Digital Trends

Disastrous proprietary Universal Media Disc (UMD) format and haphazard software selection aside, we thought that the original PlayStation Portable was pretty terrific, what with its big, sharp LCD screen and noteworthy multimedia prowess. The handheld gaming system’s capable processor and onboard flash memory also made it ripe for the introduction of new features via firmware upgrades, which thankfully remain plentiful.

Of course, we didn’t realize how bulky the PSP-1000 was until we wrapped our collective mitts around last year's PSP-2000, rightly nicknamed "PSP Slim." So when recent successor the PSP-3000 (available as part of the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack bundle) was announced, we figured that if we could have it all – and more, including a pleasing tweak to the screen's contrast level – in a pleasing form factor, why not? With this small, but welcome update, manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment America further responded to consumer demand by adding video output to a connected TV, and even surprised us with clever hardware tweaks such as relocating the tiny stereo speakers from the bottom edge to the face of the unit.