Handheld games console advice

Posted by: Graham Russell on 04 January 2007

It's my sons 10 birthday coming up at the end of February and while the sales are on it seems an ideal opportunity to buy him a cheaper present.

We're thinking about getting him a handheld games console - he already has an Xbox (chipped so games are v cheap Smile ). It's a toss up between PSP and Nintendo DS. I think the PSP is technically better with a higher resolution display. However, I'd appreciate feedback from you guys. PSP is a bit more expensive but if it's the better console I'm happy to spend more. Does the games selection vary wildly between the two?

Thanks,
Graham.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Rasher
The DS has a stylus which is going to get lost, but it is an impressive console. The only thing I would be worried about with a 10 year old is the plastic hinge and how long that lasts with school bags and drops in the playground, but the same can be said of the PSP which has a screen that scratches very, very easily.
I have just bought my son a new last of the line Gameboy Micro for £38 from Amazon. It isn't state-of-the-art but it's cheap enough not to matter what happens to it. We have a PS2 & X-Box at home, plus my daughter has her own computer with games. It's difficult to get the balance right.
The DS seems like lots of money against the PSP right now in terms of build quality and manufacturer track record. Nintendo has always been a poor relation. Check games prices on Amazon for both as it might be the decider.
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by i am simon 2
Game Boy Tragedy

When I was young my parents did not like me to touch mains plugs unsupervised. When buying these things for children, it is important to make sure they have respect for electrity and where possible, get them run on batteries rather than the mains.

It was drummed into me so much as a child that I am still meticulous about drying my hands before touching plugs switches etc, and being carful about keeping my fingers etc away from the pins when plugging somthing in.

Personaly I like the look of the PSP Big Grin

Kind regards

Simon
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Rasher
Eek What an awful story!
From a Gameboy??? It's hard to imagine.