Lifestyle

Portable game consoles in vogue

by Annie Leung

Trend-conscious young people nowadays bring along a portable game console wherever they go, apart from having a mobile phone and an iPod or MP3 player in their bags. They play different kinds of games with the consoles whenever they want. Some are even using a device that can be controlled simply by voice commands and touching the screen. So don’t be scared to see more young people speaking to a small hand-held gadget on a bus or train.

“Once I start to play with my PSP, I cannot stop,” said university student Jacky Ma Chun-hei, who is a fan of portable video games. “My longest record of playing is 19 hours, from eight in the morning to three the next day.”

PSP, or PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS (meaning dual screens) are the two hippest portable game consoles. Their respective developers, Sony and Nintendo, try to attract young customers with distinctive console designs, features, functions and technology, making their products a must-buy item.

“PSP and Nintendo DS are regarded as fashionable icons. Everyone wants to have one,” said Lau Ching, an expert on young people’s trends.

Portable game consoles are convenient and suitable for Hong Kong people who lead a busy lifestyle, said Lau, who is a tutor of Japanese studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong .

A shop owner in Sham Shui Po’s Golden Computer Arcade, which sells popular electronic gadgets, said she sold about 15 portable game consoles a day. “But we could sell more during summer holidays,” said the owner, who identified herself only as Fan.

She said more girls were hooked on playing portable games and would buy their own devices.

Players find both the DS and PSP appealing as the two brands make use of advanced technology to offer different features to users.

For example, the DS has a viewing screen and a separate menu screen that can be controlled by the touch with a stylus or fingertip. “Now we can use the microphone and the stylus to play. And we can even ‘talk’ to the machine,” said university student Eric Li Hei-shun.

Devices like the PSP have multi-functions. They can be used for listening songs and watching movies. “I first bought a PSP to play games. But now, I also use it for listening songs,” said another university student, Alex Chow Wai-hung.

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A university student plays with a Nintendo DS.