The PSP didn't really work out as planned for Sony. It was designed to weaken Nintendo's commanding grasp on the handheld gaming space, but it ended up falling well short of those goals due to a number of problems. The most glaring of those problems was software support. While the PSP saw plenty of shoddy ports of console games, the great titles were few and far between. In recent years, just one or two must-play titles would come to the PSP a year, hastening its obsolescence.
Which begs the question, why would Sony even bother trying this again? Well, for one thing, they're Sony. And for another, they think the NGP (Next Generation Portable, a temporary name) is the way of the future. Having spent a couple of hours playing through a number of the NGP's games, it's clear that Sony's got another technological marvel on their hands. But are amazing graphics enough to convince the world that they need to carry another gaming device ever day? That's a harder question to answer.
THE DEVICE
I'll admit it: When I first saw screenshots of the NGP, it looked absolutely massive. Hell, even when you watch someone else hold the device, it looks huge, like it would require Hulk-like upper body strength or some sort of pulley system to keep the thing upright.
Which is why I was pleasantly surprised upon picking it up and found it not only easy to hold but incredibly light and comfortable. It rested naturally in my hands, allowing easy access to the two analog sticks, face buttons and triggers. It felt more comfortable than the PSP ever did and was the first indication that Sony's learned at least one lesson.
The unfortunate side of this is that there was no battery in the NGPs that were on display. They were hooked up to development systems via power and data cables. Considering the graphical power of the device, it'll likely require a beefy battery to keep it going for longer than an hour, and that might throw off the pleasantly minimalist weight.
THE TOUCH SCREENS
The NGP has two touch screens. The first is obvious: it's the large screen that's pointing at you with all the pretty pictures. Many of the games I tried at the preview event took advantage of this front touch screen, letting you select items, attack enemies or change weapons with a quick tap of the screen. It worked fine for button taps, but when it came to dragging objects using the touch screen, it felt considerably less responsive than, say, an iPad, or even a Nintendo DS.
And then there's the other touch screen. It's not so much a screen as it is a panel on the back of the device which is touch sensitive. The placement is undoubtedly weird and almost all of the games that made use of the back touch panel did so at their own peril. Here's the issue: a touch screen basically requires some level of precision. Touch in a specific place to get the outcome you want, right? But if the touch screen is on the back, touching in a specific place is impossible because you don't know precisely where your fingers are. It also has the same dragging precision issues as the front touch screen.
The only game that made passable use of the back touch panel was "Wipeout 2048," which divided the back panel into two halves, with one half being accelerate and the other being break. In that instance, it worked fine...even if it was completely unnecessary, given the face buttons.