Although everyone is talking more about the PSP, the DS is still the better overall handheld.
UK research firm WaveMetrix has been snooping around the Internet lately, gathering up data on what people think about the two new handheld systems, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. After taking in comments from online forums and analyzing them, a finalized research report shows that two screens are apparently better than one.
The report took a look at four areas that many gamers are most interested in for handhelds: Games, overall hardware quality, screen quality, and value for money. The DS beat the PSP in all of the above, most decisively in value. Despite all the extra bells and whistles the Sony handheld offers, the large price difference in hardware and software makes the DS a better buy for those just looking to play games.
In addition to DS games being cheaper, the games are also better. According to the report, consumers enjoy the steady release of good titles for the Nintendo DS, as opposed to Sony's initial flurry of releases and current drought. Titles like Electroplankton, Need for Speed Underground 2, Trauma Center, and the Star Wars Episode III game were just some of the broad list of DS games customers were positive about. On the other side of the spectrum, Madden 2005 and Goldeneye: Rogue Agent got a thumbs down for issues like poor graphics and computer AI. Gamers would also like to see fewer puzzle-type titles on the DS, and eventually hope that the overall library of titles will broaden out.
Although the Nintendo DS does fare better than the Sony PSP in the quality categories, consumer opinions are still generally negative for both. The report claims many DS owners are unhappy with the thin and easily scratchable screen covers, but compared to PSP complaints that include battery life, sticky buttons and a poor analog stick, DS owners are better off. Both systems do share a common problem, though. Dead pixels and other screen defects are something manufacturers have always had problems with, but customers expect that a screen be flawless. Needless to say, many are disappointed with what they wind up with.
In addition to taking a look at what people feel about each system, the WaveMetrix report also examined "the buzz factor" of each of the four categories. For the most part, the PSP is being talked about twice as much as DS. However, the report concludes that since the PSP was outperformed in every aspect, all of that extra discussion about the PSP is mostly negative, despite Sony's big advertising push. In other words, there are a lot of people that aren't as happy with the PSP as Sony would like.