Sony PSP

Release: March 24, 2005 (North America)

Sony Computer Entertainment America released the PSP (or PlayStation Portable), a portable video game system, in March of 2005. This system has a larger backlit screen than the Game Boy Advance, USB 2.0, Sony Memory Stick capability and MPEG 4 decoder ability.

The media for the PSP is Sony's Universal Media Disk (UMD), which is a small optical disk in plastic casing. These discs can hold up to 1.8 GB of data, which can be games, audio or movies.

The PSP's screen is also 16:9 ratio, which is the same as widescreen movies. The portable system also features built in speakers and headphone output (which the competing Game Boy Advance SP lacks), a rechargable lithium-ion battery. Sony is calling the PSP the "Walkman of the 21st Century."

Nintendo, creators of the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance have controlled the handheld gaming market since they entered it. Challenges to their position have been made by Atari, Sega and numerous other companies in the past, but in nearly 15 years, nobody has come close. Sony seems to be the first serious competitor that Nintendo has faced here in years.

Get movies, music and TV shows on your PSP with PSP Blender.