PSP-3001 unmasked by FCC, good parts remain veiled

by James Ransom-Wiley { Aug 14th 2008 at 12:15PM }

The PSP-3000 series is real, folks. And that's about as far as we get in today's episode. The FCC filing for the "PSP-3001" has been pulled, thumbed and returned. What was found looks disappointingly similar to the current PSP hardware model, though there is that thick wall of confidentiality standing in the way (the one we're just dying to take a sledgehammer to). From what we can see, there appears to be no evidence of the rumored built-in mic or "Home" button redesign, and the metallic ring doesn't look any thinner. You can see for yourself in the alternate views posted after the break.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: fcc, hardware, psp-3000, psp-3001, psp-brite

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Lionbacker @ Aug 14th 2008 12:23PM

Awwww...
I was hoping for a second analog stick on the right and an L2 and R2 buttons. Then we could finally have PS1 playback like it was meant to be.

Nate @ Aug 14th 2008 12:25PM

Kinda hard to put a second set of shoulder buttons on something less than an inch thick. And a second analog nub would have been heaven... even without PS1 games, it would make so many more games viable on the machine.

As for the mic, who cares? Why the hell does a PSP need a mic, anyway?

Duke @ Aug 14th 2008 12:32PM

Agreed, the second stick was what they really needed.
As far as the mic, wouldn't people want that for Skype?

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 14th 2008 12:44PM

It cannot happen. If they did that- then all the new games wouldnt work on the old PSP's.

It is that simple.

Maybe the PSP2 will have it- but as far as the PSP goes, it will never have new features like that- because it would ruin their market.

required @ Aug 14th 2008 1:07PM

There is no reason for a second analog stick as has been proven by the superabundance of great games on the system: http://www.metacritic.com/games/psp/alpha/

Now I can understand them exploring the use of multiple analog inputs in a new system, but not the PSP

baby sea tuna @ Aug 14th 2008 1:51PM

I disagree. For every port with a well-implemented single-stick control scheme (God of War) you get several more that suffer from the lack of the second nub (the Ratchet series, Katamari.)

Duke @ Aug 14th 2008 3:41PM

The reason for a second stick is because the consumers have asked for it. That isn't diminished because games can and have been made without a second stick.

Jacksons @ Aug 14th 2008 3:45PM

@baby sea tuna

I don't know, I was able to strafe around enemies while shooting and jumping in the PSP's R&C titles. Something you could not do in the first 2 console Ratchets. No complaints from me. The default control scheme should not have strafe on d-pad, though. That's unplayable for me, setting strafe to the analog stick then forgetting the d-pad exists is the only way I can play it.

fyreblazer @ Aug 14th 2008 9:30PM

@Flame...that's not true. Devs can put in different control schemes for those without a second nub. Shouldn't be hard at all...

MrEverdred01 @ Aug 14th 2008 9:33PM

we've been asking for a second thumbstick since 2005. what's so hard about that? Are they worried about compatibility or something?

Mr.ESC @ Aug 14th 2008 12:24PM

So I guess Sony really ignores all petitions of a second analog stick.

Seriosuly just another nub

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 14th 2008 12:44PM

syrik zero @ Aug 14th 2008 2:13PM

You shouldn't post the same thing twice flamer

arrrgh @ Aug 14th 2008 6:17PM

i cant believe you kids don't get it.

what the fuck.

They are NOT going to alienate their FINALLY growing PSP install base by releasing a version that would render the old on obsolete. It will not happen.

B3astofthe3ast @ Aug 14th 2008 12:24PM

I bought a PSP yesterday. :/

syrik zero @ Aug 14th 2008 2:13PM

I'm waiting for the Parasite Eve bundle pack that I really hope comes out. Until then I'll hold off

Guy- @ Aug 14th 2008 12:25PM

Nothing to see here. It looks like just another internal revision. Didn't PS2 go through like 20 of these. I'm kind of glad there are no new features, now I wont have to buy a new PSP.

required @ Aug 14th 2008 1:12PM

Exactly. Nintendo handhelds have always had a mess of variants. There was the Game Boy, Play it Loud Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light. Game Boy Color. Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Advance SP "Mark II" (with brighter, backlight screen) and Game Boy Micro. This is not counting the different colors and plastics.

required @ Aug 14th 2008 1:14PM

bm @ Aug 14th 2008 5:14PM

Not counting different colors? What do you think the "play it loud" line was?

Suichimo @ Aug 14th 2008 6:49PM

I don't remember the Play it Loud Gameboys. Around when were they out? But other than the SP2 and the Micro all of the ones you listed brought something favorable to the table. Gameboy = duh. Gameboy Pocket slimmed way down from everyone's favorite gray brick. Color is another duh. Same with Advance. SP gave us a backlight, extremely welcome.

B3astofthe3ast @ Aug 14th 2008 12:25PM

I bought a PSP yesterday. >:/

B3astofthe3ast @ Aug 14th 2008 12:26PM

I just bought a PSP yesterday. >:/

B3astofthe3ast @ Aug 14th 2008 12:27PM

ooops, here come the low ranks......wasn't done on purpose...

Zertoss @ Aug 14th 2008 12:43PM

I like how they seem to get progressively angrier.

StrangeBum @ Aug 14th 2008 1:11PM

@Zertoss

I was thinking the same exact thing...made me lol

B3astofthe3ast @ Aug 14th 2008 2:02PM

lol, they got angrier because my comments werent appearing, not b/c of the PSP.

pkpk523 @ Aug 14th 2008 12:27PM

i finally just picked up a psp 2001 (which I'm very happy with so far) and now there's a redesign? i'm fine with it, so long as there is an actual significant improvement. the fact that i still see only 1 nub is disappointing. maybe it comes with a build-in umd burner so you can plug the psp into a dvd player or pc and convert files over to umd format so the whole umd movie thing isn't a total waste.

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 14th 2008 12:48PM

pkpk523 @ Aug 14th 2008 1:35PM

@flame:
yes, i agree it wasn't likely. however, couldn't they make it optional? like 2 different control schemes? i understand it would be a lot of extra work for the game programers, but it would make us gamers so very happy. also, perhaps patches for some of the older, more popular games could make it work with 2 sticks also? if this is too tech-dumb for this site, i apologize. i go with what i'd like to see happen, but i'm not exactly the most tech-savvy person on the net

rv @ Aug 14th 2008 1:08PM

wtf?
Umds are on the way out. Just put all your stuff on a memory stick. you can rip the games off umds and then put the isos on memory sticks. Thats what I do, fuck carrying around several disks. Why the hell would you want more umds when you can put it all on a stick???

Anam @ Aug 14th 2008 12:54PM

So they're upgrading from a 7-year-old piece of crap to a device from 993 years in the future?

Now THAT's an upgrade!

(It's just a joke, Curmeo. Not worth getting banned again over.)

el serpiente @ Aug 14th 2008 11:08PM

terrible joke...

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 14th 2008 12:59PM

Hmm they left out the touch screen...

*ducks*

:P

Jody Anthony (gamertag and psn: JodyAnthony) @ Aug 14th 2008 1:11PM

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 14th 2008 1:15PM

1. It was a joke, and everyone knows PSP2 will have a touch screen.

2. It wouldn't make the older games obsolete, do all PS3 games use motion control?

3. I want a PSP

4. PROFIT

Jody Anthony (gamertag and psn: JodyAnthony) @ Aug 14th 2008 1:17PM

i was just poking fun at flameofdoom

Raikage (GOLDEN Gun Of The Patriots) @ Aug 14th 2008 1:20PM

LOL sorry, I see now.

UMD...LOL

Anam @ Aug 14th 2008 1:26PM

Haven't seen you around much, Jody. How's it been? (And what's with the regular Mario avatar?)

Jody Anthony (gamertag and psn: JodyAnthony) @ Aug 14th 2008 1:33PM

for some reason I can't change the avatar. I miss my Alton Brown avatar.

if you have a 360 or ps3, add me. name is JodyAnthony on both of 'em

Anam @ Aug 14th 2008 1:53PM

Sure Jody. I have a 360 and my gamertag is DavidAnam (perhaps with an underscore? Damn, I don't remember).

As you can tell from my parenthesis(ed?) text above, I don't play online all that often. Just some Team Fortress 2 from time to time and maybe a game of Catan.

Mr Khan @ Aug 14th 2008 2:56PM

For some reason, avatar changes always fail when i try them on any version of Internet Explorer

FireFox, it works right the first time

Really, this site works best with FireFox. The "bold good comments, fade bad comments" thing doesn't happen at all on Internet Explorer, and you can't edit your account for shit on IE either, but both work fine on FireFox

Anam @ Aug 14th 2008 3:34PM

Safari is also good. Well, as good as Safari can ever be, which is not good. But relatively good for a crappy wannabe browser.

Ciatrick Leodis McKelvin @ Aug 14th 2008 3:48PM

Camino is what Safari is supposed to be.

Monkeys Suck @ Aug 14th 2008 1:00PM

@flameofdoom666

You do realize, that if they do put a second control stick in, they can simply change the control scheme for the newer games that would use it? Kinda like what GHWT will do with Rock Band drums...drop the extra part. It might just be for something extra, but it's definitely viable.

Zeromaru @ Aug 14th 2008 1:28PM

I very much doubt this'll be anything more than another internal hardware revision, much like the umpteen PS1, PS2, and (getting there) PS3 revisions. Also the PSP is only halfway (3 years) through what's becoming the common PlayStation lifecycle (6 years each for both PS1 and PS2).

I'd say the more likely major revision will be a next-generation DS. Perhaps iPhone-inspired with glass multitouch screens and accelerometer (both of which were clearly inspired by Nintendo anyway). It is, after all, the second-longest-living in their handheld line (Game Boy was around for 9 years before the Game Boy Color was released, Game Boy Advance was 3 years after that, and DS was 3 years again; it's been 4 years since the DS released).