The PSP Go: Sony's first all-digital console that failed 17 years ago

Summary

This article looks back at Sony's PlayStation Portable Go (PSP Go), released 17 years ago, which was Sony's first attempt at an all-digital handheld gaming console. The device featured a sliding design, 16GB of internal storage, Bluetooth support, and no UMD drive — meaning games could only be downloaded digitally. The article explores why the PSP Go failed: it launched at a high $249 price point, existing PSP owners couldn't play their physical UMD collections on it, digital game prices were often higher than physical copies, and the PlayStation Store was still immature. The device sold poorly and was discontinued quickly. The article draws parallels to later Sony decisions like the PS4 Pro and PS5 Pro, and notes how the all-digital approach eventually became more viable with the PS5 Digital Edition, though Sony's aggressive digital-only strategies continue to frustrate some consumers.

Source

bskyThe PSP Go: Sony's first all-digital console that failed 17 years agopolygon.com