Users report screen issues with PSP Brite, Sony investigating

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 20th 2008 at 7:00PM }

The newly released PSP-3000 series should have a better screen than the old 2000 model. Not only does it have an expanded color depth, it's supposed to get rid of the ghosting that plagued every PSP since. While it succeeds, it appears that a new problem has emerged: scan lines, which make things look worse than they did in the 2000 model. A well-populated thread on the PlayStation forum shows the cries of dozens that are reporting the same problem.

Our test unit (which arrived today) also features the same problem. In fact, we're not digging the 3000 model at all. While the colors look nice, we're disappointed by its performance in sunlight. Even worse, the plastic on the new model feels cheaper than ever before.

Sony told Joystiq that they're currently "looking into this." Hopefully, it'll only take a firmware update to fix -- otherwise, many may opt to buy the 2000 series instead.

Tags: psp-3000, psp-brite, scanlines

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Konstantine @ Oct 20th 2008 7:13PM

Ummmm...I have one, and yes, I noticed...But it's not that big an issue. Overall, I still prefer the new screen to the old, the contrast ration difference is gorgeous. I still feel that it was worth the upgrade.

If they fix it, great, if not, so what?

RushX @ Oct 20th 2008 7:15PM

What a logical and well-thought out response. I wasn't expecting that.

Konstantine @ Oct 20th 2008 7:19PM

I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not... D:

Zippon @ Oct 20th 2008 10:01PM

"While the colors look nice, we're disappointed by its performance in sunlight."

I'd love more details pertaining to this statement, since better performance in sunlight was *the* big issue, IMHO.

I took a lot of flak on various forums for pointing out that the original comparison photo that every lemming pointed to in awe was basically worthless. The units were photographed at the same time (meaning the angle of the photo was different for both), and we all know a single degree or two can make a huge difference in brightness on the PSP.

It's a bummer that the brite is having problems, though. I was hoping Sony would knock it out of the park. :-(

Andrew Yoon @ Oct 20th 2008 10:01PM

It's better -- but not significantly better, IMO.

aj @ Oct 20th 2008 7:23PM

But the selling point is that it's got a good screen for playing in sunlight. If that's not the case, then what the deuce?

Konstantine @ Oct 20th 2008 7:31PM

It still works just fine in the sun...

Christopher @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:13AM

@Konstantine
Well, these people seem to think the sunlight performance wasn't up to the promised performance. That seems to be the point.

Lars @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:04PM

They only said it would be "better" in sunlight, not that it would be playable even.

HairyBalls @ Oct 20th 2008 7:26PM

Be keeping that PSP phat...

cafecito @ Oct 20th 2008 9:50PM

That's two of us.

pspfanboy @ Oct 20th 2008 10:01PM

the 3 of us lol i still use my old fat psp and still looks as new as ever , i like takeing care of my stuff :)

Don @ Oct 21st 2008 3:50AM

Honestly, the PSP-2000 is cool, but if you're happy with the original PSP-1000, it's still a great device. I love the added features of the PSP-2000 (especially video out) but if Sony had stayed with the PSP-1000 I'd still be happy.

Now they've gone down this slippery slope of doing annual hardware revisions, each cheaper & worse than the previous build.

xgk3000 @ Oct 21st 2008 5:29PM

4 of us i still ave my fat one but i been messing around it too much, it is still great but i need a external charger cause i blew it out with a 3rd party charger when i didn't have original with me. The fat one is still great tho so durable i dropped it like at least 10 time and everything still good great condition only thing is that the sliver paint around is fainting off by over playing it

Gurls Play Games 2 @ Oct 20th 2008 10:01PM

See, now this the reason why i don't buy electronic devices when they first get released. Shit like this happens. Oh well. I'll buy a PSP-3000 someday, but not today. (maybe in year)

Yan @ Oct 20th 2008 7:48PM

all psp's had the ghosting problem? mines doesnt. the fizzy?

lorddshadow @ Oct 20th 2008 8:18PM

yeah same here...

Vidaluko @ Oct 20th 2008 8:27PM

The thing is, it only happend in some games, not in all of them, but the lines in the PSP-3000 screen is in ALL games....

Jeremy @ Oct 20th 2008 9:35PM

Some people just don't notice the ghosting. If you are one of those, try try looking for it, because once you do notice, it's hard not to anymore.

Yan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:39PM

naw i dont see it. i know my friend's 360 had it and i see it but on my slim psp, i dont have ghosting.

LokeSTL @ Oct 20th 2008 7:58PM

Finally, someone reported on this. Hopefully they will resolve this quickly. I had already cashed in my PSP-1001 a month ago, and pre-ordered the Black 4gb bundle. I should have known better than making a jump like that before an electronic was tested....

rikki @ Oct 20th 2008 8:19PM

Yikes! I don't notice ghosting, but interlacing and the filters used to hide it get on my nerves. :(

I wasn't thinking of upgrading since I already have a Slim, but it sucks that the Brite has a problem like this. Hope it gets fixed in another hardware revision...

nomad @ Oct 20th 2008 8:27PM

Well sony has done it again. pushing k-rap on to the customer. scan lines.cheap plastic bodys,screens that still don't work in sunlight. if they are being made in china instead of japan,theres your problem. the plastic is probally emiting radiation also. well i'm going to wait along time to get the 3000 black untill i see a faverable reveiw.:(

Go fish @ Oct 20th 2008 8:29PM

I noticed this as well. It can be pretty annoying. :\ I'll have to try out some other games to see how far the problem reaches...

Konstantine @ Oct 20th 2008 8:49PM

Can't this be fixed with a simple firmware update? It seems really minor.

jalannom @ Oct 20th 2008 8:58PM

Ha.. up yours Sony.

Invisible Robot Meat @ Oct 20th 2008 10:28PM

Sony (with your money): 'Ha. Up yours, consumer'

xythen @ Oct 20th 2008 9:14PM

Thank you for posting about this issue (and using my pic :P ). The interlacing-style artifacts were the first thing I noticed when I turned my new PSP on, so I'm glad that people are beginning to realise that it's a real issue.

Mr.U2 @ Oct 20th 2008 9:35PM

(slowly losing my confidence and fanboyish attitude towards sony...) :sad face:

andwhyisit @ Oct 20th 2008 9:41PM

I'm surprised you lasted this long.

Someone give this guy a medal.

Wayne @ Oct 21st 2008 2:56AM

I too am losing my PSP fanboy status, slowly buy surely.

Teddy @ Oct 20th 2008 10:51PM

Well, now I don't feel so bad about having an "inferior" display on my PSP-2001.

Let's face it, getting a good display on your PSP, DS Lite, iPod or notebook these days is almost like winning the lotto, especially on a "new" model. Too many cheap, inferior panels going around in Chinese factories these days.

DoubleD @ Oct 20th 2008 10:57PM

I got the new psp-3000 on the release date, and looks fine, if you to really want to get picky then yes there are fine lines. Possible this is due to the enhanced screen, plus the anti-glare may have some effect on this? Who knows, Looks fine to me? I don't know if a firmware would be able to fix the refresh or led control of the screen?
Oh well, I'm a sucker for not waiting... X-(
We'll see if sony does anything or sweeps under the carpet.

David @ Oct 21st 2008 5:04PM

The only way you notice is if you put your face 1 inch from the screen and look really closely. Or you blow up the image in a way you never would see it. 99% of people will never notice it and the increase in color and lcd speed is awesome! Take this from somebody who owns and uses a PSP-3000 and has used the others.

jon @ Oct 20th 2008 11:20PM

ahaha, my fat psp is the best! i was thinking about buying the new model, but after seeing my friends brand spanking new psp i decided not to upgrade. Not only does the new model feel very CHEAP! but also we did notice the scan lines. SONY! FAILED.

Virtuous @ Oct 20th 2008 11:43PM

I was wrong. There was something after all to see, actually to be avoided.

PaperShambler @ Oct 20th 2008 11:59PM

Wow! i just got my new looking psp back from sony today. (2001 model) i got mine cheap from gamestop with problems from either defects or negligence. and did the whole process of sending it in.

sorry to say, i feel kinda glad this happened. just cause i didnt rush out and buy the new one. now im so proud of my psp. (kisses psp)

Brandon @ Oct 21st 2008 12:06AM

Now that I have looked for it on my psp I do see. Especially in fast moving objects in video. I am wondering whether it is software or hardware. My inclination is to think its a software issue, hopefully fixable with a firmware update. At any rate, if it is hardware, we are all well within warranty to get it fixed for free.

nomad @ Oct 21st 2008 12:29AM

Hey Andrew,do you see these lines bigger when you play the psp on a tv? looks like shit on it i bet,lol.

pixelator @ Oct 21st 2008 7:43AM

Wow, thanks! This was all I needed - definitely no PSP 3000 for me. IN fact, maybe no more PSP at this point. Sad, but Sony has killed the system (in the USA) as effectively as if they had told all their customers to F-off.

And cheaper plastic with crap screen problems like this is exactly like saying that very thing.

Warner Young @ Oct 21st 2008 7:42AM

Yeah, I noticed the interlacing when I got my 3000, but I only saw it on static screens if I rolled the screen around at different angles. Actually playing videos and games, it's not that noticeable, at least to me. Whereas on my old Phat, the ghosting was VERY noticeable to me.

I guess this is kind of subjective, or depends on some difference in people's eyes. Sort of like how I can't wear glasses with polycarbonate lenses, because I can see little rainbows around everything, but a friend of mine can't see them at all.

Lars @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:50PM

Funny you mention the glasses thing, I feel the same way. I've been talked into the poly lenses twice and I can't stand them. The rainbows are annoying, but even worse is the quality. The last time they said they had been improved so much that they were virtually identical to glass (very difficult to scratch, easy to clean) except they weight a lot less. Yeah right, I accidentally dropped them in sand a month later and they were all scratched up from it.

Warner Young @ Oct 21st 2008 2:05AM

I don't know. I can kind of see the interlacing in some cases, mostly when the screen image is static and I move the PSP around. It's almost unnoticeable in videos and games, though, at least to me. The ghosting on my old Phat was much more noticeable.

Possibly a subjective thing, where it's much more noticeable to some people than others.

TM @ Oct 21st 2008 9:59AM

after seeing this I'm thankful that I still have my phat. Maybe someday I'll get this if they fix it. I still would like that 4 gig bundle

lemonskirt @ Oct 21st 2008 11:28AM

speaking of ghosting does anybody else NOT mind it? i think i'm in the minority here but i think it's kind of.... stylish lol

Lars @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:13PM

Usually I don't mind it at all. There are a few games where it's very noticeable and pretty annoying though. God of War is kind of on the edge for me. I notice it but it doesn't affect the game too much, it just bugs me that I notice it.

Barts @ Oct 21st 2008 2:19PM

Heh, I was warning everybody to trust their own eyes, not internet hype when buying these things. And I seem to had been right:

http://www.bartsnews.net/2008/10/but-i-did-bloody-tell-you.html

Dr Haisook @ Oct 21st 2008 12:54PM

The PSP-2000 already feels too cheap. You're saying the 3000 feels even cheaper?! If so, then Sony's doing a big mistake. When the word Sony comes to my mind, I reflexly think QUALITY. My PSP-1000, though also made in China, was a quality product. My PSP-2000 faceplate just sucks. Does anyone else gets bothered by the annoyingly attacked faceplate?