PSP Purchasing Advice

[neo_mao]

Hi folks

...ok I know this topic has been discussed before, but I am hoping to get some personalized advice on whether I should get a psp phat or slim Not really into handhelds, but I'm just looking to get something to play on the train ride to work everyday (like 40 minutes each way). And quite frankly, I'll probably be using it for mostly the cps2 and neo geo emulators.

Anyway, I have the chance to get a fully modded/loaded psp phat w/ large memory card for pretty cheap and i am awful tempted to do so. But if I do, am I going to be disappointed? Is the slim that much better?

In general, the phats seem to go for quite a bit less than the slims....so should I just buy the cheap phat...or should i shell out the extra $75 or so and get a slim?

Any info would be greatly appreciated

 

[Joe West]

hey if the phat, serves your needs, and the money is rite........hey go for it......

 

[Ghost-Dog]

I would say go for it.

The PSP slim offers certain advantages, but if you're only looking for an emulation experience, I wouldn't bother with a PSP-2000. With a slim you get the component video out. You also get extended battery life if you install the Stamina Battery Pack. It offers around an 80% increase in battery life, but you get much less if you install it in a PSP-1000. Also, some of the newer games reduce load times due to the PSP-2000 offering a little more system memory. Of course, it's also thinner and lighter if that matters to you.

 

[Lochlan]

Don't buy the old fatty one, the d-pad is total garbage; it's nigh impossible to move diagonally. I bought a PSP for arcade games like the Gradius and Parodius packs, or the Capcom collections, and found the original PSP to be useless for such things.

I didn't have as many issues in games that don't rely on an 8-way twitch as much, games like Mega Man Powered Up, Dracula X, or Sid Meier's Pirates.

If you're buying the PSP to watch cartoons and play Gunpey, the old one will suffice. If you want to have any chance in hell of doing a dragon punch or playing a shooter, buy the new one.

 

[subcons]

I'm like you, not really too big on handhelds. I just wanted to get one to play around with the emulation on it and see what was possible. Glad I did. I play mine around the house sometimes it's so good.

I bought a used phat from someone here for a decent price that was already modded. All I had to do was upgrade the CFW and I was good to go. I haven't used a slim, but my phat with a stick-on d-pad works great for me. It's like a $5 upgrade and well worth it (actually, it's necessary). Other than the d-pad, the other advantages are somewhat moot. The only real thing the memory changes is that with the phat you'll need cache files to load bigger Neo and CPS2 games where you won't with the slim. Battery life hasn't really been an issue for me, but I'm not away from an outlet that often so I keep it charged easily. You should have no problem with the duration of your train trip to and from work.

I say get the phat.

 

[neo_mao]

Thanks for all the good info guys!

Yeah, it does appear that slim has a couple of advantages in terms of size (obviously)....but also battery life, load times and component output.

- Size doesnt really matter, since I'll just be keeping this in my briefcase most of the time.
- I'm not too worried about battery life though snce as I mentioned this will only be used in short bursts on the train.
- Load times arent really a factor either since I'll be mostly playing the emulators (except for maybe God of War).
- And component output doesnt really matter to me since I seldom play my home consoles that much anymore, so I honestly dont see myself hooking this up to my tv anytime soon.

However, a big concern is what Lochlan mentioned...the controls, because I love shooters and fighters, so that kinda bugs me. But I am actually meeting the guy tomorrow to test it out (he lives close by), and if it doesnt feel too bad, I may get it and just pick one of these add-ons subcon mentioned....
And maybe even if it doesnt feel that good, I may pick it up anyway since its a pretty good deal...and worst comes to worst, I'll just give it to one of my cousins and pick up the slim for myself later on.

Anyway, thanks for the input, cant wait to finally get one

 

[fenikso]

However, a big concern is what Lochlan mentioned...the controls, because I love shooters and fighters, so that kinda bugs me. But I am actually meeting the guy tomorrow to test it out (he lives close by), and if it doesnt feel too bad, I may get it and just pick one of these add-ons subcon mentioned....
And maybe even if it doesnt feel that good, I may pick it up anyway since its a pretty good deal...and worst comes to worst, I'll just give it to one of my cousins and pick up the slim for myself later on.

Anyway, thanks for the input, cant wait to finally get one

I found the thumbstick works best for me in regards to shmups even on the Slim. The d-pad on the old PSP is garbage for fighters. The d-pad on the Slim is as good as any PS controller (take that however you want).

Still, if the price is right on the old one, I'd recommend picking it up.

 

[evil wasabi]

I would recommend getting the slim. The pad is ok for gaming. But the old PSP had the worst pad ever. I don't play shooters, only fighters, and it's ok. Not NGPC good, but not PSP fat bad.

 

[Lochlan]

I found the thumbstick works best for me in regards to shmups even on the Slim.

It's better in some ways, but it's still not good. For me, either set up (on the fatty) makes any shooter unplayable.

The original analog nub is also terrible when it comes to analog control as it's far too sensitive (anything other than a digital up/down/left/right is imprecise at best) and it's "springyness" is too tight IMO. Did they improve the analog nub at all? I've mostly played around with emulators and whatnot on the slim, I haven't tried doing anything that requires the analog stick.


As for the d-pad, I've heard mixed things about the d-pad mods (have not tried it myself), but it's supposed to be significantly better than just using the stock d-pad setup.

I have used the slim, however, and found the d-pad to be far more responsive and easier on the thumb. It's certainly no arcade stick, or even a saturn pad, but it's good enough -- unlike the totally useless d-pad on the fatty PSPs.

 

[neo_mao]

All good points...but I just feel this deal is too good to pass up....but maybe I am wrong. It's $85 for a CFW modded psp in "excellent" condition w/ 2 GB sandisk card, case, ac adapter, USB cable, car charger, original headphones/remote and extra "long life" battery

Is this a good price or am I thinking its a better deal than it really is? From what I've seen...bare bones modded slims usually don't go less than $150...

Like I said, even if I hate the thing I'll just give it to someone in the family as I know a bunch of the youngsters would love to have one....and then I'll know to get a slim next time. I just feel I would regret it if I let this one go by....

 

[evil wasabi]

I would say the fat PSP is a bit of a let down. But it depends. I would imagine playing Final Fantasy Tactics or Crisis Core would be ok. Just not so good for emulation.

I used to have a fat and playing Samurai Shodown II was a bitch and a half.

 

[pcc08]

subcons,

Where did you get your stick-on d-pad for the PSP? Thanks.

 

[subcons]

I would say the fat PSP is a bit of a let down. But it depends. I would imagine playing Final Fantasy Tactics or Crisis Core would be ok. Just not so good for emulation.

I used to have a fat and playing Samurai Shodown II was a bitch and a half.

Are you referring to the d-pad here? I've played FFT for some hours on my fat and it's exactly like playing it on PS1. As for SSII, that emulates perfectly, but yeah, playing any fighters on the PSP is a struggle. Thankfully I don't like playing fighters alone so I don't even bother.

I'll reiterate this: if you don't want to do the d-pad mod (I wouldn't as I know I'm incompetent in doing it and would just end up with dust under my screen forever), try the stick on d-pad set. They also come with analogues that are much better than the stock nub. It really does make a world of difference and even if you don't like them, you're only out $5 (check NCS to see if they still have them in stock). Here are some pics of mine with both the pad and analogue on there:

The pad is pretty much stuck on there. But the nubs come off really easy. I usually only put the analogue on there if i'm playing a game that uses it as it kind of interferes with hitting down on the pad with that particular one. If you use a hard case, you might run into some problems with it fitting, but I use a soft case so it's not an issue.

 

[subcons]

subcons,

Where did you get your stick-on d-pad for the PSP? Thanks.

NCS. I just checked, it's still in stock: PSP Extra Button kit

 

[pcc08]

NCS. I just checked, it's still in stock: PSP Extra Button kit

Much appreciated subcons. I'll place an order.

Do these work with the PSP Slim as well? Thanks.

 

[fenikso]

Did they improve the analog nub at all?

No, I found the analog nub to be the same. (Actually, even though I'm certain they are the same, I do slightly worse on the slim's nub. Could be the system I'm on or just a mental thing.)

It's better in some ways, but it's still not good. For me, either set up (on the fatty) makes any shooter unplayable.

I have a really hard time playing shooters on the d-pad of either, but the analog stick is the right level of responsive for me.

 

[Wolferaizer]

Dont worry abt the phat, get Slim. You wont regret it.
I can tell you that coz I own 3 phats & 1 Slim.

 

[hanafuda]

Unless you want the longevity of a fat with a stamina battery pack, then the slim wins hands down.

 

[subcons]

Do these work with the PSP Slim as well? Thanks.

Yeah, it should work fine. And even if the slim's d-pad is comparable to the one on a PS controller, I'd still say the stick on option is a major improvement.

 

[Jimid2]

I own two fats and a slim... I play my fat and slim pretty much equally - it really depends on the game I'm playing (my slim isn't running CFW) - and I've never noticed a significant difference between the D-Pads on the two units... I play Darkstalkers, Tekken and SF Alpha all the time with either; no preference. And though the Slim has some nice extra features, I actually prefer the fat in many ways, particularly for heft and build; it just feels better made to me, and I prefer the steel silver core/surround in the fat to the plastic one on the slim... my 2¢

 

[pcc08]

Yeah, it should work fine. And even if the slim's d-pad is comparable to the one on a PS controller, I'd still say the stick on option is a major improvement.

Thanks subcons.

 

[pcc08]

Unless you want the longevity of a fat with a stamina battery pack, then the slim wins hands down.

Do the stamina battery packs work on the slim?

 

[Jimid2]

Do the stamina battery packs work on the slim?

Yes, but you have to buy the pack that comes with the special battery door, because they're too big to fit in the slim under the stock PSP Slim battery cover...

 

[evil wasabi]

if your psp is hacked and you don't play games off the UMD anymore, then the standard battery is more than enough.

 

[neo_mao]

Well I got the psp fat last night and so far am pretty happy with it....think it was a good buy for $85. overall in really good condition. He had the cps2 emulator on the memory card, but unfortunately no roms....I gotta learn how to "cache" them and put them on myself. Anyone know any good resource for this stuff....the only website I briefly checked out so far is pspiso, which seemed pretty good....or are there better sites?

He actually had a couple of PSP games on the memory card though, so I kept myself busy w/ God of War and Burnout Domnator on the train ride home.