Ten months after its Japanese launch, Sony Philippines decided to officially bring the PSP to the Philippines.  Mr. Hiroaki Kobayashi, Sony Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer, said that the unit alone will sell for P18,999.00.  However, gamers have the chance to own a game of their choice as Sony will be giving a game certificate worth P3,000.00 which customers can use to buy any game title if they buy  the unit until January 15, 2006.  This is better than bundling a free game title with the unit as customers would have the chance to get the game of their choice.

The PSP is not only a game machine, it is also a multi-media player designed for music and movies.  This is not only a three-dimensional-CG games console but it is also a portable device that incorporates high-quality, full-motion video similar to the PS2.

The Play Station Portable features a large 4.3-inch 16:9 widescreen LCD TFT screen with a 480x272 resolution.  The button layout is similar to the PlayStation with a digital control pad, an analog stick, a circle, a square, a triangle, an X, and 2 shoulder buttons.

The PSP console supports Wi-Fi wireless connectivity that allows up to 8 PSPs to play together.  It uses a new, Sony-developed optical media called the Universal Media Disc (UMD), which offers game software, full-motion video and other digital content.  The UMD, which looks like a mini-disk, can store up to 1.8 gigabytes of digital data.  Software and data can also be downloaded to the PSP device using the integrated USB 2.0 port, or via the 32MB Memory stick duo that comes free with the unit.

The PSP supports the H.264 codec for video; H.264 is a high compression digital video codec standard that provides good video quality at bit rates that are much less than what previous standards normally need. This means that several movies can be integrated in one UMD.  Sony Corporation also promised to deliver Hollywood movies on discs.

The most notable feature of the PSP is the quality of the screen.  Playing RidgeRacer against seven other opponents in one room is a whole new experience; the screen is so big and so clear that I was “possessed” by the action of the game.  The controls are also perfect for my fingers.
With the PSP I can also bring my video files with me.  All I need to do is just convert my existing video files to 3gpp, a format Sony PSP can read.  A converter can be downloaded at http://www.nurs.or.jp/~calcium/3gpp/.

However, the PSP requires a very specific format for its video file names.  When you connect the PSP to a PC via a USB cable, the memory stick will be seen like any other removable storage device; just double click the icon to open the memory stick.  You will find a directory named "PSP." That's where all the saved games, music and photos are stored.

To enjoy video files that you have converted to 3gpp format, you'll need to create a new directory in the root folder of your memory stick called "MP_ROOT."  You'll then need to create a "100MNV01" directory inside the MP_ROOT directory; this is where you will put your video files.
Video files must be named in the M4Vxxxxx.MP4 format where "xxxxx" is any five-digit number, like 00001 or 01433. You can disconnect your PSP from the PC, and then go to the video menu in the PSP.  You can now view your video on the go.

To sum it up, the Sony Play Station Portable is a great hand-held gaming console, a great MP3 player, a very nice photo viewer and a unique video player.

Kids, be sure to tell your parents to buy two units; you will not have the chance to play with the device as it has more appeal to grown ups than any other game console available in the market.
To parents, this game console is the best Christmas gift you can give to yourself and the best part is you can disguise it as a gift for your kids.  Believe me, it works.