December 10, 2004
Sony Executives Admit Battery Life Smokescreen
This is pathetic that Sony now admits the initial 4-6 hour battery life number for the PSP was based on playing a simple card game with the screen dimmed, speakers turned off, and with no wireless features. No wonder Nintendo is now beating its chest on the DS sales.The PSP will also have to solve some technical challenges, most notably concerns about battery life. Sony estimates that a fully charged PSP battery will be good for four to six hours of game playing. But Sony Computer Entertainment President Ken Kutaragi acknowledged in a Japanese press interview last month that those estimates were for playing a simple puzzle or card game with the screen dimmed, speakers turned off and wireless connectivity disabled. Turn on all the bells and whistles and load up a graphically complex racing game, and the battery will drain faster. Nintendo's market-leading Game Boy Advance SP, by contrast, runs for more than 10 hours between charges. The Sony representative said the company was confident the PSP's battery would be sufficient for most owners, but spare battery packs will be available.
