Tech head-to-head
Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101)vsSony PSP-3000
Age hasn't cost the 2005 Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) the lead: it averages 8.2 against 7.4 for the 2008 Sony PSP-3000, and takes Durability 8.4 to 6.8.
Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101)
Nintendo
8.2
The backlit last revision of the SP, and the best stock way to play three generations of Game Boy carts.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.
Sony PSP-3000
Sony
7.4
The last full-size PSP and the best screen in the line. Old batteries and UMD drives are what fail.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.
Where they diverge
The widest gap is Durability, Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) ahead 8.4 to 6.8. They come closest on Value, 7.6 to 7.4. Left of center is Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101), right is Sony PSP-3000.
Which one to pick
Take the Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101)
Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.
- Your library is Game Boy, Color, and Advance cartridges, and you want them on original hardware
- A clamshell that protects its own screen in a bag appeals to you
- You want a console where every wear part costs little and swaps out with one screwdriver
Take the Sony PSP-3000
Leads on Value.
- Your interest is the PSP library itself, from Monster Hunter Freedom Unite to the Persona ports
- A wide single screen for video and games appeals to you
- Your UMD collection already exists, or you're about to build one
Performance scores identically, so that axis can't break the tie.
What each one gets wrong
Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101)
- You want headphones without a dongle, since there is no 3.5mm jack
- The listing cannot prove AGS-101 from the label on the back, because the original front-lit AGS-001 sells for less
Sony PSP-3000
- Photos show a bulging back cover, which means a swollen battery
- Faint horizontal lines on fast motion would bother you, an interlacing effect owners noted on this model's screen
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) | Sony PSP-3000 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 2.9 in TFT, 240×160, backlit | 4.3 in LCD, 480×272 |
| Plays | Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance | — |
| Battery | Rechargeable lithium-ion, user-replaceable | Removable lithium-ion pack |
| Form | Clamshell | — |
| Audio | Mono speaker; headphones need an adapter | — |
| Media | — | UMD discs, Memory Stick PRO Duo |
| Extras | — | Built-in microphone, video out by cable |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- The Sony PSP-3000 is 3 years newer. Why does it score lower?
- Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2005 model takes Durability, Ease of use and Design, widest on Durability at 8.4 to 6.8. Value is where the 2008 model answers, and whether that is enough is the whole question.
- What did the 2008 model improve?
- Value. Value runs 7.6 to 7.4. That is not enough to move the average, which stays 8.2 to 7.4.
- Which one ranks higher in "Retro handhelds: the five worth buying used"?
- Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) sits at #2 in "Retro handhelds: the five worth buying used", Sony PSP-3000 at #4.