Nintendo’s latest handheld game is the Nintendo DSi, which was released in April 2009, but can it hold its own against Sony PSP, another handheld game that received its original release in 2004?

Sony PSP stands for Sony PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DSi stands for Digital System Individual.

In the graphics department, the PSP 3000 wows the gamer with sharp colors and post-PS1 graphics. The Nintendo DSi stays true to its Nintendo roots while still being fun and cartoony, which is great for Mario but not so great for powering the new generation of modern gaming.

In the controls department, the Nintendo DSi is compact, with no drastic button changes from the Nintendo DS Lite, save for dual touchscreens for upper-limit stylus battles. While the Sony PSP 3000 has a very useful built-in joystick and side buttons, the designer couldn’t add a second analog stick to the large space on the right side that could unlock and less gameplay possibilities.

When it comes to screens, the Sony PSP 3000 is a larger anti-glare screen that allows the player to play in daylight (the previous console kept a lot of people up at night because that was the best time to play) and it also produces more colors, so the image is more detailed and sharper in all types of light. For the Nintendo DSi, the screens are about 17% larger and both are touch interactive. The Nintendo DSi owner can also purchase a plug-in light for added visibility.

The DSi has a store with thousands of games that one can download, as well as buy actual game cartridges, where the Sony PSP 3000 has several big-name titles to its credit, such as Rock Band and Assassins Creed; however, the Nintendo DSi Mario, Indiana Jones, Brain Training, and Star Wars franchises will always be the big winners.

In this latest incarnation of the Nintendo DS, it has two cameras, which is a nice bonus, although it falls short at just 0.3 megapixels for the player-facing camera and VGA quality. The Sony PSP 3000 comes with a built-in microphone that you can use on Skype or record your own voice with music or listen to music from the Internet while playing games. With the Sony PSP 3000, one could subscribe to Go! and watch TV and then buy add-ons like Go! Cam or Go! Explore GPS.

Sony’s PSP is marketed to a more adult age group, ages 20-35 or a more serious gamer or someone who wants a portable gaming system and to be able to watch TV when not playing. While the Nintendo DSi could be considered more of a portable game for children; however, the Nintendo DSi has reached a larger audience through its series of Brain Training games for those adults who are concerned about their brain health. The Hello Kitty accessory collection doesn’t help in the case of adults who use the Nintendo DSi.

Overall, both consoles seem to have something for everyone and it’s going to come down to things like how attractive one is over the other and how it feels in the hand for hours at a time. Also, in the long run, the ability to “easily” download new games directly to the console will also have a huge impact on DSI and PSP sales.