In an age when handheld gaming was often seen as secondary to cendanabet home consoles, the PSP challenged that notion head-on. When it launched, many were skeptical about how closely portable games could match their console counterparts. But it didn’t take long for the PSP to prove that its games weren’t just lighter versions—they were fully-fledged experiences that held their own in terms of quality, depth, and innovation.

Games like Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, Gran Turismo, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep showcased just how far PSP games could go. These weren’t stripped-down adaptations but rather impressive standalone titles that embraced the hardware’s strengths. Even graphically, the PSP pushed boundaries, delivering visuals that rivaled what had been seen on the PS2 just a few years earlier.

This trend elevated the PlayStation brand in portable gaming, and it shaped expectations moving forward. Developers began to see the PSP not as a compromise, but as an opportunity. Its unique form factor and multimedia capabilities opened up new gameplay possibilities, allowing for innovation that often fed back into the PlayStation ecosystem.

In retrospect, the PSP was a bold experiment that succeeded in delivering some of the best games ever made for a handheld device. Its impact lives on in every hybrid system and mobile-compatible title that tries to bridge the gap between console and portability.