Gp2x/psp Comparison - My Own Opinion

[nem]

All in all, I think that was a fair review and I can understand all of the points... bar this:

11 - Hassle

Getting something to work on the g2x is just HELL. While i'm skilled on linux, i HATE how programmers come up with different standards thatjust kill any organisation you can have on your SD card. Want to put your games in the games folder ? No, you have to put quake at the root directory. Want to put your roms in emu/roms folder ? NO, DrMD frces you to make a Roms/MD directory. Hey, come on, it's not that hard to customize paths... and it would make it muuuuch easier. Plus, you don't have to install any obscure libraries to make things work on the PSP.
If you add to that the SD cards recognition problems, and the "cold boot hang-up" problems... I'd really give the psp a huge plus here.

​

The GP2X has been much nicer in regards to getting stuff to work. You plonk the stuff on the SD card and that's it, they work. No firmware rollbacks, no converting of programs to load on your firmware (1.5), no ugly, messed-up icons in the standard launcher (again, 1.5 fw), no external launchers (eboot loader), none of that crap. I've done most of my gaming on the ol' DOS, so the folder structure doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Obscure libraries? The only one I've installed is the SDL. That's it.

No problems with SD card recognition either. Just yesterday I updated the firmware to 1.21. Everything went super-smooth. A bit surprising really considering all the talk of brickage. Yeah, I've had the GP2X hang a few times on me on boot-up (mind you, not yet on the new fw), but it's not like that hasn't happened to me on the PSP as well.

Thing is, the biggest reason why I'm keeping the GP2X and most likely flogging the PSP is the community. Great, great set of folks here.

Cheers guys.

 

[unlucky]

The Psp is mind boggling but i soon got bored playing gta and wipe out on my friends psp. For me that would be near 50 pounds on games gone. I dont have any money to spend on games so until i do (maybe in 5 years time) the gp2x is my only option. I think if you have the money the psp is amazing its just frighteningly sexy... I would really like my gp2x and not feel like selling it alot if it wasn't for the damn start up times god its like waiting for paint to dry and sometimes it doesn't dry it crashes which makes no sense at all.... and theres no way of telling. But then i cant sell it mamegp2x is far too good i just play gradius all the time. Also being able to play puzzle bobble at full speed with sound is geniunely brilliant ah fun times.

 

[chaos engineer]

The Psp is mind boggling but i soon got bored playing gta and wipe out on my friends psp. For me that would be near 50 pounds on games gone. I dont have any money to spend on games

​

Guys, you have to be fair. We are comparing here the GP2X and the PSP for the purpose of emulating and playing homebrew stuff. Do not compare playing mame on the GP2X with playing GTA on the PSP. I you buy a PSP because you like the commercial games, then you spend a lot of money. But there is also the option to buy the PSP just for the purpose of playing around with the different emulators that are available for this machine. And if you never load a UMD game you do not have any firmware problems cause you just have to downgrade the firmware once and the PSP is a fine homebrew device as well. And the beauty of it is that you get a console which is subsidised by Sony.

 

[skeezix]

*g* chaos is right; firstly, you can't get an unbiased comparison post or response, ever; especially on a gp32/gp2x board for comparing against somethign else, naturally..

But chaos has it .. people are saying the games cos too much, when compared to gp2x; well, to be fair, you cannto count game cost at all, since you're never going to buy a game for the gp2x at all; so UMD cost is irrelevent, bringing things much closer. Likewise, firmware doesn't factor in.. you can run homebrew on FW2.0, and drop back to 1.50.. so thats pretty much all PSPs for sale can do homebrew (they're generally sold as 2.0 units).

The PSP is infinitely superior, inarguably.. unless you hate the size.

But anyway, I'm not getting drawn in.. I have bth, and both have their place; the PSP is more commercial; if you want to be 'under the line' in a special community, in the undergrounmd.. or do homebrew, the 2x is the place to be. The PSP is a great machine, but the gp2x is the mechanics machine.. it'll never be pollished and crisp, and the screen is screwy and the stick is funky and you're lucky to ge USB.. but its all laid bare for you to play with.

Thats it. Thats all.

2x, like the gp32 is _about_ homewbrew, while the others _have_ homebrew. Thats all, thats the difference.

jeff

 

[Tetedeiench]

Well, I believe there are some biases, especially about the 'autonomy' and the 'price'

If you really compare these two machines about what you call 'autonomy', you'd better consider the 'price' and the 'mobility' also.

If you plan to use your psp always under the 4 hours (and it will be getting shotter) , that's ok.
But if you want use further, or use it during your trip, that would be totally different problem.

So, be fair, GP2x win, no doubt.


And about price, I don't think PSP is just $40~$50 more expensive. jimi.vicious already pointed it clearly, I don't feel I need explain it again.

Yes, that cost is for 3d-top-notched new softwares, not homebrew, but a lot of them are just ported ones and it is because the differnces between the main purpose of PSP - the commercial game - and GP2x - homebrews.

Again, be fair, for gaming experience, PSP costs too much.

​

Don't forget you are actually making a comparison between 250€ for system + case + battery + Power supply + small mem card Vs 150€ for just a bare system.

The whole problem is how much the case + power supply + batteries + small mem card ( the latter one i tend to discard) are worth. Surely 60€ for me. So... 40€, aka 50$, doesn't seem that bad.

Afterwards you have to put in the cost of the SD Vs Memory sticks... dunno if that really matters.

And moreover, the cost you have to put for the games are a plus. Like you have the choice to play on high end commercial and brand new games, but you have to pay for them. You don't have to pay to play SNES or MD, just as on GP2x. So this argument is somewhat ... well.

 

[beanfarmer]

Tetedeiench, I think your comparison is fair, although I prefer the gp2x.

I heard that Sony does not earn any money by selling the psp console. The profit is supposed to be generated by selling games and by licensing the format to other companies. This means: buying a psp without buying any UMDs causes damage to Sony.

​

be right back im going to buy a psp haha!!

joke

 

[skeezix]

Oh, and the 2x runs on Linux; the PSP runs on _PURE EVIL_

jeff

 

[Minkoff]

Tetedeiench, I appreciate your fair review of both, and most of the things you say are right. But, it's been proven that the scanlines/waves are a software problem. That means two things. The first is that it won't affect HH (Hardcore Homebrew) mode, which will likely both be more stable in general, have twice the RAM, and have access to the second processor, and the second is that it could be fixed in a later firmware version. I guess that regardless we're stuck with it for now, but if that's seriously one of the main reasons, I think it was a little premature of you to sell it.

If anything, I'd say the worst parts about the GP2X are DignSys not complying with the GPL, the fear of hardware problems (sinking in headphone jacks), the lack of software, and the battery life. But it has Linux, and the community is seriously worth the quirks.

 

[Wobedraggled]

I would much rather just be able to install my apps without having to battle firmware.

gp2x for the win.

Emu scene will be better for us in the long run.

 

[racoon]

As I said in my previous posts I simply think the gp2x will be getting better and better, simply because it is Open Source which the PSP is not... now that I hear even the dreamcast community is booming (the dreamcast is way old ) you can figure how long there will be support for the GP2X.
And still I think the price of the device, the memory cards and the games is important. I am sure my friends already spent more money for games than for their PSP...

Right now my friends are hardly convinced that my GP2X is actually a better device... I always like to win in the long run ;D....

 

[unlucky]

Yeah i must agree now that even v2 onwards (didn't realise this) firmwares can play homebrew a psp is looking very attractive :/ but i'll stick with the gp2x for when i do some coding

 

[Rayek]

Dont you need to buy GTA for the PSP now to hack it? Thats another £30

​

I don't know if anyone's said it in this thread yet, but if you have 2.0 firmware, there's an exploit available, not the GTA save exploit thingy.

As far as this whole debate and argument goes:
Due to this 'new' exploit, the PSP is definitely growing on me (on my side, below my right arm ). I see that it can be used for both commercial and homebrew emulation without rolling back the firmware.

Emulators aren't too good for the PSP (I guess i haven't found the right ones yet...). The few I've tried are incredibly slow and are impossible to exit out of; so every time I want to switch emulators or go play a UMD I have to hard reset the console... not too nice.

The memory cost on the PSP is definitely a downer, though the prices are getting much better as of late.

I see the battery life for the GP2X exceeding that of the PSP. If people get 4-5 hours out of some good ol rechargeables (and is supposed to improve), it definitely beats the Li-ion battery the PSP comes with, which, at best, gives me 3 hours playing a game.

One of the huge selling points of the GP2X is the TV-out. Now, I don't care how shoddy the cables are at this point, the capability is there. GPH had enough foresight to realize that this would be a major selling point for their unit and, wether it be for money or to help us, I personally don't care, as long as I can play some XviD on my buddies' tvs.

Philosophy alone motivates me to choose the GP2X over the PSP. No matter how technologically superior the PSP _might_ be, the fact that Sony is actively trying their damndest to stomp out homebrew and emulation on their handheld is a telltale sign of a corporation with it's head up it's proverbial ass. GPH, while the whole debate ensues about the surce, for whatever reason, they chose Linux as an OS, and relies on independent devs to make, sort of, what the people want. I, personally don't want to have to 'trick' a system into playing what I want to play on it.

All I want to play on any system (Besides the Windows half of my PC) is old-school retro games. So the winner is clear, and, considering the 'competition' (I only put quotes because this sort of debate should never happen, we shouldn't be comparing the two), the GP2X is definitely, and obviously, the best choice for me. Most others on this board are like me, whether they're tired of seeing the same boring 3d, 3rd person action/adventure titles show up time and time again and have to repay for things they already have, or whether they just love gaming history, these people want to see retro titles, and commercial games don't sway them in the least. At least that's true for me.

 

[DaveC]

The PSP is great for what it is. What kills it for me is that damn ever draining battery. It keeps draining itself whether you use it or not. Everytime I go to use the damn thing the battery is dead. I recharge more than play. Next the screen is nice but not for emulation. If you want a decent sized screen you need to stretch it to shit and filter it giving a blurry and squashed image. Plus the 2D side scrollers suffer severely from the PSP's slow LCD leaving trails everywhere. Those things while they seem minor ruin it for me as far as homebrew goes. For commercial games If I want to play 3D stuff I would rather play the Xbox 360.

 

[Tetedeiench]

Dont you need to buy GTA for the PSP now to hack it? Thats another £30

​

I don't know if anyone's said it in this thread yet, but if you have 2.0 firmware, there's an exploit available, not the GTA save exploit thingy.

As far as this whole debate and argument goes:
Due to this 'new' exploit, the PSP is definitely growing on me (on my side, below my right arm ). I see that it can be used for both commercial and homebrew emulation without rolling back the firmware.

Emulators aren't too good for the PSP (I guess i haven't found the right ones yet...). The few I've tried are incredibly slow and are impossible to exit out of; so every time I want to switch emulators or go play a UMD I have to hard reset the console... not too nice.

The memory cost on the PSP is definitely a downer, though the prices are getting much better as of late.

I see the battery life for the GP2X exceeding that of the PSP. If people get 4-5 hours out of some good ol rechargeables (and is supposed to improve), it definitely beats the Li-ion battery the PSP comes with, which, at best, gives me 3 hours playing a game.

One of the huge selling points of the GP2X is the TV-out. Now, I don't care how shoddy the cables are at this point, the capability is there. GPH had enough foresight to realize that this would be a major selling point for their unit and, wether it be for money or to help us, I personally don't care, as long as I can play some XviD on my buddies' tvs.

Philosophy alone motivates me to choose the GP2X over the PSP. No matter how technologically superior the PSP _might_ be, the fact that Sony is actively trying their damndest to stomp out homebrew and emulation on their handheld is a telltale sign of a corporation with it's head up it's proverbial ass. GPH, while the whole debate ensues about the surce, for whatever reason, they chose Linux as an OS, and relies on independent devs to make, sort of, what the people want. I, personally don't want to have to 'trick' a system into playing what I want to play on it.

All I want to play on any system (Besides the Windows half of my PC) is old-school retro games. So the winner is clear, and, considering the 'competition' (I only put quotes because this sort of debate should never happen, we shouldn't be comparing the two), the GP2X is definitely, and obviously, the best choice for me. Most others on this board are like me, whether they're tired of seeing the same boring 3d, 3rd person action/adventure titles show up time and time again and have to repay for things they already have, or whether they just love gaming history, these people want to see retro titles, and commercial games don't sway them in the least. At least that's true for me.

​

?

UMD emulator works just fine ( as long as you have a UMD plugged in - the demo one shipped with it works just fine), i can exit any game flawlessly, and as for emulators, SNES9xTYL and SCUMVM run smooth, and without problems. Give them a shot, and you'll see your gp2x with different eyes Esecially SNES9xTYL. I'll try the MD emulator tonight ( getting curious to see the LCD screen perform with Sonic... i have not noticed any problems so far with my favorite SNES game ( RPG mostly).

As for batteries, my PSP runs for 3/4 hours, the gp2x ran for 2hours, not much more... 2300mAh...

YOu must have very good batteries with your gp2x

PS : these numbers seems right, and i too haven't noticed any problems with sleep mode ( they say "negligible impact after 24 hours", and i experience the very same thing)
http://psp.ign.com/articles/574/574557p1.html

 

[Rayek]

So the winner is clear, and, considering the 'competition' (I only put quotes because this sort of debate should never happen, we shouldn't be comparing the two), the GP2X is definitely, and obviously, the best choice for me.

 

[Fishbong]

9- Price

There's, with the very same functionnality, a 100$ difference on a PSP Vs a gp2x. if you add the hidden costs on the gp2x ( tvout cable, power supply, rechargeable batteries, and the case), it gets thinner. OK, memory stick are cstlier than SD cards.... but that still doesn't make it. I'd say, in the end, a psp is 40-50$ costlier than a gp2x.

​

That is, if you don´t buy any games for the PSP. If you do, the PSP will cost you more than 300$ more than a gp2x...

 

[Tetedeiench]

9- Price

There's, with the very same functionnality, a 100$ difference on a PSP Vs a gp2x. if you add the hidden costs on the gp2x ( tvout cable, power supply, rechargeable batteries, and the case), it gets thinner. OK, memory stick are cstlier than SD cards.... but that still doesn't make it. I'd say, in the end, a psp is 40-50$ costlier than a gp2x.

​

That is, if you don´t buy any games for the PSP. If you do, the PSP will cost you more than 300$ more than a gp2x...

​

As i started my sentence with "with the very same functionality", you don't have to pay anything to play emus or such.

So well.

 

[Rayek]

Well, under that line of thinking, you can't say the PSP runs commercial games. And, you won't have to fork over the additional money for the TV out cable because the PSP doesn't do that.

This is an overdone topic, and we can argue about it or pretend not to argue about it until... Nothing happens. I just don't understand these kinds of threads; they're not at all illuminating, we aren't really helping anyone, and all we're doing is showing how much we're different by saying "PSP is bad" or "GP2X is bad". Honestly, they're two different machines designed to do the same things, but go about it in different ways. We could compare a GP2X to a pocket PC and get nearly the same results, but we don't, oddly enough. (I'm thinking button configuration is all that warrants comparison in this case, i.e. if it has shoulder buttons and four 'action' buttons.)

So... This thread has been done over and over again, and nothing ever comes from it, which is why they keep popping up.

 

[Targus]

PSP can handle windows 95... i would like to see that for the gp2x... might not happen and I was told that the snes emulator for gp2x will never be able to have sound because the snes sound CPU was more powerful then the main CPU... more people have psp and since its advertised on TV... Mags.. every where more devs will see the psp and never hear of the gp2x.. all and all i dont know. I just dont get if the gp2x can run a linux os then why cant it run emulators already made for linux? idk i am not a dev i am just an emulation fan and well right now psp can emulate snes with sound and almost full speed and has a almost better ps1 emulator... storeage is harder to get for it though.. I saw an add for a 4gb hd for the psp though... i dont know its really a close buy for emulation fun weather to get one or the other... Plus when i first got my gp2x i was vary disapointed in the scan lines no flickers but just the scan lines piss me off... lol sorry

edit spelling

 

[Drak]

I sense some psp communism . Anyway, PSP's psone emu is hardly as good as the gp2x's one I saw it and it runs pretty damn slow and has a bit more compatibility for games...

Plus, the gp2x is alot more powerfull than the psp for emus as some of the 'pros' here explained that ARM processors are far superior to the ones in the psp.

Gp2x just started, it already has Drmd which is better than the psp genesis emu. Give it some time to catch up okay? :lol:

My buddy has a psp with 1.5fw and me and him both agree that the 2x will surpase psp soon enough :rolleyes: