In the box

What’s in the Box

The PSP first launched in Japan on December 12, 2004. We first got a glimpse of the device at last year’s E3, and after hearing all the great things (and some not-so-great things) since the Japanese launch, we couldn’t wait for the PSP to hit North American shores.

To get the full retail experience, we lined up during the early hours of March 24 to grab the first North American PSPs sold. Sony decided to sell the PSP in the form of a $249.99 ($300 for Canadians) “value pack” which includes the following:

AC adaptor
Battery pack
Memory Stick Duo (32 MB)
Headphone with remote control
Soft case and cloth
Wrist strap
UMD In-pack Sampler
Spider-Man 2 (with the first million units shipped) (better get them while they last!*cough* -ed)

Many of the items part of the pack are absolutely essential to enjoying the PSP, so there isn’t much of a reason to expect any extra “value” from the pack, unless you’re a really big fan of cleaning cloths.

The 5V AC adaptor is reasonably sized and is comparable to the ones you may already know from Nintendo’s handhelds. The 3.6V 1800mAh lithium ion battery is easily installed (and removable). The Memory Stick Duo serves as the PSP’s memory card, though you’ll probably want much more storage if you plan to take advantage of non-gaming applications. The earbuds and remote are white in color, allowing all PSP owners to blend in with the hip iPod crowd. Equally as white is a wrist strap that loops onto the lower left hand corner of the unit. The soft case is just a black sleeve to slip your PSP into so that it won’t get scratched up while sliding around in your bag or rather large pocket. Inevitably, fingerprints will rule the PSP’s shiny finish, so Sony’s foresight provides you with a cleaning cloth that’s not unlike what one would use for eyeglasses.


Finally, the sample disc mostly just a useless collection of video clips from launch titles, movie trailers, and music videos. They are as follows:

Games
· Wipeout Pure
· Ape Escape: On the Loose
· World Tour Soccer
· NBA
· Twisted Metal: Head-On
· Gretzky NHL
· Hot Shots Golf Fore
· ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails
· Lumines
· Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
· Ridge Racers

Movie Trailers
· Stealth
· XXX: State of the Union
· The Longest Yard
· Lords of Dogtown
· Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
· Kung Fu Hustle
· Are We There Yet?

Music Videos
· Coheed & Cambria – Blood Red Summer
· Cross Fade – Old
· Kasabian – Club Foot
· Omarion – O
· Petey Pablo – Vibrate
· Silvertide – Ain't Comin' Home
· Three Days Grace – Home
· The Zutons – Pressure Point

Sadly, none of the games are playable, making this sampler largely a waste of Sony’s UMD production capacity.