Balls2TheWall
07-11-2007, 03:14 PM
The rumors have been running rampant for months now, and at their E3 press conference Sony finally confirmed that a new PSP is on the way. Oddly, though, the new handheld is nothing like the various supposed prototypes that have been popping up around the internet. In fact, when Sony president Kaz Hirai held up the new PSP, most attendees and viewers probably thought it was the original, as Sony has decided to go the route of a minor upgrade instead of a wildly different PSP2.
The major change to the new PSP is a fashionable diet that has slimmed it by 19% and made it 33% lighter. Along with the cosmetic differences, the much-maligned battery life of the handheld is supposedly a lot longer-lasting.
In an attempt to push UMD sales (which are apparently up), the new PSP has a video output, allowing gamers to watch UMD movies, play games, or browse photos on their television. Hirai demonstrated this ability with a UMD of Spider-Man 2, showing that the output for the new PSP is very high quality. The PSP can be used to control what's on-screen, whether it's playback options for a movie or actually playing a game.
Taking a note from the Nintendo playbook, Sony will be bringing the new PSP iteration to stores in multiple colors -- piano black, ice silver, and a special Star Wars edition. The ice silver version will be offered in an entertainment pack containing the PSP, a 1GB memory stick, a copy of Daxter, and a Family Guy UMD for $199.99, available for purchase in September.
The Star Wars PSP -- introduced in a bizarre skit at the conference with Chewbacca -- is white and features a black imprint of Darth Vader on the back. It will be released in a limited edition in October that will contain the new Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue Squadron for $199.99.
The major change to the new PSP is a fashionable diet that has slimmed it by 19% and made it 33% lighter. Along with the cosmetic differences, the much-maligned battery life of the handheld is supposedly a lot longer-lasting.
In an attempt to push UMD sales (which are apparently up), the new PSP has a video output, allowing gamers to watch UMD movies, play games, or browse photos on their television. Hirai demonstrated this ability with a UMD of Spider-Man 2, showing that the output for the new PSP is very high quality. The PSP can be used to control what's on-screen, whether it's playback options for a movie or actually playing a game.
Taking a note from the Nintendo playbook, Sony will be bringing the new PSP iteration to stores in multiple colors -- piano black, ice silver, and a special Star Wars edition. The ice silver version will be offered in an entertainment pack containing the PSP, a 1GB memory stick, a copy of Daxter, and a Family Guy UMD for $199.99, available for purchase in September.
The Star Wars PSP -- introduced in a bizarre skit at the conference with Chewbacca -- is white and features a black imprint of Darth Vader on the back. It will be released in a limited edition in October that will contain the new Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue Squadron for $199.99.