In Theory: Nintendo DS2 vs. Sony PSP2

By Richard Leadbetter Published 14 November, 2009

Insider info and extrapolated specifications for the next round of the handheld war.

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While the combination of crippling losses, the general economic crisis and the advent of motion control are enough to stall the release of true next-generation consoles, there's strong evidence to suggest 2010 won't be the hardware drought we thought it might be. Both Sony and Nintendo are deep in development on a new wave of handheld devices that look set to deliver a substantial amount of gaming power in a pocket-sized form factor.

The development of new hardware is something that the major platform holders are finding difficult to keep secret in an internet age where unofficial screenshots of the new Halo game leak a full year before the game appears, and where company-sanctioned news generally yields few genuine surprises that haven't been "rumoured" beforehand months in advance.

A whole host of "rumours and speculation" have appeared recently providing tentative specs for the next generation of portable consoles. This Engadget post effectively sums up most of the rumours associating Nintendo with NVIDIA's low-power mobile Tegra 2 chipset, while Eurogamer itself has been privy to some startling information on the technological make-up of the successor to the Sony PSP and its Go sibling, now being developed by the platform holder in association with its chosen third-party partners.

Speaking under conditions of anonymity, further credible sources from within the mobile graphics industry have provided Digital Foundry with further background detail on the raw technical capabilities of the new hardware. These sources, intimately involved with the alliances and deal-making within their sector, effectively confirm the reported allegiances between Nintendo/NVIDIA and Sony/IMG, but also provide a fascinating insight into the kinds of devices the new handhelds will be, and the power levels we can expect.

In many ways, the next generation of handheld gaming technology will mirror the differences in philosophy seen in today's devices. Nintendo's new machine will offer a modest level of 3D power using established parts, while Sony will once again be aiming for the bleeding edge in mobile performance, which could well come with the same kind of price premium we saw with the launch of the original PSP.

Nintendo's alliance with NVIDIA is an interesting one in that the graphics specialist has already published a developmental roadmap for the evolution of its mobile Tegra technology. Assuming a late 2010 rollout for the new machine, it's fairly easy to peg which iteration of the chipset will find its way into the DS successor's make-up: Tegra 2 will be well into production, and looks like a very useful piece of mobile 3D technology.

The current-generation Tegra, as found in the Zune HD, features two pixel shader units, two vertex shader units and two texture mapping units (TMUs) while running at a real-life speed of 130MHz (the 600 and 650MHz speeds are mostly marketing-speak associated with fill-rate). NVIDIA demos have shown the technology as being capable of running Quake III Arena at 800x480 at 35 frames per second with both anisotropic filtering and anti-aliasing fully engaged.

So, how does the Tegra 2 we expect to see in the new Nintendo handheld stack up? Let's just say that it is a significant improvement, and a colossal jump in performance compared to the current DS. While the amount of vertex shader units remains the same, TMUs and pixel shaders are doubled, and as the chip will be manufactured at a physically smaller size (40nm perhaps, versus the current Tegra's 65nm), we can expect a reasonable bump in clock speed too. Our sources can only speculate at this point, but suspect anything up to 300MHz is possible, depending on just how much the platform holders want to concentrate on battery power. The faster the chip, the more impact it has on battery life.

NVIDIA is on the record as saying that Tegra 2 offers four times the power of its predecessor. The specs might disagree with that, but it's worth pointing out that the chipset also includes an ARM 11 CPU - NVIDIA's claims are most likely based on a similar bump in the capabilities of this part of the chip, but there's nothing to stop Nintendo opting for its own choice of CPU component (though ARM is used in the current DS).

While stories have circulated that Tegra is based on GeForce 6 architecture, our sources dispute that, effectively saying that it is a grandchild of the earlier GeForce 5. Only the third-generation Tegra, set for release in 2011 - and unlikely to feature in the new Nintendo console - features GeForce 9-level functions such as the unified shader set-up that makes Xbox 360's Xenos chip such a useful GPU, and which is also found in the chipset mooted for PSP2.

Regardless, there's no doubt that the new Nintendo unit will have a useful graphical power boost over what's been seen in the currently available Tegra devices, and in terms of the tech demo discussed previously, we also need to factor in that handheld consoles are unlikely to require full WVGA 800x480: an iPhone utilises a 480x320 screen, for example. Fewer pixels means more effects or potentially higher frame-rates.

On the flipside, we still have no idea on just what kind of device Nintendo has planned overall: while a new dual-screen "DS2" would obviously carry on the momentum attained by the mega-popularity of the current handheld, it's difficult to underestimate the power of its dormant Game Boy sleeper brand, and so a single-screen unit is still a possibility. Two screens would obviously incur a higher load on the GPU up against a single-screen set-up, and would make the device more expensive to produce too.

What is also important to point out is that NVIDIA is effectively licensing its Tegra IP to Nintendo and the platform holder is free to adapt it in any way it sees fit. The Zune HD uses a vanilla Tegra, so it has onboard HD video decoding and an HDMI output. Tegra is structured in such a way that many of its functions occupy separate and distinct areas on the chip's die. It would be simplicity itself for Nintendo to remove the HD decoding features for example, if it doesn't feel the need to include advanced media playback facilities. Other "add-on" functions of the chipset include a USB controller and also an image processor (designed for working with photos and videos). In short, while Tegra 2 will most likely find its way into the new Nintendo handheld, how much of it and at what speed it will run is still up for grabs.

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Comments (49) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 2 years ago

    Hardware power will have zero effect on the success of a handheld. The success of handhelds will be based on games, digital delivery of "mini" games and applications (App store) and the actual size and usability. TBH I think the days of handheld consoles are numbered... even in Japan the iPhone is everywhere and people are playing games on it on the tube. Apple has changed the market... Nintendo and Sony will now have to follow.
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/09 @ 08:24

  • faselei #2 2 years ago

    Last sentance and previous poster hit it on the head. Its about convergence. Iphone did what ngage could'nt. Who wants to carry a phone and a standalone console. A hard core audience may want near to xbox360 graphics but I just want puzzlers and platformers on the move. More open and cheaper platfprms such as android are more accessable to those who can't get 40pm iphone contracts. Android is now on payg!

  • Roarster #3 2 years ago

    @faselei - You've got a point on convergence but I think you're ignoring a huge section of the market here. 30 something men might not want two devices but the continuing huge success of the DS family would suggest that kids and old people still want a standalone and, most importantly, simple handheld console.

    Personally speaking, I'd like a PSP2 phone, following the PSP Go form factor but with a touch screen. This could then be used for both large scale games plus the minis program for bite size gaming. Surely this is where SonyEricsson and SCE should be heading.

  • pingu #4 2 years ago

    Easy to develop for FTW. Hopefully Sony have learned their lesson from PS3 and will make their next console easier to work with. As Apple have shown, the more choice there is, the more people will flock (even if that choice is 90% rubbish!)
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/09 @ 09:13

  • L0cky #5 2 years ago

    Another difference in competition would be the integrated camera, GPS and accelerometer. Big things are happening with 'augmented reality' and there's an opportunity for either platform holder to drop the ball with it.

    Examples with current tech:

    [link url=http://www.m obile-augmented-reality.com/
    ]http://www.m obile-augmented-reality.com/
    [/link]
    [link url=http://www.crackunit.com/2008/09/11/ex amples-of-amazing-augmented-reality/
    ]http://ww w.crackunit.com/2008/09/11/exam...[/link]
    [link url=http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/augmented-reality-apps/
    ]http://ma shable.com/2009/08/19/augmented...[/link]

    Edit: grr, links
    Edited by 3 at 14/11/09 @ 11:47

  • lcmnick #6 2 years ago

    Sony just hasn't learned anything from its portable adventure if the PSP2's going to be a powerhouse.

  • oreillymj #7 2 years ago

    So it sounds like there'll be no backward compatibility in the short term until Sony get emulators in place. Of course PSP2 won't have UMD, so those games will die.

    I wonder if the PSP (and it's software) has sold in enough numbers to justify a sucessor. Sony have enough work on their hands making the PS3 profitable and probably can't afford too many more expensive mistakes.

    I'd be surprised if PS4 isn't deep in development with hopefully some lessons learned.

  • drumbaby #8 2 years ago

    "Sony just hasn't learned anything from its portable adventure if the PSP2's going to be a powerhouse. "

    Why? You can still put all the rubbishy casual stuff on it too, it'll just have nicer graphics and sound.

  • StooMonster #9 2 years ago

    Both Nintendo's and Sony's new handhelds will be up against the 2010 and subsequent models of iPhone, any speculation where that hardware is going? The only thing I've heard so far is inclusion of an RFID chip/reader -- use iPhone as swipe credit card, Oyster card, etc.

    I wonder if these new consoles will have HDTV output, also if Sony is going to compete on a 'media tablet' approach against Apple's rumoured iTablet and download movies and music to the device too.

    Edit: 'media table'? I'm not talking Microsoft Surface here, i.e. Big Ass Table, I meant 'tablet' :)
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/09 @ 10:06

  • Toothball #10 2 years ago

    @ Roarster:

    I'm nearly a thirty-something male and I quite like carrying around two gaming devices in addition to my phone and mp3 player. But I realise I'm not really part of the regular market.

    I invested in a PSP Go, so I'm quite interested to see what format games will be delivered on. My thoughts on shifting to downloads were in part lead by a consideration about devices in future. I think that it was an attempt by Sony to drop the UMD format, which has failed to become the portable movie format that Sony seemed to be hoping for. But as PSP owners have accepted it as a games format over time and invested plenty into it, it's understandable that there would be consternation over an attempt to drop it while the current PSP is still current.

    With the Go I essentially decided to move entirely to digital games. To me, this seems like a reliable option regardless of what Sony decide to do with UMD. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they tried to remove it from the next generation of PSP, as in the past a major upgrade in hardware usually makes changes in media easier to accept. It's what Nintendo have been doing for years after all.

    No doubt there'll be cries about backward compatibility if they were to do this, but I do believe that there comes a point where backward compatibility isn't worth it. I had no problems at all with the removal of the GBA slot from the DSi because I hadn't played a GBA game in years. Perhaps the PSP Go is an attempt to start the process sooner rather than later, getting much of the complaints out of the way now so later on it's not such a big surprise.

    Conversely, if they did stick to UMDs with the PSP2 and include backward compatibility, I can't imagine that downloads wouldn't work. So by switching over now I feel I'm well prepared to move on to a new device when the time comes, although it wasn't an easy process to give up on physical media as I really like collecting games.

    I just hope that by then Sony will have actually got the hang of running a digital store, as at present the list of games available to download is pitiful compared to those available physically. There was much anger when they announced there would be no way to convert UMDs into downloads, but at present there's not even the option to pay for most games a second time.

    Nintendo on the other had I can see sticking to physical formats for a good while yet. Perhaps they'll stick with DS-like cards, or perhaps go with the two slot device of some sort. Their store also has a long way to go too as it doesn't seem at all likely they'll be introducing full games any time, predominantly due to storage limitations. Down the road though, who knows?

  • poopmonster #11 2 years ago

    You can roll the dice as many times as you like, but Apple have positioned themselves very competitively, not just with great product but with manufacturing partnerships and their own in-house silicon development. Benchmarks aren't going to rule the next decade.

    Sony are developing a cargo cult impediment, and (like EA) seem to be having issues with new markets which they didn't even see yesterday, overtaking them.

    Nintendo... well, they're Nintendo. They'll never be considered a winner even if they outsell everything on the planet. A diamond in the rough to many, and just plain weird and impenetrable to others.

  • Mono_X #12 2 years ago

    Actually I like my gaming device to be separate from my phone. Simply because playing a game drains power quicker and I hate it when my phone runs out juice unexpectedly.
    My phone is a tool and my hand-held console is a toy.
    If my toy runs out of power it's mildly irritating. If my tool runs out power it can be a lot worse.

    Agree that hardware specs are no indicator if success. In fact as a rule the less powerful platform tends to be the more successful. This is especially true of hand-helds.

  • kifkludge #13 2 years ago

    "Why? You can still put all the rubbishy casual stuff on it too, it'll just have nicer graphics and sound."

    Not the point - more fancy hardware = higher RRP, and we've all seen how well that's worked out vs the alternative.

  • wez_316 #14 2 years ago

    @poopmonster

    Nintendo will never be considered a winner? What kind of garbage is that?

    Nintendo have been the most dominant force in the handheld gaming industry ever since handheld gaming was created. The DS shifts a heck of a lot of games and consoles every single week. How exactly would you say that Nintendo aren't the obvious winner in the handheld gaming market? :S

  • tobsen #15 2 years ago

    So what does this all have to do with MW2?

  • Darkjinxter #16 2 years ago

    Speculate.
    Regardless.
    Speculate.
    Probably.
    Speculate.
    Maybe.
    Speculate.
    Possibly.
    Speculate.
    Give me my money for this article.
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/09 @ 11:28

  • Gregolution #17 2 years ago

    I guess I must now be in the minority but I still get far more excited by talks of a handheld powerhouse in the PSP2. I like seeing bleeding edge tech and ill continue to support Sony going with that model. There's no barriers to writing quirky puzzle games on high end hardware, but you can also do so much more

  • JohnnyWashnGo #18 2 years ago

    In my opinion, convergence of different but complementary devices is nice as long as it doesn't impact on the performance of any one function of the resulting device.

    For example, I love my Android phone. Its brought together a lot of the things that I used to carry a notebook for into one small handheld device. No longer do I need to bring my notebook with me on the train to engage in email/IM conversations or keep my calendar up to date... the phone is quite capable of doing that for me and with a screen size that is big enough for me to be able to use it usefully. Crucially, checking email and amending my calendar do not drain the battery too much, meaning the phone is still going to work long after I finish chatting with people over IM.

    The problem with building gaming devices into a phone is that, until the battery technology catches up with the power demands of these devices, you will always be wondering how much charge is left on the phone whilst you are playing. My phone is important to me as it provides an easy way for people to contact me on the go. I would hate to think that a family member had be hospitalised and I wasn't contacted because I spent time playing games on my phone and drained the battery.

    Therefore, as far as gaming is concerned, I carry a separate device alongside my phone. That way I can be sure that 30 minutes gaming on the train won't be the reason my phone is dead.

    As far as content delivery goes, a part of me wishes I would be happy with digital distribution. Its far more environmentally friendly in terms of the amount of packaging and materials used is concerned. However, I do like to have my games on some tangible medium that is easily displayed and not prone to being erased or lost by accident. In fact, I would love for games to be sold on cart or disc and allow you to install onto the device so that you can carry more than one game on you at a time. I understand that this is unlikely to happen to to concerns over piracy, but still, it would be nice ;)

  • Vic #19 2 years ago

    @Dizzy

    ...not everyone wants an iPhone. Plus its a brick anyway, so you may aswell get a handheld if you're into 'proper' games.

  • Charlie_Miso #20 2 years ago

    People will buy a device to play games, just look at the DS.

  • SeesThroughAll #21 2 years ago

    @ kimtaylor: I wish I could +10 you, good point! :)

    I think the Pandora (and to some extent, the likes of GP2X) deserves its own DF article. It's interesting, unique hardware, (two analogue nubs AND a keyboard) and home to opensource software. Well worth a look IMHO.

  • fluff_the_tiger #22 2 years ago

    Even though it lags behind the Ds, the psp still generated profits for Sony so it is inevitable that we will see a successor.

  • secombe #23 2 years ago

    Has the most powerful handheld ever 'won' a particular generation? Amongst other things, battery life, ease of use, portability and of course games all sit well above graphical prowess.

    The 'handheld console' concept has never really taken off, it's all about dedicated portable games.

  • jimboton #24 2 years ago

    yes! let's have a Pandora article please! :)

  • RobTheBuilder #25 2 years ago

    Given the success of DS and Wii, I would be extremely wary of using power as a guesstimator of what the next iteration of DS will be. Nintendo will be sure to make this machine about more than a graphics update to DS.

  • freakzilla #26 2 years ago

    Man I've waited for this for a while now, future tech really makes me horny (metaphorically). I just love think about all the possibilities and how it may eventually end up. And everyone is at least slightly tempted by new gadgets right?

  • comissars_handgun #27 2 years ago

    @ StooMonster why would you need HD video out on a handheld console? Or any kind of video out for that matter.

  • faselei #28 2 years ago

    @monox and others. Very good points and i don;t have sales figures to hand, so its hard to disprove. But i can't really see a future for mass market standalone portable games consoles. Maybe these will be successful but it feels as they may be the last. Batteries and phones will get better and with more open and cheaper iphone alternatives it has to be the way its going...

    (I think my battery dies on connecting to net and using maps rather then games :p)

  • biru #29 2 years ago

    Why nothing on the storage mediums? Is it to be assumed that they'll come with some form of flash/HD-based internal storage with physical games sold on MS / SD cards? Seems like it would be an unnecessary expense to create yet another proprietary format for physical releases when most people will be downloading digitally.

  • SG #30 2 years ago

    If Nintendo's handheld history is consistent, we should end up with something of Gamecube-like capabilities. So basically the power of the current PSP! But in all likelihood, with touch screeny-ness too.

    I dunno though - maybe they're planning on a new Gameboy instead - although it seems unlikely - nothing that Nintendo does can surprise me anymore really.

  • DaemonSpawn #31 2 years ago

    Hm. PSP2's uber-powerful hardware sounds like yet another console with great Potential(c).

    Funny thing is not many developers (or rather publishers) will waste enormous console-level budgets for handheld with dubious install base. Maybe "big" games aren't supposed to land on portables yet? They cost much to develop, they have to sell extremely good, they require attention from gamer which he just can't give in short play sessions on subway train or somewhere like that.
    Instead of making fun games devs will have to compete for technical excellense and compare their "hw potential realised %" lengths, while not so visually impressive but interesting games will be harder to sell.

    And again - it's highly unlikely that someone will burn through 20-100M USD budget for handheld, where most gamers won't see shit of that awesomeness on tiny screen, and where games are sold not more than 1-2M copies.
    Edited by 3 at 14/11/09 @ 21:29

  • brod #32 2 years ago

    @Dizzy

    "Hardware power will have zero effect on the success of a handheld."

    I strongly disagree. If the PSP 2 is powerful enough to emulate PS2 games, legitimately or otherwise, it is guaranteed to be a huge success (as long as it has two analog sticks).

  • Mono_X #33 2 years ago

    The fact that it was so easy to port PS2 games to the PSP was one of the worst things for the PSP. Publishers just took the opportunity to make quick and cheap ports from their back catalogue of completely inappropriate games for a hand held and then wondered why their sales were so mediocre.

    You may have a full roast dinner on a Sunday, but on the Monday when you go to work/college/school you'll have a small packed lunch with you. You wouldn't take a whole roast chicken with you would you?

    People playing games on hand-helds tend to have different expectations and needs to console gamers.

    Playing a game on a PSP that's like a PS2 was utterly cool.... for a while. Then you realised that was straight forward on a PS2 becomes fiddly on a 4 inch screen with PSP controls.

  • electrolite #34 2 years ago

    I agree with brod and MattDamon here. To me the next machine should be enough of an upgrade to be able to play PS1, PSP and PS2 games with the full complement of PS2 buttons (!!!!!) and a touch screen. I don't think it needs to be much more than that. Maybe copy the VC with MD/MS/PCE/NeoGeo/Arcade emulation. Another model (similar to the IPhone/Touch relationship) should be a Sony Ericsson Cybershot phone with e.g. the 8.1MP camera off the C905.

    Publishers will love it as it potentially turns all their old PS2 games into a revenue stream via download, the flaw in the plan is the chances of Sony getting their pricing right for both hardware and software.

  • des #35 2 years ago

    So according to DF PSP2 is going to be another Sony overhyped flop... PSP problem is not teh graphics its game design coupled with shitty controls.
    If Sony doesn't correct that,PSP2 is going to flop harder than PSPGo.

    Almost every PSP game has following syndrome...you play it for an hour and then you ask yourself:"Why am i playing this on a handheld?This should be a PC or a home console game with proper controls,"HD" graphics and all that flash included"

    There is nothing worse than a game that forces you to battle with controls,unfortunately for PSP almost every PSP 3D game is like that.
    Second analog nub is being emulated by buttons...it fails each time

    As for DD...it works great...for cheap,few pounds games...expensive games,no

  • Widge #36 2 years ago

    Yes, that is exactly what it said. I am surprised it is not written in font size 72.

    Are you going to join DF as an analyst too because you're bang on the money.

  • Widge #37 2 years ago

    OH HANG ON. It doesn't say that AT ALL. Its just a big ramble about the PSP you've posted and a big assumption about the PSP2.

    OH WELL.

  • Diomedes #38 2 years ago

    Mmm ,I would go with the PSP2 all the way.But I hope that Sony adds ,along all that horsepower ,a second analogue nub ,a touch screen and specially that they get rid of the damn piracy that is killing their current hanheld.I have the PSP since 2005 and have more than 35 original games for it ,but most of my friends have it pirated and have hardly bought one or two original games since.

  • oerhoert #39 2 years ago

    I'd love for the new PSP to play Final Fantasy XII, Amplitude, Mark of Kri and all that stuff, available to buy online from day 1. To make it a true portable PS2, with all the top titles of the PS2, would actually be a sound strategy, as long as they made the controls as comfortable and as full-featured as the ones on a regular Dualshock.

    What it sounds like they will do, however, is to shoot themselves in the foot. The PS3 is the way to have "awesome power" with Sony's stuff, a place where expensive games can flourish. There is no need to make the PSP actually compete with the PS3. Although it is already four years old, the PSP is more than powerful enough. Its primary current problem are the bothersome controls (for many genres) and its load times. When a game is made for the device properly, like Lumines and Ridge Racer, it's handheld bliss, perfect stuff. It's just that the console itself makes it difficult to avoid load times, startup times, all that shit. The DSi is instant-on, lightweight, great screens, with loads of innovative games that are not hampered by load times and general slowdown.

    Try to compare Patapon to Elite Beat Agents, for instance; by the time you're halfway into the first song having fun on EBA, Patapon's still loading. That's the difference.

    The PSP2 should screw the specification race good and hard, and join the Wii's strategy of looking hot, being marignally more powerful than the last iteration, AND providing support for, and download capabilities for, all the previous PSP games, and then do PS2 stuff through hardware emulation. Nobody cares about graphics on a handheld when they're as good as the PSP's. What people care about is fun, and the DSi wins for me almost every time due to all the waiting around on (most of) the PSP titles.

    Edit: The other strategy that Sony might employ in order to turn over the Nintendo dominance is to really, really upend the teatable. Do something off the hook, like how Nintendo suddenly advocated touchscreen gaming, two years ahead of the curve. I don't know how it should be done now that accelerometers and touchscreen gaming is old hat, but Sony's innovation tank should. Screw the old PlayStation stuff, make something new and fresh, give it a new name, do, I don't know, a directed push in an unanticipated direction. Doesn't seem like Sony is agile enough to be radical enough for it, but that's the alternative. A handheld PS2, with all problems fixed and a more focused strategy, will probably be able to do better than the PSP, but something new entirely will always have the potential of being a new iPhone or Wii, if done cleverly enough.
    Edited by 2 at 15/11/09 @ 20:43

  • SliderNL #40 2 years ago

    I must say that handheld gaming has lost my interest with both the DS and PSP failing to grab my attention. I sold my PSP (only to borrow it when God of War came out). The DS is only used on travel and holidays. So if a new PSP or DS comes along I wont be one of the first......

  • hahayou #41 2 years ago

    "However, while there is a undoubted sense that the current DS is somewhat underpowered..."

    Who thinks that? Anyone who actually plays games on the DS knows that most of the best software isn't even 3D.

    I'm a fan of all that eye-exploding HD stuff on non-portables but the DS is easily powerful enough for me. Well, I'd like some AA I suppose but it's probably not worth the battery drain...

  • Bremenacht #42 2 years ago

    It might sound stupid now, but I reckon a DS2 could really do well as an ebook. It's already got one design element right with the clam-shell - decent battery, bigger screens and appropriate resolution could make it really good.

    I do think they're stuffed if they drop the dual-screen - it's all that really distinguishes the device from the iPhone, if you ignore software.

  • poopmonster #43 2 years ago

    @wez_216
    Nintendo have been the most dominant force in the handheld gaming industry ever since handheld gaming was created. The DS shifts a heck of a lot of games and consoles every single week. How exactly would you say that Nintendo aren't the obvious winner in the handheld gaming market? :S

    Sure there are more Nintendo boxes out there, and their games sell in huge volume, but it's like they're in a different place. Publishers are finding it incredibly difficult to make money from Nintendo platforms despite (Wii and DS's) all-pervading presence.

    Historically, the only people who make money from Nintendo, are Nintendo - and that's not enough. Next up someone will claim Monopoly the board game is the winner because it outsells PS3 (and hell, maybe it does).
    Edited by 1 at 16/11/09 @ 08:11

  • Quak #44 2 years ago

    the success of the DS and iPhone in particular emphasise that superb graphical prowess counts for little in the hearts and minds of today's gamers.

    Except that people don't buy the iPhone to play 3D games. Come on guys, stop comparing apples and oranges for the sake of headlines.

  • originaljohn #45 2 years ago

    and i just bought a fecking dsi yesterday...
    here's hoping they wait til 2011 for the next true step forward

  • Bander #46 2 years ago

    "Actually I like my gaming device to be separate from my phone. Simply because playing a game drains power quicker and I hate it when my phone runs out juice unexpectedly."

    My problem with separate devices is that I'll usually be playing with earphones, and then find that I've missed calls. Same problem with music players. I've stopped using my iPod now as I've been oblivious to my phone going off too many times, and when I do notice it, juggling devices on public transport or wherever can be very fiddly.

    Batteries running out is an issue, but I got around that in the past by carrying a spare battery. My current phone has a beast of a battery, a much more power efficient AMOLED screen, and cuts off the use of apps when power is low, so I haven't worried about it for a while.

    Back to the article:

    The PSP2's planned chipset really does seem like overkill for a handheld. 4 SGX cores to run something only 3 or 4 inches across is just silly unless you have the eyes of an owl. Are Sony overestimating the demand for great visuals on a portable? Or do they have something really special in mind for the display? I wouldn't be surprised if this thing offers stereoscopic 3D. It would certainly get around the problem of people having to upgrade to 3D TV sets.

  • jonsaan #47 2 years ago

    Iphone gaming has a long way to go if it is to match the level of gaming offered by DS and psp games. It really does. Control is its biggest achilles heel. And Yes, I have one and love gaming on it, it just never really hops above a certain level of gaming.

  • gnrlstuart #48 2 years ago

    the iphone, while an impressive machine, isnt my, nor most gamers thing, imo they mostly deal in quirky puzzlers, and shoddy racing games devoid in quality, made worse by having no buttons, and while there are some killer titles for the phone, they are usually mini games and casualfests.
    the tegra 2 chip sounds plausible, and shooters on the ds, especially metroid and the new call of duty push the envelope of what is possible for a handheld, with consistent controls, online multiplyer, and voice support. and i think that the extra hardware like the tegra 2, G wifi, some screen improvements and a more in depth store would make a new DS almost perfect for the hardcore audience, while still appealing to the droves of 5 year old girls who play 'my first pony' and hannah montana club party 3.

  • fongy #49 2 years ago

    looking through all these comments - I think 3 ring true...

    poopomonster's... re: Nintendo - I think what he's trying to say is that they're not considered a serious gamer company - how many actual "gamers" have a DS / Wii? I remember buying a gamecube (it was ace) but this gen they've gone for families / girls and very very casual market, and I wonder if they'll ever recover from this (that's not to say they're not successful - clearly they are the MOST successful!)

    DaemonSpawn's... re: time and cost - cost not to produce handheld games but cost to consumer - do you really want to pay £30 or $40 on a handheld game when normally the equivalent is the same price on the major consoles? 1080p vs 5 or 6" screens? it's no feasible... and also unless you really travel a lot, it's not practical to be hunched over a handheld when you it costs you the same for a "proper" console linked to a TV..

    Electrolite... yes, get back catalogues on handheld - there's years of amazing "bite sized" games out there from PS1/2 to Xbox 1 to Dreamcast, and what about emulators - Amiga, etc. - these things would be easier to manufacture, cheaper to produce and suit handheld resolutions perfectly!

    It's not about the graphics, it's never about the graphics with a handheld - it's about the GAME!