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PSP Slim vs. Fat and buyer's anxiety...

gcubed said:
They noticably reduced the weight, and apparently that makes people associate it with being cheap.
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It's not just the weight, although that's part of it. The phat also has better fit & finish. It just looks and feels like a higher-end product than the Slim.

Looks aren't everything, though. My phatty is now in a drawer, collecting a thick layer of dust on that sleek, sophisticated chassis. :D

What?

Sony sells two different cables, I'm assuming for progressive scan and non television sets. As I accidentally purchased the standard RCA style connectors and the bloody things wouldn't play on my Toshiba Regza TV.

I had to return them for a set that resembled component (five colors) connectors instead.

Cable 1

Cable 2

GAF, big on misinformation. Small on facts. :P
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Sigh. Again - to output games from the PSP, you must have the component cables and a TV capable of progressive scan. You cannot output games to a non-progressive scan display.

You can output (non-game) video to a non-progessive scan TV using the composite cables, though.
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
As for the Lite feeling "cheap", I got over it. The reduced weight and improved functionality make it all worthwhile IMO.
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Agreed. I don't understand why people complain about it being light.

lighter = more portable, which is the entire point.
 
How long are the component cables? I've been interested in replacing my fat for awhile now. However, those cables would have to be ~20 feet to reach from the back of my tv to the couch without being completely taut.
 
gcubed said:
The umd door, i'll go with the mantra "less moving parts = less things to break" since i have played my slim for MANY hours and have never encountered a problem with the door.
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That's reassuring, thanks.

Wow, I went to sleep and woke up to a two page thread already! Thanks very much for all the discussion and weighing the pros and cons. By the looks of things I think I'll stick with the Slim. Maybe sometime down the road I'll pick up a cheap fat model for homebrew or something, but that's it.
 
Baker said:
How long are the component cables? I've been interested in replacing my fat for awhile now. However, those cables would have to be ~20 feet to reach from the back of my tv to the couch without being completely taut.
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I could be wrong but I think they're 6ft. Believe me, you don't want to sit further back.
 
Booda said:
You cannot output games to a non-progressive scan display.

You can output (non-game) video to a non-progessive scan TV using the composite cables, though.
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If that's the case, even using the correct cables and television set; that's a bit shit. :\
 
Baker said:
How long are the component cables? I've been interested in replacing my fat for awhile now. However, those cables would have to be ~20 feet to reach from the back of my tv to the couch without being completely taut.
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I think they're 6 ft. My setup is similar to yours, so I ordered a long component cable and a coupler from monoprice to extend the reach of the official cables.
 
Booda said:
I think they're 6 ft. My setup is similar to yours, so I ordered a long component cable and a coupler from monoprice to extend the reach of the official cables.
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Yeah, sounds like the way to go (if it's even worth it). I'm just loving SH:O so much right now, that I wanted to play on the tv.

The faq sheet says 2.5 meters for the official cables. Why do they even do that? You lose three feet just going from the back to the front. I can't picture people sitting 3-4 feet away from a large hdtv to play anything.

This a completely asinine question, but has there been any talk of "reverse" remote play coming out in the future? I.e. plug the psp into the ps3, but then use the sixaxis for control.
 
Get a PSP Slim. Only downside of th Slim is the screen is super sensitive to scratches caused by things you wouldn't think would scratch it.
 
Baker said:
Yeah, sounds like the way to go (if it's even worth it). I'm just loving SH:O so much right now, that I wanted to play on the tv.
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Honestly it seems like kind of a half-assed feature, but it does do the job of getting the image onto your TV (with annoying black borders all the way around it).
 
The only problem I've had with my Slim is finding a case for it. LOgitech needs to redesign the Playgear line to fit it.
 
Davidion said:
So basically, ignoring the TV-out, is the general sentiment that the fat is better than the slim? Thinking about picking one up on the cheap but I'm not sure which one to get. The TV-out is attractive but a crappy d-pad is not.
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I have a fat PSP but wish I had a slim. I don't think there's a general sentiment on here, both involve tradeoff's. I would rather have a slimmer PSP, with the same or longer battery life, faster load times, capable of outputting to my HDTV, etc. over my current PSP fat which is bulkier, slower, and can't do the aforementioned things. Regardless of which you get, I think the PSP is one of my favorite consoles ever. Without sounding like an advertisement, I love the RSS feeds capability, the pictures, movies, and obviously games you can do on it. So yeah, you just have to figure out what your priorities are in purchasing a slim or a fat.
 
jaundicejuice said:
I imagine it's exactly the same as the fatty in that it will vary from game to game.
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Ok, so like six hours generally? I haven't been following the PSP news very much. >6 is important, but that's about it; I don't need DS-like battery life, I just want to play Lumines, Disgaea, etc. on the NYC-LA plane trip (~6 hours).
 
I own both and I find myself always bringing my slim along.

Yeah it feels a little cheaper, yeah I don't like the fact that the back of it is coated with the same plastic as the front (the fat had a different texture).

At the same time it's feels alot smaller, it's much much lighter and for some reason I prefer the new UMD slot. TV is fairly decent too but you have to jump through some hoops to get it using as much of the screen as possible. I have a 16:9 TV, but I set the PSP to 4:3 and then use the zoom function on my TV, it ends up leaving less of a border.

The new memory slot is a nice upgrade, the buttons (as others have said) feel alot better. Battery life seems perfectly fine, I've only come close to running my battery out once but I charge it fairly often. Also don't forget you can charge it through USB and with a hack it'll passively do this, a nice upgrade.

I kinda feel like a Sony viral marketer at this point... =/
If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with the slim without asking twice. I forgot to add that finger prints and light scratches don't really show on the silver slim, almost makes me want to go out and buy another color DS (mines black)
 
Kestastrophe said:
Thanks for clearing that up. I had been considering picking up the 20% extra battery, but if there are ones coming out that offer 80% extra life, then I will wait :D
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20% increase on fatty's and 80% on slims. I think you are thinking of the same battery
 
AstroLad said:
Ok, so like six hours generally? I haven't been following the PSP news very much. >6 is important, but that's about it; I don't need DS-like battery life, I just want to play Lumines, Disgaea, etc. on the NYC-LA plane trip (~6 hours).
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Yeah six hours in general. You can use a fatty battery or even the uber battery as I mentioned in an earlier post, but both are a rather indelicate solution. The super battery will give you an obscene amount of play time out of a Slim, but it will make the PSP lop-sided and you'll need a special cover.

They are currently selling the uber batteries with those special Slim covers now. Two special covers bundled per battery actually; one silver, one black.

More power and longer playtime will probably eventually override the distaste I have over the idea of having a power tumor on a Slim. I don't know how the hell I will carry it around.
 
If and when Logitech ever gets around to making a slim playgear pocket, that should take care of the "heft" issue with the slim.
 
jaundicejuice said:
More power and longer playtime will probably eventually override the distaste I have over the idea of having a power tumor on a Slim. I don't know how the hell I will carry it around.
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Yeah, I hate to compromise the portability aspect as well. Six is fine, obviously eight would be about perfect but at least it's not Nomad-like.

This portability of the PSP is the thing that has always kept me from buying it. Only when I started to treat my video ipod like absolute crap (that is, just throw it in whatever pocket I have handy, sometimes throw other stuff in with it, and don't have any cover or case for it) did I actually start to really enjoy and appreciate it as a convenient device. The PSP has always seemed quite fragile to me--to the extent that not being careful with it would seriously compromise my enjoyment of the system.

I guess I'll just have to find a good case. I have a Waterfield one for my DS, although tbh I also like about the DS that it really doesn't affect it if you treat it like crap. At least the redesign is a step in the right direction.
 
Go with the slim. I've used both and the slim is better in just about every conceivable fashion.

There are some cosmetic/ergonomic differences that people might have built up a preference for while using the original PSP but they're worth growing out of for the new model.

Only real negative is lack of 1.5 homebrew but anybody who really wants that support already has a fat psp anyways.

That fat psp feels like it is built a bit better, but then again the slim has fewer moving parts and weighs less, which do you think is more likely to break if/when you drop it?
 
AstroLad said:
Ok, so like six hours generally? I haven't been following the PSP news very much. >6 is important, but that's about it; I don't need DS-like battery life, I just want to play Lumines, Disgaea, etc. on the NYC-LA plane trip (~6 hours).
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Mine lasts around 6 hours just like the PSPfat. The battery of the light is better but the UMD is faster so in the end get roughly the same performance. (wich is good enough)
 
Ranger X said:
Mines lasts around 6 hours just like the PSPfat. The battery of the light is better but the UMD is faster so in the end get roughly the same performance. (wich is good enough)
Click to expand...

The battery isn't any better, the new psp just uses significantly less power. The new battery is smaller AND has lower amperage, which just means smaller batter, not better battery.

Old = 1800 mAh, New = 1200 mAh.

I've got a 3500 mAh battery that I use in my fat psp and I hardly ever run out with that. Doubles as a nice grip when you're holding the psp with just your right hand. On the other hand it means my playgear pocket is gathering dust since the psp won't fit in it anymore.
 
Woo-Fu said:
The battery isn't any better, the new psp just uses significantly less power. The new battery is smaller AND has lower amperage, which just means smaller batter, not better battery.

Old = 1800 mAh, New = 1200 mAh.

I've got a 3500 mAh battery that I use in my fat psp and I hardly ever run out with that. Doubles as a nice grip when you're holding the psp with just your right hand. On the other hand it means my playgear pocket is gathering dust since the psp won't fit in it anymore.
Click to expand...

Good to know. In the end it's the same answer but the equation was using different numbers. ;)
 
AstroLad said:
Yeah, I hate to compromise the portability aspect as well. Six is fine, obviously eight would be about perfect but at least it's not Nomad-like.

This portability of the PSP is the thing that has always kept me from buying it. Only when I started to treat my video ipod like absolute crap (that is, just throw it in whatever pocket I have handy, sometimes throw other stuff in with it, and don't have any cover or case for it) did I actually start to really enjoy and appreciate it as a convenient device. The PSP has always seemed quite fragile to me--to the extent that not being careful with it would seriously compromise my enjoyment of the system.

I guess I'll just have to find a good case. I have a Waterfield one for my DS, although tbh I also like about the DS that it really doesn't affect it if you treat it like crap. At least the redesign is a step in the right direction.
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the only thing that doesnt really like getting tossed around on the psp is the screen, this is where the DS clamshell has the big advantage. I imported a cover through playasia for the slim that is pretty compact leather and basically is a cover to prevent screen scratches. Other then the screen scratching, its pretty durable.

the huge increase in playtime makes me forget about the minimal bump you get on the back of the slim with the extended battery and new cover from sony... right now i'm using my old extended with no door when i am at home or need to play for a long time
 
gcubed said:
the only thing that doesnt really like getting tossed around on the psp is the screen, this is where the DS clamshell has the big advantage. I imported a cover through playasia for the slim that is pretty compact leather and basically is a cover to prevent screen scratches. Other then the screen scratching, its pretty durable.
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Amen brother.

They should ship a hori screenprotector with every unit.
 
the slim feels a bit lighter and cheaper, but it's not really much smaller, i really don't see much of a difference going either way... i don't see any reason to pick one over the other, unless you like tvout.
 
Sorry to bump this thread, but I have also come to this anxiety with the onslaught of new features exclusively for the Slim.

Should I just wait for the custom firmware for the fat?

I'm really digging the GPS feature that Sony has put out on the PSP.

I know you can do MapThis on the fat with hacked files, but it seems like what Sony plans to have on the official firmware for the slim may be tons better.

Should I upgrade and sell the fat?
 
ZeroTolerance said:
Get a slim. That extra memory helps a lot.
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Recommend color choices?

Is there an issue with the white getting dirty? That's what I hate about my DS Lite. The bottom pads are covered a little bit with dirt.
 
wow, i'm about to go to gamestop to trade-in DS lite for PSP.

thinking if i should go slim or fat, but mostly using the system for ahemhomebrewahem.

i guess slim for the ram
 
bathala said:
wow, i'm about to go to gamestop to trade-in DS lite for PSP.

thinking if i should go slim or fat, but mostly using the system for ahemhomebrewahem.

i guess slim for the ram
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Any reason why you traded your DS Lite?
 
I want a slim for the faster loading and TV out. Otherwise, I'm really happy w/ my old PSP, minus that single stuck pixel that taunts me every time I turn it on.

HaloFans said:
Is there an issue with the white getting dirty? That's what I hate about my DS Lite. The bottom pads are covered a little bit with dirt.
Click to expand...
I've had a ceramic white PSP for what feels like about 2 years now, give or take, and from time to time, I have to clean it out a bit (just general gunk that accumulates over time). Some folks are diligent and wipe theirs after every play with one of those disposable wipes. Keeping it clean has never been a problem, although I do make it a point when I can to wash my hands first before playing on any system.
 
Doesn't the psp slim only offer increased battery life if you replace the slim battery pack with the fat battery pack?
 
KEEP THE GODDAMN SLIM! I had a Phat and a Slim, and the Slim is by far the better option. I worried it might be to think to hold, but it's actually easier to grip than the Phat IMO. And the buttons are better too. No way you should get a Phat unless it was like $50. PEACE.
 
I always wondered if the Slim would be a worthwhile upgrade to my Fat and then someone surprised me by buying me the Slim for christmas and WOW, screw the fat. Slim is where it's at. D-pad is a massive improvement too.

I dont get the whole light = fragile thing either, to me the reduced weight gives the impression I can throw it and drop it with less fear than my heavy one.
 
onemic said:
Doesn't the psp slim only offer increased battery life if you replace the slim battery pack with the fat battery pack?
Click to expand...

BTW the battery kits are out in the wild. $44.99 at Gamestop/EB. 10 freaking hours on a full charge.
 
I bought the original PSP close to launch, and sold it later because I really didn't get much out of it (not enough games out at the time). I promised myself I would pick one up again when there were more games I wanted to play, and that there maybe was a revision, 'cause diagonal movement were really not possible at all with my old one.

So just a few days ago, I got myself a new Slim and Lite model, and I'm much happier with it now than I was back then. I find it more comfortable, for some reason, and no - the analogue is exactly the same if not better. At least, my old one wasn't very good. There was also the issue with dead/stuck pixels back then, but there's absolutely nothing of that sort on my new one.

All in all, I'm much happier with my new PSP than the old one, but that could also be because I have better games to play now - as well as remote play. I'd say the PSP Slim is a much better package than the original PSP. I'm surprised if anyone with a decent experience with both says otherwise.

But then there are crazy people who prefer the original Nintendo DS over the new DS Lite.
 
HaloFans said:
Any reason why you traded your DS Lite?
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haven't touched the DS since Puzzle Quest and the only game I'm interested that is coming this year is Advance War.

I have portable ops, FF tactics, Jeanne D Arc, and Disgaea to look forward to on PSP
 
No reason to buy a fat PSP over a slim unless you're a cheap ass.

The slim is better in every possible way except for price, and maybe weight.

The OP made the right purchase.
 
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