Between the iPhone, iPad, Nintendo 3DS, and Sony’s PlayStation NGP (assuming it launches worldwide this holiday and not just in Japan), 2011 is shaping up to be one hell of a year for portable gaming. The big hitters are obviously the 3DS and NGP, and while no one really knows how either one will perform at this point, both handhelds have a lot going for them. The glasses-less 3D effect of the 3DS is stunning, and the NGP packs some serious graphical power and slick design features, and both will surely have a stellar catalogue of titles.
The point is, all of this is making it increasingly difficult for me to decide which one, if not both, of these devices might end up winning me over to the point of a purchase in the coming months, especially since I can’t imagine a world in which I would carry around an iPhone, a 3DS, and a NGP. Something has to give.
How are you reconciling this inevitable rift in the next-gen handheld market? Are you sticking with your preferred brand (Nintendo vs. Sony), or do you think you’ll be branching out this time around in favor of a particular feature or function?
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nevil
Better graphic ,Better game play ,Longer Battry life ,greater toch system ,higher resolution ,Bigger Screen ,More powr full hardware ,OLED and some other ... choise is yourth
If you are caring about 3D whell yous the glass and have this one too.
iansblog
I find a lot of people ask this question but I find that the choices are quite different. The NGP is a graphic heavy device loaded with all kinds of high end features, some of which have never been seen on a handheld before. The 3DS sports a fancy display and will have a variety of game titles that we've come to love over the years. I personally feel that the 3DS is a bit of a gimmick and doesn't really have a lot to offer over the DS. I think that the 3DS will be awesome when you first get it out of the box, and the novelty will last until about Christmas when you see the commercials for the NGP and how it "does everything". I could go on and on here, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong but I will say that I like the way Jumpaguy thinks! Buy yourself a 3DS at Walmart and take it back in a week or two and pocket the money to do the same with the NGP. Or if you have lots of spare cash, buy them both on day 1. If you liked my direction on this, read more on my NGP/3DS blog post.
IaN
jumpaguy
how about this decision. buy the 3DS and try it out. If you don't like it, then return it and put that money down for the PSP2. if you like it, then save up for the psp2 and try that out too. my suggestion.
xL7717
Definitely the 3DS for me. That's not to say the NGP looks awesome, but the 3DS has a big advantage for me: The games. I own a PS3 and love the games, but I grew up as a Nintendo guy and have always loved their games. The fact that Paper Mario 3DS and Mario Kart 3DS have been confirmed to be releasing this holiday is HUGE for someone like me. These are must buy games for me, personally. Not to mention that the 3DS does enough for me that I want in a handheld. Nice graphics are, well, nice....but they don't make a game for me. Of course, I have to admit I have never owned a PSP or a smartphone. Maybe if I did my opinions would be different?
EdMcMuffin
Just like allways, I'll be getting both systems. I love Nintendo Handhelds(have since Gameboy). I think Nintendo's home console(wii) is lacking. The NGP looks amazing, and since I love my PSP, I'll be picking that up too, I'm just worried about the price point... I'm guessing NGP may be $300-$350. Not at all something to stop me from buying it, but may hurt it when it hits. I bought my psp day one for $250, and 3DS seems cooler than that. All in all, I like having all systems. It's been that way as long as I can remember. Sitting around with my buddies playing astrosmash on intellevision after school, then playing super Mario bros on NES when they left, then popping in space quest 2 into the ol' Tandy...
Why choose brand loyalty? I choose game loyalty... I loyaly play any game I want that's out that I can afford!
CLFresh
I don't see the 3DS giving people with astigmatism or color-blindness a problem while viewing but I guess anything is possible. I'm still undecided which one I'll get mainly b.c. I won't buy the 3DS until I've played it in my own hands and have seen it with my own two eyes. If the PSP2 suffers from the PSP problem, lots of technology but SONY handles it wrong and people don't seem interested, I might not buy it until a price reduction, if at all. The PSP was cool but it only appealed to me once I saw my buddy hack his and show me what could be done with it, TV remote amirite? I could get blown away by the 3DS and buy it, even though I know a cheaper version with better design will eventually come out. The PSP2 looks iffy to me at best and I'm afraid of it 'failing' like the PSP (when compared to the DS).
venromero
i want to see how the 3ds tech works on people with eye problems. will it work properly on people with astigmatism or colorblindness? that is a big deal breaker right there! i like the 3ds backwards compatability, but i dont like the fact that nintendo drops a new model every 2 seconds. at least with the psp2 i know sony has thought about a life cycle.
Blue_Vortex
I say 3DS, it's cheaper and has more games announced that interest me, the psp2 has only one (Gravity Daze). Also from watching the resident evil gameplay videos I can confidentially say the graphics and hardware for the device have improved enough to make me feel content until they announce their next handheld. Also it'll support backwards compatibility with both DSiWare and DS games.
And With developers like Renegade Kid out there making games for Nintendo's handhelds I'm sure I'll be able to suffice my "hardcore" game quota
Rise2theTop
If they were both in front of me right now and the 3DS was $250 and the NGP was $300, I would go with the NGP. However, since the NGP has a release date of sometime and a cost of "if you have to ask you probable can't afford it", I'm gonna be getting a 3DS.
Mirrick
This is a tough one. both sounds great, 3ds being....well 3d and the "NGP" having everything that i wanted the first psp to have and then some.
thing i'm worried about the 3ds is how long till nintendo puts out a 3ds lite or 3ds i or what ever. and the games is another thing, i love nintendo, grew up with em, but its like the wii, great system, no games.
now the "NGP", truly pack to the brim if cool stuff. kinda like sony said " we don't have 3d, but we have everything else u can think of and then some. but i would be worried to take that outside. with all the goodies and i'm sure the price isn't going to be great (i.e.: ps3 when it first came out). i've droped every gameboy i've had but never broke on me. the NPG is pack with so much tech that whats to say how long it will last. oh and also battery life, kinda like my andriod phone, battery life just sucks and the NGP sounds like to have more stuff than my phone so wonder how long that is.
in the end, i'm not sure but i may go with the NGP later down the road just for all the tech toys it comes with and thrid party games
JDarkley
They're both impressive pieces of hardware for different reasons, but at the moment the 3DS has a price tag as where the NGP (Anyone remember the Neo Geo Pocket, by the way?) doesn't, and I doubt it's going to be any cheaper than $250.
macross2012
I am getting them both, but honestly if I had to pick one the PSP2 is the only real choice here.. Really I am tired of nintendo's outdated graphics and behind the graphics curve. Ok so another 3D item, Ya ya ya... PSP2 with great new controls and amazing features.. COUNT ME IN
Prax150
it's so obviously Sony that I don't know why there's even a discussion. The 3DS, like the Kinect for Microsoft, is a cool piece of advanced tech, but it has little gaming applications. The only interesting games for the 3DS have been been delayed way past launch. You can bet with Sony's gaming slate, if they don't have that many original IPs and new games out for the NGP, you'll be able to play plenty of ports and PSP1 games right off the bat, and it has other applications such as social networking as well (I don't think it will be too long before we hear of Twitter/Facebook/etc apps for the device.
TurnBackThePendulum
To be honest I want to get get both but I will probably get the 3ds first then the psp2. I want to see how sony handles there handheld this time around.The first psp was a good system but was handled poorly by sony.
Also on a side not there better be online mario party Nintendo! Sega was going to do that with sonic shuffle 11 years ago but cut it through time restraints.
BigPoppaChunk
this is easy for me i'm going sony i already preordered the generic skew.
but , why is it easy ! i careless about 3d while 3 or 4 titles may appeal to me on 3ds , it no doubt whill end up targeted to 8 to 12 year olds.
while more games will appeal to me on the psp2, i don't see me playing cod multiplayer on a 5 in screen at home that's why i have a xbox and hdtv.but good looking games that are mature on the go is a plus. no not m rated just serious games.
my system of choice is xbox, my handheld is sony until microsoft makes a serious handheld that plays my downloaded library and earns me cross achievements and has real controls not a phone.
motter31
While the NGP may have some serious graphical power it reminds me of the PSP Go. The iPhone is not a comparison to either of the NGP or 3DS, it has too many functions to be a stellar gaming device. It may have functions to do several things well, but it is not designed to be soley for games.
The 3DS has the most revolutionary technology out of the gate. It is the first device to have 3D without the dorky glasses (while being a portable device). Sure the games that everyone is excited about is mostly old games redone in 3D but give them time, they will make great new games. The price tag is hefty at $250, but the potential is there for it to be an epic device. I made my decision, I cannot wait for the 3DS and I will be getting one at launch.
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