http://kotaku.com/5744485/the-psp-2-revealedhttp://gizmodo.com/5744521/sony-ngp-an-oled+equipped-dual-analog-touch+sensitive-portable-powerhouseHoly fuck. I want this.
Kotaku:
The PSP2 is finally here. Sony revealed its brand new PlayStation Portable at an event in Tokyo today, giving us our first official look at the PlayStation maker's next bold foray into handheld gaming, the "Next Generation Portable." Here are the first details. The Hardware Sony confirmed many of the features of the PSP2 that we've already heard in the form of leaks, rumor and speculation. The PSP2 features a high-resolution, touch-sensitive OLED screen that's larger than the original PSP screen, tilt-sensitive SIXAXIS controls, dual analog sticks, front and back-facing cameras, and a touch sensitive back panel.
Sony boasts that the new PlayStation Portable is as powerful as a PlayStation 3. The device features built-in WiFi and 3G wireless connectivity and uses an all-new form of media storage for games—no more UMD.
Here's how Sony describes it: "NGP adopts a new game medium, a small flash memory based card, dedicated for NGP software titles. Taking advantage of the flash memory feature, this innovative card can store the full software titles plus add-on game content or the game save data directly on to the card. By adopting flash memory based card, SCE will be able to provide game cards with higher capacity in the future, allowing developers to store more game data to deliver rich and immersive games."
For now, Sony is officially calling the new PlayStation Portable by its codename, Next Generation Portable or NGP. It will be out this holiday in Japan.
The Full Specs
- CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
- GPU: SGX543MP4+
- External Dimensions: Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
- Rear touch pad: Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
- Cameras: Front camera, Rear camera
- Sound: Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone
- Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
- Location: Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi location service support
- Keys / Switches: PS button, Power button, Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Shoulder buttons (Right/Left), Right stick, Left stick, START button, SELECT button, Volume buttons
- Wireless communications: Mobile network connectivity (3G), IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1x1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode), Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR ?A2DP/AVRCP/HSP?
The Games Sony showcased a handful of games alongside the reveal of the new PSP, including new titles Little Deviants, Reality Fighters and Gravity Daze, plus games based on the following PlayStation franchises.
- Uncharted
- Killzone
- WipeOut
- Resistance
- LittleBigPlanet
- Hustle Kings
- Hot Shots Golf
Sony says the new PlayStation Portable will also play PSone games supported via its PlayStation Suite platform and will be backwards compatible with downloadable PSP games. To demonstrate this, Capcom's Jun Takeuchi demoed Monster Hunter Portable 3rd for the PSP on a NGP.
Third parties have shown demonstrations of Yakuza 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4 running on the system, with Activision announcing a Call of Duty for the new PSP.
Gizmodo:
The Sony PSP2 has arrived under the codename NGP. It has a nice, big 5-inch OLED touchscreen, dual analog sticks, front/rear cameras, and the most interesting part—a touch-sensitive panel on the back of the device used for control.
In addition to the above specs, the PSP2/NGP has 3G and GPS, along with wi-fi, and Sony claims this thing is as powerful as a PS3. The 5-inch screen is higher resolution than what's previously been featured in PSP devices (960x544). Kotaku says the screen is a beauty with impressive viewing angles.
UMD is nowhere to be found—which should come as no surprise—and the PSP2 instead opting for a new form of storage. Meanwhile, Sony is putting huge emphasis on social and location-aware gaming.
As for the rear touch-sensitive panel, it takes up roughly the same amount of space as the screen, and responds to more than one finger at a time. In a game demo, it demonstrated how you could use the rear panel to flick beach balls up into the air on the screen. Touch a spot on the rear panel and the screen will respond accordingly in the same area.
The SIXAXIS controls, meanwhile, add motion controls akin to those of smartphones. And for those attached to more traditional methods of gaming, the standard D-Pad and four-button cross layout are also there (with L/R shoulder triggers as well).
The PSP2 will come with new internal software called LiveArea, which is all about connecting you to nearby gamers. You can login and see who's playing what games nearby, what the high scores are in a given area, and connect with other gamers.
Sony also seems keen on ridiculous descriptors for various aspects of the PSP2 (such as the acronym NGP for Next Generation Portable). They are also calling the design "Super Oval Design," and referring to the analog thumbsticks as "Micro Analog Sticks," which shouldn't be confused for nubs.
Here's the kicker: it should be available by the 2011 holiday season.
For more on the PSP2, checkout Kotaku's liveblog straight from the Playstation event in Japan. [<a href="http://kotaku.com/5744297/live-from-sonys-tokyo-press-conference">Kotaku]
I'm not even much of a Playstation person. I've mostly been Xbox back when I was into consoles. This is pretty much what I wanted in a handheld since the beginning. (except the motion controls, that's just a bonus, and the touch screen only being used for menus, not gameplay)
I just hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
EDIT: NVM, the implementation of touch screens is actually quite ingenious for gameplay. Back panel I just realized is also a touch screen that can correlate with the front of the screen.
Also I am completely apathetic to 3D shit Nintendo is peddling...
EDIT2: Updated the info from the kotaku article.