Unboxing the PSPgo

With just over a week left before the PSPgo bravely slides into your favourite video game retailer (assuming it's decided to stock Sony's latest handheld, that is), it seems a good time to take a tour of what you'll find in the box.

Let's go.

The first thing you notice is that the packaging is shorter than previous PSP boxes, but what it's lost in length it's gained - a little - in depth. Still, it's an attractive, compact box. (UMD pictured alongside for scale.) "The smallest, lightest PSP yet, with 16GB of built-in memory," says the packaging and references to PlayStation Network abound.

Open the lid and the little PSPgo takes centre stage, as it should, encased in a protective plastic sleeve and placed on a cardboard bridge that sits above the box's other elements.

And this is what the handheld is hiding. It's not as rigidly structured or as neat as Sony's usual packaging, admittedly - the elements are loose and look as though they've just been thrown in - but then there aren't many of them. And it saves a little cardboard, so that's always good.

Bring everything out and you have the PSPgo, a USB cable, a power adaptor (into which the USB cable plugs), the instructions booklet (and associated printed materials), and a Media Go CD-ROM. The Media Go software (Windows compatible only, at the moment) makes browsing the PlayStation Store and managing downloaded games, game saves, and multimedia stuff on your PC easier.

And here's everything again, this time without the unsightly plastic packaging.

Finally, here's a close-up of the star of the show. To add a little drama, the power adaptor (with USB cable plugged in, no less) has been included.

If you haven't fainted, that concludes the PSPgo unboxing tour. We'll be back with a full review of the unit itself before its October 1st launch.