With the PSP Go already released to the world, there’s probably folks out there wondering if the flash memory equipped PSP Go would be a better investment rather than the UMD-trotting PSP-3000. This is especially true this Christmas season, when people really put out cash for shopping

In the last (and this is waaaaaay back) iteration of Atma Xplorer’s head to head, we’ve pitted the DSi against the PSP-3000 and the PSP-2000 vs PSP-3000, generating some of the most interesting yet vitriolic discussions I’ve seen so I decided to continue the trend with a few more Head to Head posts.

Now, the question on everyone’s mind: Which of the current PSP models is better? Even with the release of the PSP Go, Sony has admitted that it won’t stop sales (nor production) of the the PSP-3000. As with the earlier Head to Head post, this is meant to help you decide which new model is worth picking up and which one isn’t. Sure, both device has merits but only one deserves your money right?

Alright, let’s get started.

The hardware

PSP-3000

• The PSP-3000 looks 90% similar to the PSP-2000 or the Slim.
• Built-in microphone for Skype
• Uses a proprietary UMD drive for games
• Uses a Memory Stick Duo for additional storage
• Has 64MB internal flash memory
• Has a 4.3″ screen with 480 x 272 resolution
• Has Wifi and USB 2.0 connectivity
• Weighs approx. 189g

More info about the PSP-3000 can be found here.

PSP Go

• The PSP Go is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP (the PSP-1000)
• Uses a sliding control pad to hide the unit’s controls when not in use
• Built-in microphone for Skype
• Uses it’s internal flash (see below) for games
• Uses a M2 Memory Stick for additional storage
• Has 16GB internal flash memory
• Has a 3.8″ screen with 480 x 272 resolution
• Has Wifi, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity
• Weighs approx. 158g

More info about the PSP Go can be found here.

The short list of features listed above shows that the PSP Go is technically superior to the PSP-3000. It uses very same screen as the PSP-3000 which has double the color gamut, about five times the contrast ratio of older PSP models and has bluetooth support. Of course this superiority comes with quite a number of tradeoffs that can be the deal breaker for some. First off, the PSP Go does not have a user replaceable battery, the one it uses is soldered in. While you might expect that with a much smaller components, that that PSP Go would outlast the PSP-3000 in terms of battery life, it turns out that they’re quite even. Sony shrunk the PSP Go’s battery to fit the smaller casing thus negating any advantage that the new unit has.

As for games distribution, the PSP-3000 supports both UMD and digital distribution content while the PSP Go (obviously) can only use digital copies. If you already own a PSP and have some UMD games that you want to convert to digital format for the PSP Go, you’re out of luck as Sony has explicit said that there would be no conversion program for existing games. If you really wanted to play your current games on the PSP Go, you need to buy them again, this time from the PSN Store.

Now for the price. The PSP-3000 can be acquired for about $150 (Php 7,500.00 approx), the PSP Go on the other hand can be had for $250 (Php 12,500.00 approx). That’s just $50 short of a PS3 Slim >:(. Of course the trade off is that games up for digital distribution are cheaper than their UMD counterparts. If you’re on the PSP-3000 however, there’s 5.03 GEN-A and 5.03 GEN-B for free PSP games .

So which is better? Unless you have some pressing need to have the PSP Go, I would suggest that you go with the PSP-3000.