Comparison of Handheld Gaming Consoles

This is a comparison of the features of various handheld game consoles that exist.

General Information

  Manufacturer First public release date Product line Cost (USD)
GP2X GamePark Holdings November 9, 2005 (Korea Only, Expected November 14 for outside Korea) GPH FX-x00 $185
Game Boy Micro Nintendo September 13, 2005 Game Boy $100
Gizmondo Gizmondo October, 2005 Gizmondo $229-$400 (depending on advertising subsidies)
PlayStation Portable Sony Computer Entertainment December 2, 2004 Sony PSP $200 (regular - Japan only) $250 (value pack - Japan, U.S.) and approx. $250(value pack UK/EU) $299 (PSP Giga Pack USA)
Nintendo DS Nintendo November 21, 2004 Nintendo DS $130
Pocket Famicom Gametech 20?? Pocket Famicom $80
Nokia N-Gage QD Nokia July 27, 2004 N-Gage $0-$245 (depending on cell provider subsidies)
Timetop Gameking 2 Timetop Unknown , 2004 Gameking $15-$30 (depending on retailer's subsidies and special offers)
GP32 GamePark June 2004 GP32 $239
Tapwave Zodiac Tapwave November 1, 2003 Zodiac Discontinued (Launch: $300-400, depending on configuration)
Nokia N-Gage Nokia October 7, 2003 N-Gage Discontinued (Launch: $300)
Game Boy Advance SP Nintendo March 23, 2003 Game Boy $79
Timetop Gameking Timetop Unknown , 2003 Gameking $10-$20 (depending on retailer's subsidies and special offers)
Swan Crystal Bandai November 16, 2002 WonderSwan Discontinued (Launch: $65)
Game Boy Advance Nintendo March 21, 2001 Game Boy Discontinued (Launch: $100)
WonderSwan Color Bandai December 30, 2000 WonderSwan Discontinued (Launch: $65)
WonderSwan Bandai 1999 WonderSwan Discontinued
Game Boy Color Nintendo October 23, 1998 Game Boy Discontinued (Launch: $79) [1]
Neo-Geo Pocket Color SNK 1999 Neo-Geo Discontinued (Launch: $69?)[2]
Neo-Geo Pocket SNK 1998 Neo-Geo Discontinued (Launch: $69?)[3]
Game.com Tiger Electronics 1997 Game.com Discontinued (Launch: $59-$69)[4]
Game Boy Light Nintendo 1997 (Japan Only) Game Boy Discontinued (Launch: $?)
Game Boy Pocket Nintendo 1996 Game Boy Discontinued (Launch: $59) [5]
Sega Nomad Sega October 1995 Sega Nomad Discontinued (Launch: $180)
Watara Supervision Watara 1992 Supervision Discontinued (Launch: $50) [6]
Atari Lynx II Atari 1991 Lynx Discontinued
Game Gear Sega October 6, 1990 Game Gear Discontinued (Launch: $149) [7]
TurboExpress NEC 1990 TurboExpress Discontinued (Launch: $300) [8]
Atari Lynx Atari 1990 Lynx Discontinued (Launch: $179-$199) [9]

[10]
Game Boy Nintendo April 21, 1989 Game Boy Discontinued (Launch: $109) [11]
Microvision Milton Bradley Company 1979 Microvision Discontinued
  Manufacturer First public release date Product line Cost (USD)

Specifications

  Main processor Main processor Main memory Storage Video memory
GP2X ARM920T and ARM940T 200mHz and 200mHz 64MB SDRAM, 64MB NAND RAM SD Memory Cards, NAND RAM  ?
Game Boy Micro Sharp ARM7TDMI 16.78 MHz 32 KB, 256 KB external None 96 KB
Gizmondo ARM9 400 MHz 64 MB 64 MB flash (shared with program stack), SD slot N/A
PlayStation Portable 2x MIP R4000 333 MHz 8 MB EDRAM Memory Stick Duo Slot, UMD Universal Media Disc 2 MB EDRAM
Nintendo DS ARM9 and ARM7TDMI 67 MHz and 33 MHz 4 MB SRAM None 656 KB
Nokia N-Gage QD ARM9 104 MHz 3.4 MB 4 MB flash, MMC slot N/A
Timetop Gameking 1 & 2 65C02 6 MHz Unknown None N/A


GP32 ARM920T 133 MHz 8 MB SDRAM SmartMedia 8?128 MB  ?
Tapwave Zodiac Motorola i.Mxi ARM9 297 MHz 32 MB or 128 MB 32 MB or 128 MB (shared with program stack), 2 SD slots 8 MB
Nokia N-Gage ARM9 104 MHz 3.4 MB, 32-128 MB exernal 4 MB flash, MMC slot N/A
Game Boy Advance SP Sharp ARM7TDMI and Z80 16.78 MHz and 4.194 MHz 32 KB, 256 KB external None 96 KB
Game Boy Advance Sharp ARM7TDMI and Z80 16.78 MHz and 4.194 MHz 32 KB, 256 KB external None 96 KB
Swan Crystal SPGY-1002 3.072 MHz 512 KB None  ?
WonderSwan Color SPGY-1002 3.072 MHz 512 KB None  ?
WonderSwan          
Game Boy Color Z80 4 MHz (single), 8 MHz (double) 32 KB, 128 KB external None 16 KB
Neo-Geo Pocket Color Toshiba TLCS900H 6.144 MHz 64 KB None 12 KB
Neo-Geo Pocket Toshiba TLCS900H 6.144 MHz 64 KB None 12 KB
Game.com Sharp 8-Bit CPU  ?  ? None  ?
Game Boy Light Z80 4.194 MHz 8 KB None 8 KB
Game Boy Pocket Z80 4.194 MHz 8 KB None 8 KB
Sega Nomad Motorola M68000 & Zilog Z80 7.67 MHz & 4 MHz 64 KB None 64KB
Watara Supervision 8-bit 65C02 or M65C02 VLSI processor 4 MHz Varied by Model [12]  ?  ?
Atari Lynx II Mikey & Suzy (2 16-bit custom CMOS chips) 16 MHz & 16 MHz 64 KB DRAM, 128-512 KB External None
Game Gear Zilog Z80 (8 bit) 3.58 MHz 64Kbits   64 KB
TurboExpress Custom 6820 (NEC) 7.195090 MHz 64 KB None  ?
Game Boy Z80 4.194304 MHz 8 KB internal, 256 KB - 8 MB external None 8 KB
Atari Lynx Mikey & Suzy (2 16-bit custom CMOS chips) 16 MHz & 16 MHz 64 KB DRAM, 128-512 KB External None  
Microvision Intel 8021/TI TMS1100 (on cartridge) 100 kHz 16 bytes, integrated into CPU N/A N/A
  Main processor Clock speed Main memory Storage Video memory
  Controller Game media Display Resolution Colors
GP2X analog stick Secure_Digital Memory Cards 3.5" Backlit TFT LCD 320 x 240 260,000 colors
Game Boy Micro D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2 in. LCD 240 x 160 32,768 colors
Gizmondo Four-directional digital pad SD card or downloadable 2.8 in. LCD 240 x 320 65,536 colors
PlayStation Portable Four-directional digital pad, analog thumbstick UMD or memory stick 4.3 in. LCD 480 x 272 16.77 million colors
Nintendo DS D-pad, stylus-driven touchscreen Proprietary matrix memory cartridges Two 3 in. LCDs 256 x 192 (X2) 260,000 colors
Nokia N-Gage QD Four-directional digital pad MMC or downloadable 2.1 in. LCD 176 x 208 4,096 colors
Timetop Gameking 1 & 2 Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2.1 in. Reflective LCD (Backlit in Gameking 2). 48 x 32 4 shades of gray
GP32 Four-directional digital pad Rewritable SmartMedia 3.5 in. TFT 320 x 240 65,536 colors
Tapwave Zodiac 8-directional digital thumbstick, stylus-driven touchscreen SD card or downloadable 3.8 in. LCD 480 x 320 65,536 colors
Nokia N-Gage Four-directional digital pad MMC or downloadable 2.1 in. LCD 176 x 208 4,096 colors
Game Boy Advance SP D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2.9 in. LCD 240 x 160 32,768 colors
Game Boy Advance D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2.9 in. LCD 240 x 160 32,768 colors
Swan Crystal Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2.8 in. TFT LCD 224x144 4,096 colors, 241 simultaneous
WonderSwan Color Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 2.8 in. FSTN reflective LCD 224x144 4,096 colors, 241 simultaneous
WonderSwan Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge      
Game Boy Color D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge TFT LCD 160 x 144 32,768 colors; 10, 32 or 56 simultaneous
Neo-Geo Pocket Color 8-directional digital thumbstick Proprietary solid-state cartridge TFT LCD 160 x 152 4,096 colors, 146 simultaneous
Neo-Geo Pocket 8-directional digital thumbstick Proprietary solid-state cartridge TFT LCD 160 x 152 16 palettes per plane?
game.com Four-directional digital pad, touchscreen Proprietary solid-state cartridge 3.9 in. LCD 200 x 160 4
Game Boy Light D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge Backlit Reflective LCD 160 x 144 4
Game Boy Pocket D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge Reflective LCD 160 x 144 4
Sega Nomad Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge (compatible with Sega Genesis) 3 in. LCD 320 x 224 512 available, 64 simultaneous
Watara Supervision Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 61mm x 61mm (2.37" x 2.37") LCD SuperVision FAQ 160 x 160 pixel display 4 monochrome green shades
Atari Lynx II Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 3.5" LCD 160 x 102 4096 (12-bit)
Game Gear Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 3.2 in. LCD 160 x 144 4,096 available, 32 simultaneous
TurboExpress Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge TFT LCD 256x256 512
Game Boy D-Pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge Reflective LCD 160 x 144 4
Atari Lynx Four-directional digital pad Proprietary solid-state cartridge 3.5" LCD (diagonal);
3.25" x 1.88" [13]		 160 x 102 4096 (12-bit)
Microvision Nine button keypad, one paddle Proprietary solid-state cartridge LCD 16 x 16 4
  Controller Game media Display Resolution Colors

See also

Gallery

References

Herman, Leonard (2001). Phoenix: The Rise and Fall of Video Games, Springfield, NJ: Rolenta Press. 0-9643848-5-X.

External links

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