Gamers Think DS Beats PSP

It may be sleek, sexy and have that screen, but the PSP is still being outmanoeuvred by the DS for gamers' affections.

Gamers think Nintendo is doing the better job at the moment in the battle for pocket supremacy, according to a new study by UK-based WaveMetrix.

The research, based on unsolicited comments from PSP and DS owners at online discussion forums, shows that the DS is a winner with gamers, who like the handheld for its games and the value for money it offers.

It's not all good for Nintendo though. While the PSP's analogue stick, which is awkwardly positioned under the D-pad, was widely reviled as being both imprecise and uncomfortable, both DS and PSP owners were vocal in their dismay over the issue of dead pixels on the systems' LCD screens.

DS owners were also particularly unimpressed with what they saw as a glut of Game Boy Advance ports.

The bigger problem, however, is for Sony, which is facing backlash from customers for spotty LCD quality (which the company professes is normal for these LCD screens) and from those dissatisfied with the quality of the games out there at the moment.

The study also found that the early adopters of the new handhelds are more interested in how the machines play games rather than their ability to play music or movies.

Sony still has reason to cheer, though, as a recent summary of Japanese sales for the first half of the year, reported by US site Next Generation, shows that the DS and PSP are running nearly even, with 1.1 million PSPs and 1.2 million DSs sold. PSP owners are also each buying slightly more games than DS owners.

Perhaps predictably, the WaveMetrix study finds that gamers want, "a functional device, great playability and a good range of games".

And right now, Nintendo is the one giving it to them.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games