Sony PSP Christmas 2009 buyer’s guide

What a difference a year makes.

This time in 2008 the future of Sony’s portable format was hanging in the balance: rumours of a PSP2 were rife and developers were jumping ship. It seemed as if Sony had simply lost the heart to battle against Nintendo’s all-conquering DS.

Fast forward twelve months and the situation is drastically different. The PSP2 turned out to be the PSPgo, Sony’s first brave step into a world of DLC-only gaming.

We’ve had a flurry of quality titles hitting store shelves, including Gran Turismo PSP, which was previously suspected to be vapourware. In Japan the format has even managed to outsell the DS during parts of the year - a situation that was unthinkable not so long ago.

Most importantly, the industry’s perception of the PSP has changed radically, and it’s now seen as a viable competitor to the incumbent DS.

Taking all of this into account, there’s probably quite a few of you looking forward to PSP-flavoured gifts this Christmas, so let’s take a gander at what Santa might be lugging down the chimney for you.

We’ve already touched upon the PSPgo, and if you’re a keen supporter of all things Sony then chances are you’ll have written a letter to Saint Nick in your very neatest handwriting pleading with him to deliver one of these babies on the 25th.

While public and critical reaction to the device - which relies entirely on digital downloads for its software - has been lukewarm, there’s no denying that it’s one sexy piece of equipment that even your dear old granny will take interest in when the presents are cracked open.

The somewhat muted reaction to the new machine has resulted in one bonus for prospective festive shoppers - it’s now available for £150 at some retailers, which is a lot more enticing than the £200+ Sony was originally asking for it.

Sticking with the PSPgo for a moment, we thought we’d highlight an interesting future peripheral that might convince you to grab one of these consoles over the festive period. Logitech is apparently producing a UMD drive add-on for the machine, which basically turns it back into a normal PSP.

This might sound like complete and utter madness but it could come as a lifesaver for the ailing device. It won’t be out until next year at least, so sadly the chances of Santa bringing you one at the end of the month are slim.

In case you hadn’t noticed, the entire PSP range was created to look shiny and sexy. Thing is, that look doesn’t really sit too comfortably with the notion of a portable gaming device. With this in mind, some kind of case is a must if you own one of these fingerprint-attracting consoles.

If you’ve got a good old fashioned PSP-2000 or -3000 then go for one of these bad boys. If you’re lucky enough to have a PSPgo, then this little wallet thing is irresistible.

The PSPgo is built around using Sony’s excellent PlayStation Network Store, where you can download full PSP titles as well as PSP Minis and retro classics.

Heck, it’s even possible to access foreign stores with a little bit of effort, and when you consider that standard PSP consoles are also capable of such DLC-related tomfoolery, it makes the prospect of getting some PlayStation Network cards for Chrimbo even more appealing.

PSN cards are available in several different values and can be obtained from pretty much any high street games retailer.

It’s been quite a year for PSP software. Gran Turismo PSP, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, LittleBigPlanet, Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny… the list is a robust one, and the best thing is that 2010 promises even more surprises, with the likes of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker proving that Sony’s portable console has plenty of life left in it.