Details for redesigned PlayStation Portable
revealed
It was bound to happen. With all talks of Sony's PlayStation
Portable being too bulky and too heavy especially compared to its
main competitor - the Nintendo DS - it's only a matter of time
before Sony gave in to the calls for a PSP redesign. Kotaku now has
a post up revealing some details regarding the upcoming "toned
down" version of PSP, information they claim to have come from
"several sources close to Sony".
As expected, Sony focused on giving it a slimmer design which
Kotaku credits on "a new LED screen that will deliver an
ultra-crisp image but take up far less space". Hardware specs are
to be retained (meaning it should be as homebrew- and hack-friendly
as the current-gen PSPs) but the sexier model should have a longer
battery life (again thanks to the new LED that appears to consume
less power), a faster version of the UMD drive (giving us better
loading times and gameplay), and an 8GB worth of internal flash
memory.
A built-in camera and glossy or matte finish is still being
decided. Kotaku assumes the new unit to cost buyers US$ 170, with a
release date somewhere between August and September. The redesigned
PSP will allegedly highlight Sony's booth in E3.
What strikes me as surprising though is that according to Kotaku,
the phonenixified PSP will carry a completely overhauled set of
controls (they compared it to PlayStation 3's D-pad actually). This
is a bold move for Sony considering that most of the games out
today are coded using the current PSP's controls. It can also mean
a nightmare for developers of PSP games since it could translate to
two sets of control schemes to develop for.
Should we expect the two generations of the PSP to carry completely
different control schemes? I'm still putting my money the
redesigned PSP having the same control schemes but perhaps an
improved analog stick and better button placing. Sony just can't
afford to have the headaches two PSP versions having completely
different controls will definitely bring.
Thanks Ninjax for the heads up!
http://www.qj.net/Details-for-redesigned-PlayStation-Portable-revealed/pg/49/aid/94627
