Analysts predict that the PSP's long-term prospects are good, but where the iPod is praised for its stunning ease of use, some PSP players have told Reuters that games are slow to load on the device and that its left thumb-operated mini joystick can be awkward to master.
Clearly there is not the intoxication or hysteria that there is with the iPod, said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, who is among those betting on the PSP's success.
Sony Computer Entertainment America President and Chief Executive Kaz Hirai told Reuters in October the company's goal is to double its install base by selling between 2.5 million and 3 million additional PSPs in North America by year end.