The PSP had a high-resolution widescreen display, incredible graphics, multimedia capabilities, and an ultra-sleek industrial design. When the PSP was revealed in full in 2004, its success seemed like a foregone conclusion, particularly as Nintendo’s new competing device was so unconventional. This was clearly going to be leaps beyond the Game Boy Advance. The news that the PSP would use a 480 x 272 widescreen LCD and a new 1.8-inch “UMD” optical disc format was enough to get people excited about what the PSP could do. Although it wasn’t set for release until the following year, with many technical details left unclear, Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO Ken Kutaragi’s description of the device as “the Walkman of the 21st century” served as an appropriate statement of intent. The real bombshell dropped just ahead of E3 2003, when Sony announced the PlayStation Portable, or PSP. But with its cute, low-res mini-games that connected to popular original PlayStation titles like Final Fantasy VIII and Street Fighter Alpha 3, the PocketStation was an early sign that Sony saw the potential in taking the PlayStation outside the home. It was also never released outside of Japan. In truth, this tiny gadget didn’t really count as a console - it was technologically closer to a Tamagotchi or the Dreamcast’s Visual Memory Unit than a Game Boy. In Japan, at least, Sony had an answer right away: the PocketStation.

While the original PlayStation comprehensively outsold the Nintendo 64 around the globe, the Game Boy essentially had the handheld market to itself during that time, so it was only natural to wonder what the new home console leader would be able to put in your pocket. The idea of a portable PlayStation was something that seemed inevitable as soon as it was clear that Sony was serious about games. They’re more than just a footnote in the PlayStation story. The PSP and Vita were not only innovative devices in their own right, but the most daunting competitors Nintendo ever faced in the handheld space. And now we have the Switch.īut it would be unfair to write off Sony’s travails in the portable gaming industry. You probably know the broad strokes: the PSP was overshadowed by the hugely popular Nintendo DS, while the PS Vita never took off at all. One part of the PlayStation story that is often overlooked, however, is Sony’s efforts with handhelds. It augurs well for the upcoming launch of the PS5. The PS4 recently outsold the original PlayStation to become the second bestselling version yet behind the PS2, which will likely never be matched. As we mark 25 years of PlayStation this week, Sony’s grip on the home console market has rarely been stronger.

Games for playstation portable