3DS or PSP?

[kopstudent89]

I never owned a PSP, but I have to say in terms of impact on gaming it definitely did more. The PSP was the first handheld to really have home console experiences on, something that ironically probably influenced the 3DS. The PSP changed the concept of what a handheld is supposed to do with its power, edge.. I mean GTA on the go? What a time we lived in! On the opposite side, it did have its droughts and really in its latter life was given a second lease of life by Monster Hunter which completely revived the console in Japan.

The 3DS is definitely considered the weakest of the Nintendo handhelds in terms of impact. It's the least selling one and probably the one handheld that had obstacles from its conception (price, 3D blur, competition vs mobiles...). It just could not shake away the success of the previous console, the DS. It looked like it and really aside from 3D, it wasn't distinct from it, at least in the eyes of the consumer. That said, it did rise up to the challenge and delivered some of the best handheld games for its time. The PS Vita's performance showcases how tough that period was for handhelds and it performed admirably delivering on some great gaming experiences along the way. Additionally, while the the 3D concept is a novelty for the most part, it did have some cool features and that makes it quit a unique console experience. Also one of its best features: backward compatibility.

Imo it is a tough one. If I were to judge the consoles for impact, the PSP definitely was more influential. Even having not owned one, it was the talk of the town for a while and definitely made handhelds "cool". That said, it struggled to deliver consistent gaming experiences especially towards the tail end, whilst the 3DS had a solid library with the addition of having access to the DS's!

Result: I would vote for the PSP. It just had a bit more umph and it was truly the first and only handheld to compete with Nintendo. It deserves a marker for that!