PSP redesign denied, confirmed, re-denied
by John Bardinelli 
{ Mar 13th 2007 at 11:59AM }
Sony has said "No" to a PSP redesign on several occasions. Now a conflicting report from SCE UK managing director Ray Maguire says a "smaller, lighter" PSP will be introduced in the future. However, a day later the head of SCE UK PR fed us this line: "There are no immediate changes planned for PSP." Did someone miss the memo?Actually, both of them are probably telling the truth in a sneaky corporate kind of way. Most gaming systems get plastic surgery a few years after their launch. The DS was transformed from a clunky brick to sexy machine we're proud to carry around. It took four years for Sony to release a slim version of the PS2, which means the PSP could be overweight for another two years. A redesign is on the horizon, but that horizon could be a lot further out that we think.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sheppy @ Mar 13th 2007 12:08PM
All I want is a more comfortable nub.
32_Footsteps @ Mar 13th 2007 12:13PM
Look, I won't deny the hotness of the DS Lite, but my DS Phat is the sex bomb, mofo.
actually, it just feels right in my hands, but that's all I care about in terms of a video game machine's form.
Grey Acumen @ Mar 13th 2007 12:29PM
How the hell would you "slim down" the PSP anyway? You can't reduce the height without losing the screen, you can't reduce the width without losing button area, and I don't see what good reducing the thickness would do.
About the only redesign I can see as a possibility is hinging all the buttons and joystick, so they open like doors. I don't see how it would work properly though.
a dirty bastard @ Mar 13th 2007 12:26PM
i love my psp but my only grief is the nub if it was placed above the d pad it would of been perfect.
i dont think they would eva put a hard drive in the psp wit flash memory capacity growin i wount be suprized to see the next the psp with a 20gb flash drive inside + additional removable storage
Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 12:30PM
Second guy was probably doing damage control, who would want to buy a PSP Phat when a redesign is underway?
Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 12:32PM
@4
This thing is basically a big GBA
So the redesign has to be a big GBA SP!
Aex @ Mar 13th 2007 12:32PM
That is the thing about rumors, like herpes, there is no cure :( Only treatments to reduce the symptoms.
JP @ Mar 13th 2007 12:56PM
The PSP redesign will be able to fold in half that'll fatten your pocket about 5 inches.
JodyAnthony @ Mar 13th 2007 1:03PM
its really not that bad now. All it needs really is some way to protect the screen.
John @ Mar 13th 2007 1:38PM
Yeah but see........there's nothing wrong with the PSP as it is now.
Muu @ Mar 13th 2007 1:15PM
Instead of having a screen flip up, the controls could flip out to the sides. If they get it right it could look nice, and will offer similar space savings as having a clamshell.
Miyabi @ Mar 13th 2007 1:17PM
Fancy redesigns means cheaper original hardware. Woot!
required @ Mar 13th 2007 2:08PM
I think it has always been a given that Sony would one day design another PSP, in the same way Nintendo will design a new GameBoy.
As for the design, my digits conformed to the awkward GameBoy for years as they did the horrid GameBoy Advance and GameBoy Advance SP and even the worst of the bunch the Nintendo DS "phat".
The transition to the PSP was the easiest and I love it, hopefully they don't change it much.
Noshino @ Mar 13th 2007 3:30PM
"2. Look, I won't deny the hotness of the DS Lite, but my DS Phat is the sex bomb, mofo.
actually, it just feels right in my hands, but that's all I care about in terms of a video game machine's form.
Posted at 12:13PM on Mar 13th 2007 by 32_Footsteps"
I should bash some DS lovers
first, hold your DS for more than 15 mins, and your hand will start to hurt (I love you GBA)
second, the huge hype about Metroid Hunters made me buy my DS.....and hell, the game sucked, it is the most horrible game ever, keep it on 2D-sidescrolling for god's sake, Mario Kart gets boring after playing it for some time, and warioware...cmon, even the mini games from New Super Mario bros were MUCH better (at least for my and all my friends).
The DS isn't the future, I love Nintendo, everyone has grown with them, but cmon, pretty graphics are a must-have now a days, from the NES to the N64...why change from NGC to the Wii? from the GB to the GBA....why can't you guys match the PSP, argh...I guess it's all about "If its cheap, it sells" nowadays....
The $ 250 price tag (bought it when it came out) its reasonable, you are playing for what you are getting, ...sigh, freaking metroid, I shouldn't have sold my psp for my ds.
Thanks Nintendo Fanboys for overhyping Metroid Hunters!
steve17 @ Mar 13th 2007 3:39PM
at this point i dont care about the typical sony deciet(we can never trust anything they say, the current psp may be here for 4 more years or the psp2 could ship in 3 months for all we know.)
but i am really, REALLY pulling for a psp2. 2 TWO!!!!! anolog nobs and im sold. cmon sony. get on with it!
ackmondual @ Mar 13th 2007 4:06PM
@ #4
""How the hell would you "slim down" the PSP anyway? You can't reduce the height without losing the screen, you can't reduce the width without losing button area, and I don't see what good reducing the thickness would do.""
Of course you can reduce the height and width. For example, the changes from GBA SP to the GBM yielded:
1) even smaller overall size
2) smaller screen (about 2/3 the size of the GBA orig/SP)
3) MUCH brighter screen
4) better batt life
5) mini headphone jack adaptor req
6) many GBA accessories that aren't compatible
7) about $50+ cheaper?
8) custom face plates
.....among many other changes. I scoffed at the GBM. I don't approve of the changes, but apparently for some ppl, #1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 were good enough reasons for them to either switch to it or get it.
If the PSP could squeeze in #1-4 and #7 (doesn't have to be $50+ cheaper, just enough to make a difference), that would be a big improvement right there. There's no rule that the screen has to be 4" (or however big the PSP's screen is). As long as it's 16:9 aspect ratio with 480x272 pixels, it can get smaller
Abscissa @ Mar 13th 2007 6:53PM
I don't care one bit about lighter and smaller (portable screens are already too small anyway). I'll buy a PSP as soon as they make one with a (noticeably) faster disc drive and a lower price tag (and maybe some built-in mechanism to protect the screen).
Ben @ Mar 13th 2007 9:57PM
UMD is retarded, but Sony has released too many movies to let go of it.
The loading times on a PSP are way too long.
I was going to buy one but it's just too big for a pocket. I'm keen to see what slim PSP looks like.
Nick @ Mar 13th 2007 11:53PM
OMG U playstation nerds need to get alife nintendo is better, and PC defeats all systems and i dont giva damn if u wanna have sex with ur overexoense portabe plastaion battery sucking wussy system i fine with that. WORLD OF WARCRAFT PWNS RUNESCAPE PWNS GUILD WARS PWNS U ALL ARE LOSERS!!!
Noshino @ Mar 14th 2007 11:36AM
"RUNESCAPE PWNS"....err....mmm...right
sonymnms @ Mar 15th 2007 1:52AM
Well !I say ol chaps!, wot with all tha craziness eminatting from ol bean numba 19 over there it seems as if he should go to the ol doc ta get his noggin checked wot! wot!
Ahem... Nick (#19) you are crazy (*cough* runescape pwns...riiight) though I may respect your opinions, no matter how ludicris they are. I suggest you repeat first grade to learn somewhat decent spelling,"(i dont giva damn if u wanna have sex with ur overexoense portabe plastaion battery sucking wussy system i fine with that)" Oh and how the freaking hell do you, a male (I mean your name is nick, it would be quite akward to be a girl named nick) have sex with a battery
I can't really see how to decrease the size of the PSP without losing its ergonomic design, but if they add a 2nd analog nub, nicer screen(maybe), 8gig flash memory, and easy hackability, Im SOLD!
WOOT I