Types of Handheld Video Game Systems

Both Nintendo and Playstation make handheld game systems. It can be confusing to know the difference between the PSP from Sony, the DS, the DSi, and the 3DS from Nintendo. Both the system hardware and games available differentiate them. By reading the following guide, you'll have a better idea about what type of handheld game system to buy.

• Sony PSP - Sony released their handheld video game system in 2004 in Japan and 2005 in the rest of the world. They named it the PSP, which stands for Playstation Portable. Its storage medium is the UMD, which is first optical disk format used for a handheld gaming system. There have been three models of the Sony Playstation Portable released. The current model, also called the PSP-3000, has a headphone jack, a microphone, and video out. One of its nicest features is its large 4.3" screen. There is also a slightly smaller model, called the PSP Go. What makes this handheld gaming system different is that the screen slides up to reveal the controls. It comes with a headphone jack and an all-in-one port. The screen on this is 3.8."


• Nintendo DS - The most popular type of handheld video game systems is the Nintendo DS, which is known for having two screens. It was released in 2004 in the US and Japan and in 2005 in Europe and the rest of the world. It was replaced with a slimmer model in 2006 which is called the DS or the DS Lite. The Nintendo DS has a clamshell design which was familiar to anyone who played the Game Boy Advance SP, the predecessor of the DS. Instead of having the screen on the top and the controls on the bottom, however, the DS opted for two screens. The bottom screen was a touch screen that could be used to control the games. Games could also be controlled with a regular d-pad and buttons. 


• Nintendo DSi - The Nintendo company did a large overhaul of the DS and came out with the DSi in 2008 and 2009. One of the main changes from the DS was the inclusion of two VGA cameras, which could be used in game play. The one camera faces the user, while the other one is on the exterior and faces away. This handheld system also comes with an SD slot. The DSi plays video games exclusive to it, as well as games that were made for the standard DS. 


• Nintendo 3DS - The newest handheld from Nintendo is called the 3DS. This system was released in 2011 and is considered the successor to both the DS Lite and the DSi. With the clamshell design and the two screens, it looks similar to the other models. Its main feature is the ability to have 3D effects without the user needing to wear special glasses. It is backwards compatible with all DS games.


• Mobile Phones - Smartphones allow the capability of video gaming through a mobile platform.  A few games are already installed on certain smartphones.  Also, users can purchase applications which offer a large variety of gaming options.