Seventh Generation Handheld Consoles

The seventh generation of video game handhelds began with the release of the Nintendo DS and Sony's first handheld, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) at the end of 2004. Although released at approximately the same time, the two consoles were aimed at slightly different markets, with the PSP's multimedia capabilities (and higher cost) tending to attract a more mature audience. Another multimedia device, known as the Gizmondo, was released in 2005; however, this unit sold poorly and the company, Tiger Telematics, was forced into bankruptcy the following year. Also released in 2005 was the GP2X from GamePark Holdings, the successor to the open-source console the GP32. This 2D handheld focuses on stored media content such as user-uploaded music and videos.

In 2006, Nintendo developed a slimmer, brighter handheld console, the Nintendo DS Lite, whilst 2007 is set to see the release of the XGP, another GP32 successor, which will combine gaming with advanced live-content features such as T-DMB mobile television and Wi-Fi.

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