Newly designed PSP coming in 2007 [update 1]
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Aug 30th 2006 at 11:55AM }
According to the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine, a new design of the Sony PSP will be hitting the shores of Japan around March of 2007. Here are a few of the features that are said to be included in the makeover:
- Reached a deal with Samsung to purchase 8GB flash memory chips which will be built in according to industry reports
- Miniature hard disk drives are out
- Will be streamlined and thinner and lighter
- Sony is still expected to include a still/video camera of undetermined resolution as a built-in feature of the new PSP
[Update: The image above is a fake, not the actual redesign. Sorry for any confusion.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Martin @ Aug 30th 2006 1:44PM
Let the PSP die, release a new PSP2 with 2 analogs, and not so open to homebrew... and maybe cheaper games while you are at it...
The ZeroCorpse @ Aug 30th 2006 2:13PM
Well. . . Except for those "games come out at a snail's pace" and "games take forever to load" issues.
Those things still make the PSP a pain in the butt, and only for people who want to use it for pirating old games.
Bloo @ Aug 30th 2006 12:06PM
How 'bout a F-ING screen with a decent response time geared towards gaming and not still photos?!
Derbeste @ Aug 30th 2006 12:03PM
Oh boy....here we go.
Now it's only a matter of time before Nintendo follows suit and releases a smaller, thinner, enhanced version of the DS.............................
evilmax17 @ Aug 30th 2006 12:06PM
You guys really need to clarify that the pic is fake.
Tom @ Aug 30th 2006 12:03PM
PUG FUGLY,IS THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND.
Adam @ Aug 30th 2006 12:06PM
If that's just a photoshop mockup, please say so. Too many people are going to believe that's an official picture.
Jake @ Aug 30th 2006 12:07PM
They should name it the PSP Lite. This thing will absolutely kill the DS lite. Flash memory, thinner, lighter; if only they had made the screen a touch screen. Why wouldn't they make the screen a touch screen? To add that type of technoligy to a powerful handheld would have revolutionized the handheld industry.
Martin @ Aug 30th 2006 12:08PM
If you dont realise that the pictures is fake, then you have alot of other problems.
DBX00 @ Aug 30th 2006 12:33PM
Having built-in 8GBs of memory would make the PSP a true portable entertainment device.
Some Possible Functions
- plenty of stored PS1 games
- download plenty of audio and movie over the air to the device
- cache game data if drive exist like on the XBOX360 to get rid of loading times
Paul P. @ Aug 30th 2006 12:09PM
You should really place the disclaimer that that is a mock-up.
Woody @ Aug 30th 2006 12:16PM
I'm sure the response time will be better with the games now on carts or memory cards. Also the battery life will probably double. This could be something very good for the system. The camera seems wierd to me but hey. In the end this is looking more like a gaming system now that an all in one
Derbeste @ Aug 30th 2006 12:13PM
T-Bag.....
Did you REALLY just link a BYU page (indicating you have an account on their site) and use the term "shit" in the same post?
I'M TELLING THE HONOR CODE POLICE!!!
Bloo @ Aug 30th 2006 12:15PM
Hey DBX00, 8GB = only about 15 PSOne games (although still a cool feature)
Bloo @ Aug 30th 2006 12:18PM
"I'm sure the response time will be better with the games now on carts or memory cards"
Response time = pixel refresh rate = nothing to do with carts or memory cards unfortunately. If a LCD screen is going to smear, it's going to smear regardless of media format.
The Dude @ Aug 30th 2006 12:19PM
They can stuff as much CRAP tech in their as they want but it wont matter if the damn system doesn't have good GAMES.
meddow @ Aug 30th 2006 12:21PM
Now with added touch screen!
or maybe you can tilt the psp 2!
more sony original idea's, wonder where they get them from ;)
Subnet6 @ Aug 30th 2006 12:26PM
What of UMD? Will it still be media format of games?
I wonder what that 8 gig of flash will do to the price.
I think they would have been better served to put their money into awesome content (read games) rather than new hardware. The current PSP is still a pretty sweet piece of kit.
Martin @ Aug 30th 2006 12:23PM
The games will still come out in the umd format, or else it wouldnt be a psp "lite"
boots @ Aug 30th 2006 12:23PM
8GB will only be useful for 3 Final Fantasy PS1 games. lol
Anyway, if they release a PSP 60 gig HDD for 50 bucks (i.e., what it's worth), and I'm able to download every good game I missed for PS1, then I'm buying it. I'm probably dreaming anyway...
I hope Apple comes into the portable game market (or that Sony makes the PSP2 the multimedia/gaming handheld everyone wants), because I don't want to buy more Microsoft crap. Surely there will be a WiFi enabled Xboy able to download all music, movies and games I want to a big HDD, but the failure rate will probably be huge, just like it was for 360. Not to mention it will probably lack as many Japanese games as I would like.
The Dude @ Aug 30th 2006 1:33PM
@ Meddow
Would you be surprised if they actually used touch screen tech? I know I wouldn't. ;) DS FTW
Robert Summa @ Aug 30th 2006 12:25PM
Of course that pic is fake. Come on guys, Joystiq readers are smart enough to know that.
Bloo @ Aug 30th 2006 12:27PM
"Come on guys, Joystiq readers are smart enough to know that."
They didn't know the Dead Rising tiny text screen was fake and that was much more obvious
Brandon Konran @ Aug 30th 2006 12:33PM
They could still have games on UMD, if they add a gig to eight gigs of flash memory, the UMD can completly load the entire game onto the flash memory when its started up and while your playing. Would save load times by a crapload.
Cry Havoc @ Aug 30th 2006 11:21PM
"If you dont realise that the pictures is fake, then you have alot of other problems."
If you don't realize the complete irony of your statement, you probably have some few problem of yours own.
ghostblur @ Aug 30th 2006 12:33PM
I hope they get rid of the umd format as well. Or better yet make the console completely homebrew like the gp2x.
Martin @ Aug 30th 2006 12:34PM
I have alot of problems i know that, but fill me in besides the spelling errors, what is the irony of my post?
msdarnell @ Aug 30th 2006 12:38PM
Somebody needs to tell them that they are on the right track, but DAMN.
Why are they focusing on things that don't need to be fixed?
Fix the single analog scheme. That, above all else, is making any type of game extremely hard to make for the system. All control schemes in the past 10 years have used the dual stick method.
Do yourself a favor Sony, and listen to the fans and critics on this one.
Tushar Dayal @ Aug 30th 2006 12:35PM
I agree with the comment on producing more software. The reason why I went with the DS is because of it's plethora of fun games. If the PSP had offered that, I might have gone with it.
Also, price was a concern.
pixelator @ Aug 30th 2006 12:38PM
"Now, if only we can change the single nub notion and get rid of the UMD format, then we'd be in serious business for a killer handheld."
And again, with the unsubtle slight on the existing system and knowing full well the new device won't have 2 analogs (backward compatibility would be shot) or chucking the 1.8GB UMD format in favor of low-cap carts, JQ turns some cool PSP news into another PSP bashing fest here at N-stiq.
Here, N-fans. Allow me.
"The PSP doesn't have any games anyway, so this is teh suxx0rz"
"Sony is ripping us off by releasing a revised version of a handheld that's not even 2 years old, yet! Nobody would ever milk us like that, certainly not Nintendo!"
"Even though that's a mockup image that you didn't list as such, the new PSP is FUGLYYY! I saw it in a dream!"
"Crap is crap, no matter what you do to make it look better - Sony is teh lamezzzz."
"It'll be $499.99 just like all the industry execs said the original PSP would be before it launched!"
"DS has outsold the PSP 100,000:1 since the first day and the Prime Minister of Japan has declared the PSP a POS, so I'll just stick with my DS."
"This proves the DS has won, because doing a running revision like this is an obvious desperation move!"
"Bias? Joystiq LOVES Sony!"
msdarnell @ Aug 30th 2006 12:42PM
Adding another analog nub would not ruin backwards compatability. At all.
Rootbeer @ Aug 30th 2006 12:42PM
Even if Samsung offers Sony a great deal on Flash memory chips, I seriously doubt that the wholesale price of an 8GB chip will be under $100 by next year. That doesn't leave much in the materials budget for all the rest of the parts, assuming they're trying to keep the price the same.
Now, would Sony make the price of the PSPlite $100 more than the regular PSP to make up for it? Or would they lose $100 on the sale of each unit? Either way, Sony would be pretty foolish.
Kirk @ Aug 30th 2006 12:46PM
PSP 2.0...because the first one was so good!
Jay @ Aug 30th 2006 12:49PM
No. That thing is going to cost a shite load more than the current PSP, unless Sony goes mental and decides they want to lose a load of money.
No thanks. The ONLY thing the PSP needs is for Sony to charge less for their rip off memory card format and open up homebrew, whilst increasing security on UMD games. That's it. No other jazz needed.
ElChibo @ Aug 30th 2006 12:49PM
I really thought that pic was the new system at first lol. First I though: Awesome! Then I thought: Why would they add another analog stick nub!? Then I realized it was fake. If they can get this thing to a $150 price they got my buy.
pixelator @ Aug 30th 2006 12:53PM
"Adding another analog nub would not ruin backwards compatability. At all"
It would make things very hard on developers. Existing games that don't use the two nubs wouldn't automatically take advantage.
Basically any new game that really exploited two analogs would be a total pain in the ass to play on an older PSP, if not impossible. That's why Sony is only releasing single-analog friendly PS1 games for the emulation.
All new games with dual-analog support would need to have a custom single-analog 'mode' that would mean the gameplay mechanic would be limited to that lowest common denominator.
Tom @ Aug 30th 2006 12:58PM
Erm why has no one (as of time of writing) so far mentioned how stupid a move this is of sony? There is still 6-7months until this is released in Japan with a possibility that it will take even longer to reach elsewhere. Remember with the Ds Lite? It was announced just over a month before release in Japan and 4months before release elsewhere. The reason of course is because the amount of people who want to buy a portable is going to drop massively when they find out a newer improved version is coming out.
So what has sony decided to do? Announce half a year ahead that the psp is going to have a better version..... so who wants to bet psp sales drop quite drastically? I really can't believe how stupid they have been with this. Personally if I was considering buying a psp at the moment and then found out that soon it would be outdated I would reconsider and simply wait.
If it follows suit with the original psps launch then it could be a full year until europe has it. Or 9-10months until America has it.
Interesting as well is how are they going to make it smaller without reducing screen size? They could make it narrower I guess but even then because of the umd drive you can't take much off. Will people be happy with a reduced screen size? And what about the buttons? I thought there were problems with the square button already because it was too close to the screen.
Mr. X OMG @ Aug 30th 2006 12:59PM
I heard from a friend's friend's neighbour's cousin that the new PSP is going to be called PSP Plus and it will be sleeker and the cover of the screen will have a lens protector like on cameras where it folds up in a way, and it will also have higher contrast ratio, and nobody will be able to play homebrew stuff on it... for a week. A WEKK! OMG!
No but seriously, this little 'upgrade' wont save the psp. It just can't. I wish it did so there would be competition (would be fun) but no, just no.
Leper Messiah @ Aug 30th 2006 1:02PM
Sony can get 8Gb of flash in a PSP and Nintendo is still stuck with 512Mb in the Wii?
Oh well, the Wii will probably still cost less.
And you guys remember how in forums and stuff, all the Sony supporters always made fun of Nintendo for releasing new versions of their portables, forcing you to buy a new one? Well at least Nintendo's were almost always under 100$.
You think they'll put the anolog knub on the right side this time, so you can actually play FPS on the system?
Desert @ Aug 30th 2006 1:00PM
What about good games? Did they mention that?
Oh ya, and get rid of that crappy D-Pad!!!
dizzle @ Aug 30th 2006 1:14PM
one question......
why are you guys mad about this?
do you like seeing things fail, and if so you need serious help. your acting as if psp is a real person and is out to kill you. get a fucking life..... damn
Agent_4187 @ Aug 30th 2006 1:08PM
New PSP... Huh, for some reason I thought it wouldn't happen. The original PSP had potential, but it's killer was the fact that there wasn't as many quality games on it to the DS, let's say about 10 to the DS having about 15. This was mainly due to the lack of the second analog stick, since gameplay suffered in areas the the second analog could have saved.
The picture is obviously Photoshop, so I'll wait for official word from Sony before I go on about the second analog actually saving PSP 2 (Or whatever they are going to call it). It's possible Sony may not include it, so I'd rather wait for it to come out and see how it does before I start ranting on or for it.
aj @ Aug 30th 2006 7:22PM
The second analog stick is what gave it away for me. How much can they change it? sure they can make it thinner and lighter but astheticaly I don't see how it will change much.
David @ Aug 30th 2006 1:15PM
I just want to be able to turn it on and play again within a minute.
Korexz @ Aug 30th 2006 1:16PM
I am in the process of dumping my PSP right now. Right after the MYLO announcement I knew the PSP was headed for changes.
I wanted so badly for it to be everything... and it's nothing...
It does nothing worthwhile (without killing the battery in 3 hours)
It plays nothing worthwhile (GTA was fun for a day)
It isn't really all that portable (Put the thing in a case of any kind and try to put it in your pocket)
All I did was waste money on the PSP.
I waited until just recently to get a DS Lite... I said I would NEVER own a DS, but the MYLO was the straw for me. Turns out gameplay is much more important than graphics / raw power. Very satisified with my DS.
Say what you will, but pickup a copy of Metroid Hunters and tell me it doesn't feel like playing Quake. Play for 10 minutes and then try to put down Mario Kart. Heck, try to play Sudoku without a stylus... I dare you.
Yes, I am a convert... so what?!? I am having fun playing satisfing games... what are you doing with your spare time . . . waiting on the load screen?
Well, doesn't that suck... I got tired of waiting for the killer app or the killer add on for the PSP. Sony and the game developers are not supporting the platform... so why are you fanboys still supporting the platform... I don't think you have a leg to stand on...
Josh @ Aug 30th 2006 1:20PM
Jeez. Here's Sony copying Nintendo yet again.
TRX @ Aug 30th 2006 1:22PM
I was holding out for a redesign as I did the DS, but this just looks to be a larger investment in more features I don't want. I hope this atleast means the original design gets knocked down the slightest.
TRX @ Aug 30th 2006 1:23PM
"Jeez. Here's Sony copying Nintendo yet again."
Jeez, here's another greazy fanboy talking out of his ass.
Pal @ Aug 30th 2006 1:24PM
I hate the analog nub. I'd rather not have one at all. Maybe it'd be better if it could tilt; the current design is way too sensitive for me.
A direct insertion of the UMD would be nice, without the latch and spring door. It'd be nice if you could install UMD games onto the 8GB drive to speed up load times (requires original UMD in the drive to work). Perhaps a faster reading UMD drive would help as well.
How about Bluetooth support? Mmm!
I can only wish.
MajorBill @ Aug 30th 2006 1:26PM
Looks like the Sega GameGear, which was EXTREMELY ahead of its time. I loved that handheld, since it had a backlit screen.
Looks more user-friendly. The second analog stick and the shape of the PSP looks extremely easy to hold.