why would you buy it? obviously the PSPgo is not for you! now that was brilliant! move along…
@64.. Great point man ! I have gamefly and I rent my psp games before I buy them. SO if I buy a PSP”NO” I would not be able to rent anything.
@71 HAHAH, why would u even make a comment to me ? You move along noob
#67
The people in this blog and in the Sony forums are the heart and soul of the PlayStation community. While we only represent a small fraction of the entire marketplace at large — we’re the most fiercely devoted to the Sony brand. And we’re also the most knowledgeable.
We’ll stand in line and pay $600 for a launch console — and then defend that pricepoint for the value we feel it’s bringing to us. Hell, if the PS3 was still $600, I’d gladly buy it (if I didn’t already own two) — and I’d still feel like I was getting a good deal (although I wish they’d stop dropping features with each console revision).
But the people here also know when we’re getting ripped off, when the value being offered simply isn’t worth the price-tag being asked.
And the PSPGo is a prime example of that.
@71
Why would you even comment that to me.. You just wasted space nooob ! You move along now little boy =P
@74 yeah man, but people around here are actually ASKING FOR THE PSPGO TO DO WHAT THE PSP3000 ALREADY DOES (ie.: play UMDs and be cheaper)…so the obvious answer is:
GET A F%^$NG PSP 3000 AND STFU!
I’ll pass. No word on how my UMD games will play on it. I’ll keep my PSP slim.
I rather spend the extra 50$ to get another PS3. :|
^Yeah, and I can fit my PS3 in my pocket too, along with my TV and games…
I’m returning mine to Amazon as soon as I get it from UPS today. Backing out of the UMD conversion really did it for me. I knew it was expensive, but no conversion and I’m stuck with only buying games from PSN. I’ll take a hit on the return shipping, but I just can’t justify paying $250 and not have anything to play on it unless I pay (again) for games I already own and paid full retail. Or in the alternative, take a risk on putting down another $40 on Gran Turismo and be stuck if I don’t like it. I like everything Sony, but they really messed up in backing out of the UMD conversion program.
Just a thought. It would be nice if you guys have game download vouchers on Amazon.com. Amazon is pretty awesome and pretty convenient *cough*no tax*cough* for online shoppers.
You say there are 150 UMD legacy games, but I can’t find any place that lists those games. All I ever see is the same handful of available games mentioned over and over again. I want to know what I can and can’t get if I get a PSP Go instead of a PSP.
i laugh at people complaining about the price the go is worth it compared to the 3000 i just traded in! i think the addition of blutooth, tethering, no more interlacing lines, 16 gb internal flash with room to expand up to 32gb currently is enough to justify the price! its like the ps3 all over again people crying cuz they dont wanna waste money for quality… then again what do i know by the way because there are no physical games to sell (umd) the system would not be cheaper it would naturally cost more because retail do not profit as much from it so they need a higher price point to justify! with just a few minutes of using the go its already better than any of its predecessors!
#84
…yah, the GO is great…until you want to play the 30 games you already own.
The Price
At $250, the PSP go is a whopping $120 more than a brand new PSP-3000. That’s insane. Even when you factor in the free, built-in memory, there’s really no way to justify such a split. There’s no UMD disc drive on the PSP go, which should, in theory, lower the price.
The Controls
Quite simply, they’re not as good as the original PSP’s controls. The buttons feel much more stiff and shallow, feeling less like the Dual Shock buttons and more like a cheap knock off from Mad Katz.These issues apply to all the input buttons, from the shoulder buttons to the d-pad.
The only way to play UMD games that you already own is to re-buy them on the PlayStation Network, with no discount whatsoever. Sounds like fun, right?
I’m probably not going to get this until much later. Unlike a lot of the other people though, I’m not ‘mad’ that you made it, or selling it at the price you are. I think I’ll just upgrade to the PSP 3000. I just hate to lose UMD.
I have systems that are almost thirty years old, and I still play them. Even though, I’ve bought a few PSN games, I know I’m going to lose them, but I’m not basing a whole system around that.
In ten years, when you’re no longer supporting these games, I think it’ll just be disappointing.
Any possibility of Mac support? There’s no easy way to transfer games and such.
sleek design? no. the fan-made mock-ups were better than this.
also, where’s the second analog?
talk about ‘fail’..
Pass. This release is an idiotic decision in my opinion. The PSPgo honestly feels like such a downgrade for the PSP system, and I really hope you guys bring on the PSP2 soon since this just sucks. There is absolutely no reason for previous PSP owners to “upgrade” as UMD’s don’t transfer, and many titles aren’t even available digitally.
If you want to have less UMD’s and more digital copies, you can do that on the old PSP’s for a lot less if you get a good Memory Stick, + you will still have the option of playing UMD’s. The screen is smaller, and I would’ve thought that getting rid of the UMD drive would’ve at least improved battery and loading times, but it doesn’t even manage to do that.
I love Sony and have been a huge supporter throughout the ages, but I really hope this fails miserably to teach you guys a lesson not to half-ass your portable console efforts. Better luck next time.
AWSOME!!!!!PSP GO!!!
I was someone who originally was going to get a PSP Go on the first day….. well that was until you announced the price of it.
$250? no thank you. I will gladly wait 6 months or more until Sony wakes up and stops trying to rip off people.
Personally anyone who is willing to pay this amount of money for a PSP Go deserves to get ripped off. I could see paying $250 if we was talking about a next-gen PSP, but we are not.
Sony I have always been a fan of Playstation but most of the times i’m always left wondering who these people are in the board members that come of with these prices, especially in todays “recession” and so many people with no jobs or barely even making ends meet.
I would love to have a PSP Go because i love the whole digital media thing, but i don’t love it $250 worth. :D
Y’know Sony I really had faith in you when you first announced the Go, until the same battery life thing and higher price tag shifted me away from it. Not to mention the no UMD-Digital transfer.
Maybe when you have a lower price tag, longer battery and more apps I’ll upgrade ^_^ Just got a 3000 this January too. Hope the sales are good =)
“When we launched the PSP-1000 in 2005…”
And yet here you are, asking the same price for it all these years later. :-|
for all those who don’t want to buy it comment elsewhere or go play your 3000. I’m getting my Go Tonight !
i love it, but 250€ are too much… i’ll get it when it’ll cost about 200€ or less…
I think the MINIS are way overpriced as does everyone. But let’s not forget that it is really EA that is the reason that Tetris is 10 bones.
I still think it’s overpriced compared to the PSP-3000, especially considering the smaller screen and missing UMD drive.
At $250 it should at least come with a game.