Nintendo DS : How it Works

This guide to Nintendo DS and how it works covers both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. The Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) are both handheld gaming consoles, and they both have WiFi capabilities that allow wireless gaming. That's where the similarities end, though. If you're looking for a handheld gaming console, you need a clear understanding of both systems to make the right choice for you.

Nintendo DS
The most distinctive feature of the Nintendo DS is its clamshell design that features two screens, one of which is a touchscreen. Nintendo also features a microphone, so between traditional button controls, the touchscreen and the microphone, users have a variety of ways to interact with games. Nintendo game developers have incorporated all of these features into various games, giving users the opportunity to blow, speak or shout into the microphone and to use the stylus to manipulate the touchscreen for various applications. The DS is compatible with Game Boy Advance cartridges as well as its own impressive line of game titles.

Sony PSP
Sony's PSP takes a different route than the Nintendo DS, billing itself not only as a handheld gaming console but a portable media center. The PSP sports a 4.3-inch viewing screen, compared with the smaller 3-inch dual LCD screens on the Nintendo DS. The PSP uses an optical disc format, UMD (Universal Media Disk), to store information, rather than the memory sticks and cartridges used in all other handheld consoles to date.

Many studios release major movies in the UMD format, so PSP owners can spend just as much time watching video as playing video games. The PSP is also compatible with Sony's Memory Stick Duo Flash Cards, which makes it easy for PSP users to load music and movies from the PC onto the device. Sony has incorporated upgradeable firmware into the PSP, and periodic firmware updates add functionality to the PSP.

Which System Has Better Games?
Nintendo DS gamers initially had more game titles than PSP players, but Sony made a drive to even the playing field, so now they both have a variety of popular titles. Nintendo has more unique games than the PSP, with popular titles such as Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends, which lets you raise a virtual dog, and familiar franchises including the Mario Kart DS racing game and social-networking game Animal Crossing DS.

Nintendo DS games capture the market for those looking for a unique gaming experience, with games that incorporate the touchscreen and microphone as controllers. Backwards-compatibility with Game Boy Advance provides hundreds of additional games to choose from.

PSP fans find a different approach to gaming in this graphically superior multimedia player. Many PSP games cross over from popular console gaming franchises, including titles such as Need for Speed Underground Rival, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix. The PSP handles more like a traditional gaming console than the Nintendo DS, using a combination of buttons and a directional pad to control games. While the game library isn't as deep, PSP users can find more mature titles and enjoy better graphics.

In the end, the PSP is better suited to action, 3D, sports and racing games, while the Nintendo DS has better options for out-of-the-box thinking in game development, as well as offering controls better suited for the Adventure/RPG and puzzle game genres.

Network Connectivity
Both offer their own versions of network connectivity. The Nintendo DS can connect with other players in the vicinity (within about 100 feet) to compete directly, or players can utilize the WiFi connection to its free online game service to compete with other DS players anywhere in the world. Nintendo uses the Opera Internet Browser to browse the Web.

The PSP, on the other hand, offers a unique Remote Play functionality. Using Remote Play, PSP users can connect to a PlayStation 3 (PS3) to access content stored on the PS3. PSP owners using Remote Play can view photos and video, listen to music, interact with PS3 friends and even play PlayStation One games directly from the handheld console. About the only thing it can't do is play Blu-ray or DVD movies.

Remote Play functionality also turns the PSP into an extension of the PS3 in various PS3 game applications, such as using the PSP as a rear-view mirror in the PS3 game Gran Turismo HD. PSP gamers can also play online with other PSP users, either via a local connection or through WiFi. The PSP includes an embedded microbrowser to surf the Web. The PSP Internet Browser doesn't incorporate all of the features of a standard Web browser, but Sony continues to release updates to firmware to add functionality.

Nintendo DS or Sony PSP?
Ultimately, the choice between the DS and the PSP comes down to how you want to use your system. If you're looking for a unique handheld gaming system with creative new game titles, the DS is a great choice. If you want a graphically impressive handheld multimedia system with traditional console gameplay, the PlayStation Portable is the ideal option. Both systems have room to grow, as game developers look for ways to incorporate Nintendo DS's touchpad and microphone controls and PSP releases new firmware updates to add functionality.