Topic: PSP2 announcement this week?

[idolminds]

Supposedly Sony is going to announce the PSP2 this Thursday, the 27th. Current rumors have it with dual analog sticks, OLED screen, 3G connection, and some kind of touch surface (some say touch screen or a touchpad on the back of the device). Other rumors are PS3 level graphics (yeah right), twice the RAM of an Xbox 360, and no more UMD drive.

Sounds like its going to be pretty expensive. We already know Nintendo has the 3DS at $250, so we'll see how Sony wants to compete. Its also important to acknowledge the ipod touch which sits in a similar price range but the games themselves are substantially cheaper. Are parents going to pay $250 for a 3DS/PSP2 + $40 a game for their kid, or get an iTouch and buy $1-5 games?

Not to mention the vast hardware differences between platforms. Handheld/mobile gaming is getting interesting.

[iPPi]

I am more interested in seeing how the Xperia Play (Playstation Phone) will be more than the PSP2.

[Quemaqua]

Couldn't care less.  Especially with no UMD drive.

[idolminds]

All this is "leaked" since nothing is confirmed yet.

Size: PSP 2 should be less broad but more "high" that the PSP's first name. For the record, the latter showed the dimensions of 17 cm wide by 7.4 cm in height and 2.3 cm thick approximately.
The craft will be imposing, and, according to our sources, he "does not fit into a pocket." Of course, on the back side of the PSP2, we found the touchpad which we told you about last February. No accuracy we have not yet been made about his weight.

Ergonomics: the PSP 2 will have the usual four buttons, two triggers (L and R), a directional pad and above - finally! - Two analog sticks. The presence of a single analog stick was a recurring criticism addressed to the first PSP.
Besides the buttons, the PSP 2 will also offer touch capabilities, both on screen and on the back (trackpad). These surfaces, multipoint tolerate up to six simultaneous pressure points!

Screen: The PSP 2 will incorporate a screen of 5 inches (12.7 cm) Type OLED, probably Sony, but not sure yet. A comfortable size which seems confirmed by our sources, more so than the 4.3 inches (slightly less than 11 cm) of the original screen.

Display resolution: it should be four times that of the PSP, or 960 x 544 pixels. The proportions of the first PSP (which showed 480 x 272 pixels) were retained, suggesting that the console could integrate an emulator for older games.

The inside of the beast

Processor (CPU): it is based on ARM Cortex A-9 customized by Sony. This quad-core processor may contain a Neon Media Processing Engine (MPE) to accelerate audio and video decompression, but also to improve the performance of floating-point (floating point unit, or FPU). In short, a solution "high performance" and cost in terms of energy consumption, a figure central to a portable console.

Graphics processor (GPU): a PowerVR SGX 543 MP4 +. A quad-core GPU with 128 MB of VRAM (video memory, to be confirmed). This is the first time we see a powerful GPU on a portable machine. We do not yet know the meaning of "+" reference, but we assume it means a specific customized to Sony.
This processor includes pipelines for unified shaders (pixel and vertex, 3D display modes), which should provide greater flexibility and GPU programming. The PowerVR architecture is very different from that adopted by Nvidia and ATI, the two major manufacturers of graphics chips today. It is designed to work in parallel by dividing the areas of the screen. It also includes material management of texture compression and hardware specialist performing the work of a Zbuffer (algorithm eliminating non-visible parts to ease calculation).
For the record, Apple seems to predict, according to the latest rumors, to equip the same type of chip 5 and the iPhone the next generation of iPad. The only difference is that the Cupertino company has opted for a version MP2, so with two hearts only.

RAM: development kits contain 1 GB of RAM. Nevertheless, and in order to run a code not yet optimized, these kits usually include twice more RAM than the retail version. So one might think that the PSP 2 will comprise the final 512 MB of RAM, type LPDDR2 (low consumption), cons for the first 32 MB and 64 MB for PSP PSP GB

Memory storage: the PSP 2 would retain it seems the storage capacity of the PSP Go, namely 16 GB of flash memory. Of course, it will propose an SD card reader and SDHC.
To fight against piracy, we can imagine that Sony will force users to enable online games. In the case of a 3G connection, the Japanese company will then enter into an agreement with the telephone operators. To be confirmed.

Connectivity: The PSP 2 will focus clearly on the wireless. It will offer a module for Wi-Fi and one for 3G. According to our sources, it is also possible to connect the PSP 2 Internet connection sharing - via Bluetooth in all likelihood - with a PlayStation Phone. Of course, these connections enable you to download games from PlayStation Network.

Sound: no certainty for now, we assume that the management of his is included in the CPU (through the function MSE), connected to a digital-analog converter (DAC).

Hardware integrated GPS, gyroscope (doubt is cast by some of our sources do not support this feature), accelerometer, microphone, front and rear cameras.

[beo]

hmmm.... a few things in that "leak" strike me as off.

quad core cpu and graphics chips seems a bit much - awesome if true, but eh, doesn't seem realistic to me. also, it is pictured with a full size sony memory stick - this doesn't make sense given that these things are out-datedly bulky and that the original psp used ms duos. i can't imagine a stylus being included either.

eh, it might all be true, but i'll need a little more convincing.

[idolminds]

Yeah, it doesn't seem right. That and I don't see Sony adding an SD slot. They will make you buy their format.

[gpw11]

Exactly.  Quad core seems a bit ridiculous and way too much of a power drain.  And resistive touch screen?  I can't see it happening in this day and age (unless it's a conductive stylus).

Actually, now that I think about it, were it to include a touch screen, a stylus would probably be the way to go for certain gaming applications.

[idolminds]

Ok, the conference thingy has started. Following the live blog.

Already something interesting.

PlayStation Suite

You'll be able to offer the world of PlayStation on non PlayStation devices. PS content will be on Android phones and devices. Also, Sony is starting up PlayStation Certified, a certification program for Android hardware. You'll be able to play old PlayStation games through emulation on these devices.


NGP

Next Generation Portable

5 inch OLED screen, 960x544 res, 3G, GPS...fuck, just waiting on the crazy price tag.

- TWO ANALOG STICKS
- six access motion controls
- new game media
- big big screeen
- and a touch pad on the back
- Front and rear camera, with a microphone
- 5 inch OLED
- 3G plus WiFI. GPOS
- 4x resolution of PSP
- flash based carts
- Released this holiday season, in Japan

Yay, still has physical media!



They talked about some games in development including Wipeout, LittleBigPlanet, and Uncharted. Apparently showing Uncharted now.

Really interesting. On the back od the device is a touchpad thats the same size as the front screen, so you can touch and its mapped 1:1 to whatevers on the front. Which might take some getting used to. The screen itself is also touch.

[gpw11]

3g?  Why?

[idolminds]

They probably want to push PSN stuff more.

Heres a shot where you can see the rear with the camera and the patterned area thats the touchpad.


It also seems like the fired the designer of the XMB and hired a monkey.

[Ghandi]

Any specs? That first post, at least based on the picture, seems horribly wrong in comparison.

[idolminds]

They havent talked specs yet, just the extra feature stuff.

Seems like the whole system is Android based, since the "PlayStation Suite" stuff will also work on this. Also they just said downloadable PSP games will run on it. Which is awesome unless all your PSP games are on UMD.

Capcom is showing a new Monster Hunter. Guaranteed system seller in Japan. Er...looks like its the downloadable PSP port of Monster Hunter 3rd. Though apparently he was using the second analog stick to control the camera which is a HUGE deal. Screw that "claw" grip required to play it on PSP.

Sega is showing some Yakuza thing using the PS3s shaders.

I was reading around and it seems like if this is Android based like people think, it could be a big deal. In theory you could run any Android app or game on the NGP.


Ugh, I wish they would end or say the price so I can rage/cry and get some sleep.


They showed MGS4 cutscenes running on the device, supposedly with no alterations. Just straight export of the PS3 scenes.

Dude from Epic is showing off UE3 on the thing. He gave the first hint at the tech saying its a multi-core GPU and "4x as powerful as any portable we've previously seen."

Oh boy, Call of Duty...

[Pugnate]

Yea Day 1 buy for me.

[idolminds]

Heres what we were looking for:

Tokyo, January 27, 2011 - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced its next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP), which delivers the ultimate portable entertainment experience. NGP will make its debut at the end of the year 2011.

NGP is designed to offer unparalleled interactive entertainment that is only possible on PlayStation®. This new system offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context, made possible by leveraging SCE's experience from both PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®3 (PS3®) entertainment systems.

Deep and immersive gaming is at the core of PlayStation's DNA, and NGP is the latest embodiment of this vision. By having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, NGP will enable infinite possibilities for users to "encounter," "connect," "discover," "share" and "play" with friends wherever they are. Within the device are a range of features that provide a genuinely cutting-edge, next generation ultimate portable entertainment experience.

* l Stunning OLED and Revolutionary User Interface

NGP incorporates a beautiful multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display. A high-performance CPU / GPU combined with OLED enables rich, visually striking graphics never seen before on a portable entertainment system, for both games and other digital entertainment content. The new system also incorporates a unique multi-touch pad on the rear, and together with the front touch display, NGP offers new game play allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through "touch, grab, trace, push and pull" moves of the fingers.



* l Super Oval Design and Dual Analog Sticks

While succeeding the basic design philosophy of PSP, NGP adopts the Super Oval Design form factor, created to fit comfortably in users' hands. For the first time, a portable entertainment system will feature two analog sticks, which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience.

* l LiveAreaTM

Every game title for NGP will be provided with a space called "LiveAreaTM" where users can share the fun and excitement with other players. Users will have access to the latest information of games provided from SCE and 3rd party developers and publishers through PlayStation®Network. Additionally, NGP users will be able to view an "Activity" log that is constantly updated with accomplishments from users who are playing the same game, which in turn can trigger active real-time communication among users.

* l Near



SCE will also provide location-based services on NGP as part of the basic features utilizing PlayStation Network. The new application called "Near," developed specifically for this service and the network, will be pre-installed in the system to let users find out what their friends in the vicinity are playing now or what they were playing recently. Users can meet their friends and new players virtually, regardless of what games they are playing, simply by sharing their game information across different dimensions of time and distance.

* l New Game Medium



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.

NGP will also come equipped with two cameras on its front and rear, as well as three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass, all of which are designed to enable users to enjoy the world of entertainment that is linked with real life experiences.



PlayStation®Suite (PS Suite), announced today, will also closely coordinate with NGP. The newly developed and released game content for AndroidTM based portable devices can also be enjoyed on NGP. As a result, users will have access to not only the most leading-edge content, but also some of the more casual experiences that typify the mobile market place.

SCE will vigorously promote NGP towards the launch as the next generation portable entertainment platform and deploy various measures to further expand the portable gaming market.





?Next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP) ?

CPU


ARM® CortexTM-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)

Screen

(Touch screen)


5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED

Multi touch screen (capacitive type)

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?

Ok, they are done. No price announced yet, we'll probably have to wait till E3.

[Xessive]

Funky. I'm getting somewhat excited. As long as I'm not bound to online-only game purchases I'll be a happy camper.

[Pugnate]

As far as I am concerned, the 3DS can taken Nintendo's high profit margins and shove that $250 heh.

The PSP2 is definitely looking like a powerhouse for my pants.

OK an additional powerhouse for my pants.

[iPPi]

Impressive.  I will be interested in finding out how the battery life will be.

Given that there are rumors this is Android based, I wonder what the plans are, if any, to 'port' or 'emulate' games on this NGP on the Xperia Play as well.

Anyway, it looks incredibly promising and quite stunning.  Will definitely have to keep and eye out on it and the price tag, which I think will be quite high because of 3G capabilities. 

[sirean_syan]

Huh. Funny how this is more or less the same setup when it was the PSP vs the DS. The PSP was obviously more powerful and more of a "gamers" system, but it never manage to take hold like the DS did. I suspect pricing will look the same as well (there's not way this thing will be priced anywhere near the 3DS).

For me, the problem with the first PSP was that it basically became the PS2 lite. It either got PSX ports (some of which were awesome), or baby versions of the big Playstation franchises. They either didn't make good portable games or didn't quite hold up to the bigger games. If you do that, there's no reason for the portable system to exist. Granted there were gems on the PSP, but they were very few and far between during the active years of the system compared to the DS.

[idolminds]

Official product shots
Front
Back

Multiple SKUs, only one has 3G

Multiple versions of the NGP will launch from late 2011, each with Wi-Fi capability. Only one, however, will also feature 3G.

"The first thing to clarify, which I'm not sure the presentation did a perfect job of doing today, is that all of the devices will have Wi-Fi capability; a separate SKU will have 3G," House said.

"So the user gets a choice. Wi-Fi is available wherever, which clearly is the most important aspect of connectivity and that connected experience; 3G will be a subset of that."

Sony is currently "working hard" on 3G partnerships. House confirmed there will be some cost to the user for 3G services.

"You'll hear more from us around that aspect of the strategy as we get closer to launch.

They like talking about that Near function and getting alerts for games when you're out. That works for other systems because they are something you might actually carry in your pocket. This thing is a beast. 5 inch screen with room on the sides for the actual controls...Its not going in your pocket.

One blog has some interesting questions.

Its pretty exciting, at any rate. Just have to see if this is going to cost an arm, a leg, or both.

[sirean_syan]

At least they went with a pretty straightforward design. I can appreciate that sort of thing.

[Xessive]

Damn, I just noticed they only added a right stick but no L2 and R2 triggers. Not a big deal but I can see that causing issues if they make any PS2 or PS3 ports.

[idolminds]

They could just designate the back touchpad as the L2/R2 buttons. Actual buttons would probably make the thing too bulky.

I wonder how quickly it will get jailbroken/rooted so I can rip my UMDs and play them on it. And if emulators got ported to it...man, you could probably play Dreamcast games on this thing.

[Xessive]

They could just designate the back touchpad as the L2/R2 buttons. Actual buttons would probably make the thing too bulky.

I wonder how quickly it will get jailbroken/rooted so I can rip my UMDs and play them on it. And if emulators got ported to it...man, you could probably play Dreamcast games on this thing.

I might just consider the first generation of PSP2's just to avoid a future problems like with PSP-3000 (unhackable?!).

With the PSP, I always felt a ridge right underneath the should buttons that could hold two more secondary shoulder buttons. If you look at the space where the L and R buttons are on the PSP they're right in the middle of the PSP's depth, with some minor adjustment you could actually fit 4 functional shoulder buttons (2 on each side) without radically altering the PSP's shape, bear in mind I'm talking about the PSP Slim. You can set each set at different depths to make them distinguishable by touch. You might be right though, perhaps the touch pads will compensate.

[Pugnate]

Huh. Funny how this is more or less the same setup when it was the PSP vs the DS. The PSP was obviously more powerful and more of a "gamers" system, but it never manage to take hold like the DS did. I suspect pricing will look the same as well (there's not way this thing will be priced anywhere near the 3DS).

For me, the problem with the first PSP was that it basically became the PS2 lite. It either got PSX ports (some of which were awesome), or baby versions of the big Playstation franchises. They either didn't make good portable games or didn't quite hold up to the bigger games. If you do that, there's no reason for the portable system to exist. Granted there were gems on the PSP, but they were very few and far between during the active years of the system compared to the DS.

Good points in that post.

[idolminds]

Size vs PSP. That thing is pretty big.

One thing I was just thinking about. The game carts are going to have extra room on them to hold save data and DLC. Thats pretty cool...but what is that going to mean? Can I take my game + DLC and play it on my buddies NGP? When I sell the cart does the DLC transfer to the new owner? Will the NGP "mark" the carts so they will only work on your system thereby killing used sales?

[sirean_syan]

That's larger than I expected. The original was pushing portable boundaries with size and weight to begin with; going bigger isn't a good thing here. You can get away with that on a console unit, but not here. This is looking pretty typical of Sony: Jam a lot of stuff in, nevermind the cost, and hope you can bully your way into the hearts of the consumer. They always go that route and it seems to hurt them more than it helps them (early PS3 days, original PSP).

[Quemaqua]

Still annoyed there's no UMD.  It looks nice and all, but I don't want to build another library.

[idolminds]

I don't like it either, but I can see why they dumped em. Mechanical so prone to failure and they were a total battery hog. Which is what everyone said when the PSP first came out. Sony made a huge mistake going with optical media. This is just the end point of it.

[Quemaqua]

But the fact that my games won't be backward compatible and the fact that I'll have to do everything digitally?  Not an attractive option at all.  I will avoid any system that doesn't give me the option for physical media for games I'm paying major retail money for.  A few downloadable games I can deal with, but an entire library of games built on this premise?  Fuck you.

[idolminds]

I'm pretty sure games will be sold on carts. They aren't going PSN only or anything. At least nothing Ive read indicated that.

[beo]

i don't know quite what is happening with all this, but my legs are soggy with willy cream. i want.

[Quemaqua]

Oh.  Hmm.  I guess maybe I was just making assumptions.  Seemed to me like there was storage, but just like for memory cards or whatever, and they were doing a Go-like thing with just downloadable games.  But if that isn't the case... well, that's not so bad then.