Portable gaming: iPhone, iPod Touch, DSi, or PSP?

The Nintendo DSi

Now that Nintendo has released the DSi, every portable gaming system now supports--in one way or another--downloadable content. Whether you're downloading apps from the Apple App Store or transferring PSP games from the PlayStation Network, it's clear digital distribution is the future of entertainment.

With all of these options, you may ask yourself "which portable gaming device is right for me?" If you're the casual gamer who wants everything in one device, you may want to check out an iPhone or an iPod Touch.

More serious gamers can get their fixes with a much more gamer-centric experience with a PSP or DSi. Not ready for the world of downloadable games? The DS Lite is still your most affordable option at $130.

Let our portable gaming product comparison feature help you out in your decision-making process. Based on games alone, what is your pick for the best portable gaming experience?

[kingrah1]

Easy choice, iPhone all the way. Needs more games though, and the good games need more levels.

[iroq321]

funny how you say "easy choice" although you have those complaints. if you want more games and more leveles within those games, there are better choices out there.

[TechnoMan475392]

I agree with you, kingrah1, but would rather have the iPod touch 2G, because the processor is just that little bit faster.
Then again, I could be biased...I use my iPod over my DS Lite 99.9% of the time.

[sadavyk]

You must be retarded? yes the I-phone have games but only mobile like games the psp and Nintendo are far more better for gamers and you said it yourself lol

[Rod Roddy]

Wrong! Sorry kids this is a battle Apple may want to stay out of, I've played "games" on the iPhone, they are simplistic and the graphics FAIL to compete with Sony and Nintendo. Apple should continue concentrate on Apps. For instance an app that will recommend the best PSP or DS games.

[rnaoncfixd]

@ sadavyk
To be honest, DS games have really kind of felt like those mobile games. The only ones that really stand out for it is the Guitar Hero games. Professor Layton is really just a bunch of mini games that could easily be found on a couple apps from the iTunes store. The thing that really sets the iPhone and the iPod Touch against the DS and PSP is the inclusion of the accelerometer and its integration into some of the games. It leads itself into a button-less type of game that could be more innovative for developers to utilize.
Also, how much are DS games? $20-40? App games usually cost $4-10; some are even for free.

@Rod Roddy
Graphics aren't everything. I remember when the DS first came out, people were comparing it to the PSP and everyone said that the PSP would "pwn" DS. This appears to be quite the opposite because of the neat innovations that developers were able to create on the DS. Both of the Apple products can provide just as much innovation, if not more.
The PSP does have games that feature a greater amount of depth, but as far as the DS goes, they're pretty much a bunch of mini-games that the iPhone and iPod Touch have access to through the app store. RPG's and certain shooters/simulators prove to be the edge that both the PSP and the DS have on the Apple products, but that gap could easily be narrowed with the upcoming capabilities of the new iPhone.

[tappy727]

Easy choice if the game is solitaire.

[rnaoncfixd]

Only if there was like, a game that I could sweep mines for.

[GlennW007]

Some discount DS games go for $10 or less. Watch for sales at ToysRUs, Target, WalMart, Best Buy, (no Circuit City or Comp USA). Highest price games are $39.

For the price, a lot depends on what kind of games you like. Nintendo has learned to sell to a wider market, with Brain Age & others that my 86yr old mother can play. Clubhouse Games has a nice collection of old board games + bowling & some others.

We may have to wait till the fall to see if the new Madden Football can take advantage of higher processor speeds?

[Jeremy Chappell]

For me, it's the DS (now the DSi). I have the PSP, but Sony got that wrong.

They aimed for a "PS2" experience - they got that. But that's not what portable gaming is about. The PSP can do a PS2 epic on the move, but do you really want that? The PSP has the long load times of a PS2, on the PS2 this is OK, you're sat there, you don't mind the occasional wait. In a portable it's a major pain. The battery life on my (first gen) PSP isn't so hot either. As for the single analog stick, two things: why is it so useless, why is it alone? Great screen though.

The iPhone/iPod Touch (I have an iPod Touch) was never designed as a gaming platform - and it shows. Yes it does it quite well, and yes it adds a great deal to the device. But it's only ever going to be "the other thing it can do", never the main event. Don't get me wrong they are great products, but they're not primarily gaming devices.

The DS is all about the games. It's not about the hardware, it's about the games. Metroid Prime, Mario 64 DS and so many others make for a top notch PORTABLE gaming platform. This is quick gaming, fun in the palm of your hand. Nintendo understand portable gaming better than anyone else, and it's not about geewhizz hardware, it's about great games.

[rkinne01]

I have an I-Pod Touch and a PSP and for me the PSP is a better platform. As much as I like my I -Pod, i prefer to use a controller rather than tilt or touch screen controls. Tilt can be frustrating hard to get precise control and while your fingers are on the touch screen they can block your play field area.

Nintendo is too....childish for me. They need to retire Mario and come up with something new and fresh instead of rehashing the same games over and over (ie. Mario, Pokemon).

[iroq321]

for me it's a toss-up between the DS and PSP depending on what type of game i'm in the mood for. these two are portable gaming devices first and everything else second. the Touch and iPhone don't even have actual buttons, how much in-depth of a game will you get out of those?

agreed. some games just need buttons, and I sometimes find my self aggravated by it. but the ipod touch is not, nor was it intended to be, a game system. yes, you can play games on it, and some are pretty good, but if you want something more than a distraction on your morning train ride, you should get a DS (or a PSP, even, although I prefer nintendo's handheld).

[GlennW007]

100 million DS with a large library of games. DSi if you don't need the GBA slot.

[freddflynn]

The PSP can walk over everything else there.
As has been said, a device without any actual buttons can never be a gaming machine, and the DS is archaic.
The new DSi ads could just as easily be for the original PSP-1000. (I'd know, i've got one)
There is but the one thing the DSi has over a PSP and that is the extra stuff like built-in camera (PSP's is snap-in), and motion sensor...

[sahilk]

i dont really understand your logical:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKkOhMqVhY

[sahilk]

logic*
bad english ftl

[runE Star]

I'm still waiting for the PS9 :)

[dalurkersteve]

I have a ds, psp, and iphone. Frankly I don't even use the PSP or DS anymore. The iPhone is flatout the most exciting wireless console out there right now. The psp used to be my favorite but has had a gaping whole in exciting new games since GoW. And the DS had got a nice selection of games as well with a solid interface but it just seems like there is a lot more to be excited about with the appstore now. For every one game that comes out on the DS to be excited about there are 10 on the iphone. True the iphone has mostly bad games right now, but the upward trend of premium games and developers entering the appstore is extremely exciting. :) Guess we'll have to see how nintendo's store does in the coming months

[ark_v2]

I love using my iPod for general tasks, but for portable gaming? Ha! good joke. No buttons, no deal.

Everyone keeps talking about how you can't play games without buttons. Well, how can you play games without an accelerometer? Bowling on the itouch is like bowling on the wii. You can steer racing games. How can you play games without a touch screen? Two player air hockey is a fun use of the touch screen, so is ESPN's photo game. Have you tried any of the tap tap games (like console guitar hero, but with finger touch0. It is SO fun. And you play against others over the wifi.

It depends on the game, and you can't compare until you've played a *variety* of games on all the devices.

you can play games without buttons, just not ones that are more involving than guitar hero or tap hockey. ever try playing cube ( a shooter for the iphone/touch)? it's downright painful. anything in a 3-d world suffers terribly from the lack of buttons, and guitar hero is fun, for me anyway, because of the game AND the interface. anything short of a guitar-shaped controller isn't worth it.

[masonkid1]

Its PSP all the way for me. The iPhone is great, don't get me wrong, but you can really only do so much with the controls. For example, a game like Resistance Retribution simply could not have taken place on the iPhone because there are too many actions that the player can preform and the one touch screen and accelerometer can't do it all without dropping a function or two. The DSi is cool, but the games are geared way too much toward casual gamers, and I'm not a casual gamer.

[redbaaron123]

You said it all. Overall the psp is definetly the best mobile gaming device BECAUSE: when people talk about games they mean games with a story or replayability. In my opinion iPhone games are simplistic, but addictive. I own an iPod touch and a psp and there is no competition in the games whatsoever. The iPhone games achieve what they want, which is to put a decent small game on an iPhone. But really, there are almost no apps that feature indepth gameplay as a psp. I belive a ds falls in between them.

SO THE VERDICT IS: hardcore gamers or people who want a great gaming device and good multimedia features to round it out buy the psp.

If you want a good gaming device with smaller games and a camera go for the ds.

And if you want a superior multimedia device with great overall features but simple games you get an iPhone.

My favorite games are:
PSP- Syphon filter dark mirror
iPod touch- flight control
I do not own a ds.

[hslakaal]

I just wish people would stop saying the iPhone and the iPod Touch as 'game consoles'. I mean come on, they are portable media players/phone not a gaming device. Sure, it has an accelerometer, some good games but what was the main purpose behind the iPhone? It was designed as a phone, or even in a broader sense, an entertainment device, not a gaming console. i am not saying that the iPhone isn't a great device but I just simply don't see the point of it being considered a gaming console. Why aren't other phones with games not gaming consoles then?

yeah, what about the n-gage? :P

[sadavyk]

only because your a very simple person lol you player 2d games over 3d monkey stilly monkey

[romodoc]

iPhone/iPod are not gaming consoles, I agree with hslakaal. I have a DS lite and iPod touch. there is no comparison. iPod is not ergonomic, the only confortable way to hold it will be obstructing most of the edges of the screen. and even worse when touching it, stylus is much better, more acurate and less distracting, works every time. now, as far as games. I would compare iPod games maybe to the mini-games included in REAL games for the DS, and that is it. no way a iPod game can compete with the real games for DS or PSP.
Those going for the iPhone are those who play mostly tap games like tap defence or jelly car etc. I am and old school and play mostly games like Zelda, Mario, Ninja gaiden and Metroid in my DS, and haven't seen anything like it for iPhone. And as far as the PSP is concerned, well I think its a great console and the screen is awesome but my game prefferences will always make me go towards nintendo.

[kmancetlics]

you idiot! when you said ''and havent seen anything like it for the iphone'' what do you mean! Zelda, Mario and all those games are made from apples competiters. I think the ipod is the best device for a few reasons. 1: it looks way better and can fit in your pocket. 2: the games are way cheaper.3:accelerometer:4 the display is much better and higher resolution.

[DDJAM4]

kmancetlics,
yes looks determine if a device is a better gaming machine, games may be cheap but they suck, the accelerometer + game = people moving around like idiots.

[romodoc]

kmancetlics
Yes that is what I said. and when you read "anything like it" The word "like" refers to similarity rather than an identity, but that will confuse you even more so let me give some examples: "you can like a human but comprehend like a monkey" See I know that you are not in fact a monkey but your comprehension is "LIKE" or similar too, or approaching to the one a monkey would have if it could read.
Having said that and crossing my fingers you got my point, bye "anything like that" I meant the general features on those games, the complexity of the levels, the multiple and escalating features of the characters, multiple levels, and just overall good games, games that you look forward to get back to play whenever you have spare time.
Like DDJAM4 say looks and cheap games doesn't make better games, accelerometer is OK in your living room. in a portable device just makes you look stupid. High resolution is OK, but even better than that is a Dual Screen one you can touch, the other you can watch. Peace be with you.
PS. I wasn't crossing my fingers and typing. Is just an expression.

[zhakidd532]

The platforms really aren't comparable. The iPhone/iPod Touch have smaller games that can entertain you for a few minutes. The PSP and DSi have full length games. I have a Touch and I love the games on it, but they're not the same thing as on my DS.

[BillJr106]

If you are going to even consider the iPhone as a gaming machine, then you have to throw in the Touch Pro, the Touch Diamond, every Windows Mobile Pocket PC, all Blackberry's, as well as any cell phone ever made! (( black and white cell phone game Snake rocks!! ))

[MrMurder]

The iPod and iPhone are faster than both the DSi and the PSP 3000. They also use only touch based controls for games. I have a PSP, and it has defective buttons.

[dizzygill]

I have an iPod Touch and a PSP. i like the Touch and use it often for quick games like Solitaire or Mancala.

However, the PSP is definitely a better gaming system. The games available are richer in genre and content. It's control interface is the best now available for a mobile gaming system.

It can also hold its own against the Touch as an entertainment system. It is able to play MP3 and WMA (non DRM) files, as well as play movies. I have a few on UMD, but transcode many from DVD.

It can even be used as a Skype phone when there is a wireless connection available.

All of them have their strengths, but the PSP is the best overall.

[wiisixty]

You didn't fill in anything in the feature
but iphone and DSi ftw!

[onemodog]

PSP.
iPhone/Touch good for some games but for GAMING, PSP is solid.

[bigmc6000]

Some of these comments are just hilarious. iPod/iPhone games only entertain for a few mins??? Check out Real Soccer 2009, I can't even tell you the dozens of hours of game play I've gotten out of that and the graphics are good, game play is good, they've even got the names and stats of virtually every soccer player out there. Now I'll agree a lot of iPod/iPhone games are short lived but some of them are really entertaining with replay value. Combine that with the low price tag and it's a win I think. Combine that with the 3.0 software that will work with external devices I'm pretty sure we're going to see a PSP like attachment that wraps around the iPod/iPhone to give it 6-ish button and a d-pad and/or analogue stick. Also, the processor in the iPhone is fast enough to handle all the DS games and all but the most expansive PSP games (at least for now, iPhone v3 might remedy that situation, also note the PSPs processor is slower but it's graphics engine is much better hence the disparity between the two).

So, I'm going with the iPod/iPhone when you realize that you don't have to pay $30+ for every single game and you don't have to walk around with any cartridges or discs. Paying $30+ for a game is what has kept me out of the DS & PSP market because I need more than just 1 game to entertain me - even the little cheapo 99 cent games for the iPhone/iPod are a nice fix for, say, a train ride or something. It all depends on what kind of games you like...

[ywkhgqo]

when the game you come up with is a sports game, then yes you just proved apple has simplistic games. People play solitataire for hours on end but that doesn't make your computer a good gaming machine. Considering the touch is way more expensive, and you don't get game likes god of war on the touch, i'm going with the PSP.

the touch games are good for when i need to kill five minutes sitting on the toilet. I will play my PSP on a long train or plane ride though.
and you mention the disks/cartridges, which neither the new PSP or dsi need to play games, so your arguement is flawed there since both systems can now download games to REMOVABLE memory cards. What happens when you fill up with your touch? (along with all of the other apps and music you have) Your stuck with the memory you have. Not so on the PSP or DSi

I'm with you.

ywkhgqo, do you have any idea how many typical ipod games you can fit on 8 gig? 16 gig? 32 gig? I've got about 50 and it hasn't even made a dent. And nearly all of them were free. Several of them I've played for many hours (like tap tap games and strategy games)

[bigmc6000]

ywkhgpo, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about when you say sports games point out how simplistic the iPod/iPhone games are. Madden and FIFA are two of the top 10 selling franchises in history with over 70 million and 65 millions copies sold. So, yeah, not sure what you're after with that.

Ok, great, instead of walking around with cartridges you get to walk around with memory cards - how many people actually, honest to God, buy 3-4 8GB memory cards? Really? yeah, it's nice in theory to have "unlimited" storage but in practical application it just doesn't happen. I'll take the default 16GB iPod over the standard installed memory of the PSP. Also, fwiw, from the PSP description "UMD discs hold 1.8 GB for epic games and full-length movies." Epic games huh? Well I guess the iPod/iPhone could hold 3 to about 15 of them all at once. How many "epic" games do you really need??

[DDJAM4]

Wow one good game sounds like its a great gaming machine. Free games huh yea I have seen some of those, you get what you pay for. I guess you can be uber cool when the 'attachment' comes out and send another $100 while losing the portability and sleekness of the phone. As well you hardly ever have to pay $30+ a game in fact if you do you are a sucker and no I am not talking illegal downloads.

[bottle12am]

I love my PSP, although the current game drought has me concerned. (From what I understand, most game co's were giving up on the PSP just as the unit was gaining serious momentum in stores. The problem should be rectified come Christmas).

That being said, I have been sneaking time on my kids' DS's. Once one gets over the stigma that it's a 'kids' system, there is a lot of great stuff for us older gamers (Advance Wars, Retro Game Challenge, GTA Chinatown, etc).

If you're an adult and can hold out til winter, check out what the PSP has to offer. If you need a quick fix now, screw the stigma of the DS kiddie audience and check out the DS library.

[pooyan69]

If you are a casual gamer...the Apple soultion would most likely suit you.
If you like your games with depth and better play not too mention visuals and sound, a dedicated portable like the DS or PSP should be the choice.