Nintendo DS Or Sony PSP: Which Should You Buy?

Many say that we’re living in the Golden Age of portable gaming. Whereas before, the handheld gaming industry was dominated by the Nintendo Gameboy and its many iterations and met with token resistance by challengers like the Sega Gamegear and, well, nothing else, nowadays the battle is a little bit closer – the Nintendo DS vs. the Sony PSP.

If you’re an avid gamer and you’re in the middle of considering which of these two gaming systems should be your first portable console for this generation, then this article is for you. We will be discussing which among the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP is worth your gaming dollars.

So, the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP?

Let’s take a look at the sheer power of the portable gaming systems involved. With this regard, the Sony PSP trumps the Nintendo DS. The Sony PSP, after all, is described as a Playstation 1.5, meaning, it’s more powerful than the original Playstation One, but not quite in the level of the PS2. Nevertheless, for a handheld, that’s a lot of power!

The Sony PSP boasts of a 333 MHz processor. The Nintendo DS, on the other hand, boasts of a dual core processor, albeit, with only 67.028 MHz and 33.514 MHz cores. Hence, the runaway winner when it comes to processing power and graphic rendering is very clear.

Multiplayer experience is also very important for gamers these days. The Nintendo DS suffers from poor Wi Fi connectivity. The Sony PSP is supported by a more stable networking infrastructure that allows for a smoother online gaming experience. Both handheld systems, however, fare excellently when it comes to local multiplayer games.

But how about the games, you might ask?

Hardware, after all, is only as good as the software programs released for the same.

And when it comes to this, the Nintendo DS is the clear winner. With game releases for the Nintendo DS outnumbering the game releases for the Sony PSP by a ratio of 4:1, it comes as no surprise why the Nintendo DS is beating the Sony PSP in sales charts all over the world.

The Nintendo DS is also blessed with a lineup of fantastic exclusives. Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon and the likes are just some of the more popular franchises in Nintendo’s stable of highly recognizable properties. The Sony PSP also has some exclusives, but they are nowhere near the prominence of their Nintendo counterparts.

Of course, what really defines the Nintendo DS is the innovative game play mechanics of its software programs, made possible by the revolutionary design of the handheld. With dual screen, touch screen functionality, a built-in microphone, and even dual cam for the newer Nintendo DSi units, Nintendo should be credited for striving to revolutionize the video game industry.

Sure, the Sony PSP has the more powerful system and is a better multimedia machine, but when it comes to the other factors, the Nintendo DS will appear as the better choice.