33% lighter (no big deal)

Can be view on tv (that is ok)

Wait a minute... The rest still the same... What about the D-pad? What the D-pad still the Same... Big mistake PSP... BIG MISTAKE!!!!! At least they should change the D-pad into a DS kind (a complete cross).

Video

dennislopez

dennislopez

fearless23

White-Sharingan

The new MacBook Pros.

Polyh3dron

thetorper

I'm really not a handheld kind of guy, but if I did get one, the DS has more games that I'd want to play. It also helps that most of my friends have DSs and it'd be good fun to play with them. Only something like two people I know have PSPs, and none are people I know that well.

Blah8

Hmmm, I could end up being like the people who buy the PS3 as a blu ray player with a gaming system as a bonus only being a person buying the PSP as an MP3 player with a gaming system as a bonus. My Nomad stays in my car and it would be nice to have a player for elsewhere and I was considering getting a PSP soon anyway. N+ FTW!

Also, damn you for taking the name I wanted. >:O

ceilingFANBOY

MidnightScott

I don't like those 3 words "far less space." It's conjuring up pictures of the Game Boy Micro in my head....

Furryscott

However, this is more than enough for a PDA or a handheld videogame system. Even if used heavily every day, the OLED display will still last about 3 years. The lifetimes of blue PHOLEDs is more of a problem for TVs and monitors, which need to last more than 3 years and also experience heavier usage.

Currently, OLEDs are substantially more expensive to mass manufacture than high-end LCDs. Theoretically, they will eventually be much cheaper, but at the moment they are very new and hard to make. This is one of the factors preventing their widespread adoption. However, new manufacturing efforts by Samsung SDI, Sony, and LG will lead to large amounts of new devices with OLED displays over the year 24 months.

myusername

realyst2k, WolvenOne is somewhat mistaken. Let me clarify: the lifetime of blue phosphorescent material is still a substantial problem. They are currently at around 3,000 - 5,000 hours for commercial PHOLED lifetimes. (his figures of 20,000 hours are references to another type of technology, known as polymeric OLEDs, which are not being used at this time in small displays)

However, this is more than enough for a PDA or a handheld videogame system. Even if used heavily every day, the OLED display will still last about 3 years. The lifetimes of blue PHOLEDs is more of a problem for TVs and monitors, which need to last more than 3 years and also experience heavier usage.

WolvenOne is incorrect that OLEDs are cheaper to manufacture than LCDs. Currently, they are substantially more expensive. Theoretically, they will eventually be cheaper, but at the moment they are very new and hard to make. This is one of the factors preventing their widespread adoption. However, new manufacturing efforts by Samsung SDI, Sony, and LG will lead to large amounts of new devices with OLED displays over the year 24 months.

myusername

I already have an original PSP and I'm quite happy with it right now. I may save my money till the next PSP(2) comes out so that I can play all my old PS1, PSP, PS2 and my PS3 games through remote play from anywhere I desire (sometimes dreams do come true).

jsin007

Granted, there's a world of difference between changing a controller attached via cable and a built-in controller... But it wouldn't be the first time Sony changed the controller midway through the system's life.

BPMο

FOXHOUND

Everyone complaining that there is no touchscreen: If they did include a touchscreen, would you complain that the games that are already out for the PSP don't support a touchscreen? I think the main reason this doesn't include a touchscreen is that it is an update and not a new system so they do not want to do anything that would be useless for the majority of the games on the system.

ceilingFANBOY

PSPROCK

I believe by 'failing' he may have meant it certainly ain't selling as much as predicted and has yet to net SONY any actual money.

realyst2k

thegunshow

MidnightScott

we can dream...

rolandrs

thegunshow

I never realized Kotaku has split up comments and didn't see the second half. If indeed, what you say is true, I'll pull back on my comment on blue OLED death for now.

Though I'm still curious what the overall per-screen cost is and how much of a lifespan boost it gets.

I mean, if blue was fixed, why isn't there a flood of OLED devices to market yet? People've been waiting to pounce on ultra thin glass panel monitors for years now.

realyst2k

OLEDs use an organic compound(hence the 'O'). The blue in OLED devices don't last very long at all and it all has to do with the permeability of known plastics.

Water seeps in through plastic at the molecular level. This causes the points on the display to effectively 'rot' because organic also means very reactive to H2O. This is why OLED hasn't been all over the place yet. It's mostly been kept to smaller devices like cellphone displays and MP3 players where the screen wouldn't cost too much to repair and can remain low res.

The exception being in HMD for medical applications, but if you're willing/capable to flip 10,000$ for one, I'm sure they'll warranty the screen for you.

I see a whole lotta screen recalls on this one.

realyst2k

makemoney

mustang

Brian Crecente

Badmofo

Yukito

SXGlory

Anyway.....

This PSP revision is pretty astounding for what is just a redesign. I think I still need some software to seal the deal but I'm a lot closer to this product than I ever was to the PSPv1.

Jelster

Sharp-Banana

photoboy

LeeShadow

Jackal239

I think even those who complain about the lack of games can admit that the near future looks bright for the PSP - I for one cannot wait for Crisis Core, have you seen that game?! Seriously, take a look at the PSP previews before you ring the death bells. They may even have a killer must-have app in there somewhere. Well, maybe...

Although the pricing sounds like wishful thinking to me, it's possible Sony are looking to make their money from the new PSP Store (where the 8GB's comes in handy), which should go live around about the same time as the PSP Slim, or from increased software sales. And besides, it seems someone at Sony is okay with Playstation products selling at a loss, so why not $170?

Hell, even at $230 I'm sold.

GothPunk

Er I meant fiasco in the sense that teh intrawebs exploded and such.

Wait. Wait. So you're saying this is 100% true?! Holy crap!

If it is indeed true, we might have to make you a title or something.

"Crecente---spoiler of Sony megatons CEO ".

excaliburps

miroku

miroku

Then it just remains to be seen what it looks like. If it is just like the old one, only slimmer it will not be worth it....because really, it ain't gonna be $170, come on....

aDuh

VakeroRokero

sdr309

cheez

DS FTW.

DomDeluigi

creid

Nate_Birch

I can only tell you that it is, like many of the stories we break, an original story with reliable sources.

I will point out that we first broke news of the Xbox 360 in a similar fashion and turned out to be nearly 100 percent right:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/gossip/xbox-360-revealed-33435.ph...

Brian Crecente

diablofreak

cheez

E2ekiel

supercrap

Give me one with a clear case, damnit!

Klappstuhl

If you don't like it then or don't want any of it. Why post now? It is hard to skim through the tripe from the insightful comments y'know?!

@Crecente:

Hmm seems like Kotaku is the only one reporting on this (so far). How valid is this rumor? Is it like the Home fiasco or much more credible. 'Coz if it is, That's a sure confirmation...

The upgrades seem nice though. But I really hope they add another analog stick or make a better version of it. Oh and make it lighter too! I'm sure I'm not the only one getting serious hand cramps from playing this thing for more than 45 minutes.

It's a good thing they've addressed some of the major issues (battery life, d-pad, etc.).

excaliburps

(Coming in 2009: PSThree)

MagicalTrevor

PSpee

mentalboy11

Examples- the controls are just a little off. It's not very ergonomical, the lack of a second analog nub is jarring, and the buttons feel wrong. The battery life is too short. The thing doesn't have enough memory to actually use its internet browser properly. The drive is too slow.

Except for maybe the controls, they are fixing all of these. And they may still fix that, as this is unofficial, and lacking in details. And when the PSP works, it works damn well.

Not enough good games? MGS:PO, 2 GTAs, Daxter, Valkyrie Profile, MGA 1 and 2 (don't trust its rep, it's really good), Guitaroo Man, SOCOM, Burnout, Lumines, and that's just some of what is already out. With FFT, Crisis Core, Castlevania, and more on the way, how can you lose?

And the price? If it helps them beat the DS, they're willing to take a loss. Besides, the screen probably won't cost that much. It may not be a good comparison, but the screen on my video iPod? 17 bucks. And it looks nice.

Dangeresque: I know Gundam is dirty but I love 00

8GB of built in flash?!

Do you know what this means? My GOD! HomeBrew, put 8 games on there, put AIM, overclock it, tweak some internals, and then still have use for my 2 4GB Memory Stick Duos.... that's at least 6 games! WOOOOT :)

SliceWarriorX

Also I would be wanting a camera with it if possible or at least one made as an add-on. The one currently available is rubbish as it is only 1 megapixel. My Sony Erricson phone is 3 times better than that!!

Calvert

We've all been expecting it, Sony has a knack for it with its previous PS2/PS1 Consoles...

Heck I've been waiting for it...
8GB Memory for under $200?? well thats a overhaul but if true, +1 to Sony's Respect...

As for Camera...Not really wanted or necessary..

Slimmer design/Longer Battery Life/Faster UMD Drive...

PSP Slim please :)

TheApprentice

No second analog stick?

Black only?

Fuck that shit.

sandwiches

OGHowie

Karttikeya

Hi, my name is [@#$!] and I'm a portable hardware-o-holic.

KamiNoYadoru

aDuh

They could put it on the right side but I guess that won't happen either.

skobar

grandmastersexay

Touch-Screen Portable, hmmm....I could've swore PalmOS and PocketPC both had Touch-Screen (w/ stylus) Games....

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Nintendo have a two-screen portable back in the early 80's?

Ruck

scfruity

NPC

ascii42

cakeordeath

ascii42

They better add a fucking SECOND ANALOG STICK!

Hello, Sony, are you listening?

THX5334

How many ROMs and PSP Isos can you fit on 8GB? ;)

manuel-d

MaxVest

Wow, that is very stupid. Up to you, I suppose...

As long as this thing gets good feedback when it arrives, I'll get one. I never bought a PSP because I thought it was horribly designed...this looks like it'll fix some of the problems. Doesn't really fix the lack of good games, but I'd rather have it for emulators/homebrew/music/movies anyway.

KaneRobot

I'll certainly admit it if I'm wrong, but this is one of those things that seems too good to be true -- at least at the $170 price point.

MaxVest

THANK YOU SOOOOOOONNNNY!!!!!

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

XeroTrinity

SanjiX

NoMoreTrolls

Pretty much all LCDs in the past used florescent bulbs as the backlight, which used up alot of power and had a brief "warm up" period before it reached full brightness.

These LED backlights solve this problem because much like your LED keychain flashlights, they are very energy efficient and have a "Instant on" to full brightness.

BTW, for those of you wondering, you can currently find LED backlighting in upcoming Sony, Fujitsu, and Apple laptops, along with the high end LCD TVs.

MrEkim

aDuh

@trmn8r: People like you are why I hate Nintendo fanboys...You don't understand the concept of a "standard", do you? Miniaturization is a standard in Electronic devices... Nintendo didn't invent this, even if they were the first to bring it to consoles (with the NES) Sony has also done this with their consoles... PSone and PS2 Slimline. It's a standard. A company can't own a patent or even any creative rights to a standard. It's like saying Nintendo invented the gamepad, so Genesis can't use one because it's ripping Nintendo off...

bobtheduck

Asharak

Viper2005

Loco Roco
Castlevania
Princess Crown
Heat the Soul (Bleach)
Lumines 2
Every Extent Extra
DJ Max
God of War

are only some titles worth owning it. And there are no JRPGs included, where there are many. Also it lacks Mega Man, Ghost and Ghoules and some other remakes of that sort.

PSP _has_ a nice game library. Its software drain is a shadow from the past, which is not letting it go

Gremory

Right now white LEDs are just becoming viable in terms of brightness (maybe spectrum too?) to be used in backlighting, and would save a lot of power compared to using even a small CCFL tube.

As for a comment I read about "not smaller, but slimmer?" screens... I wouldn't hold my breath. I've completely disassembled a couple of PSP screens and they're already about as thin as it gets - the assembly is about 0.5cm thick, disassembled it's basically just a thin reflector and a couple MM of glass LCD screen. Any less and I'd worry about durability.

That said, I don't want a smaller screen since the size of the current one is a major strength as-is. I love my old PSP with the 1800mAh battery I've been using since launch. When it finally starts to get weak, I figure I'll get an OEM 3600 mAh battery and never worry about charge again!

The part I wonder most about is how it's going to address the 8GB onboard flash... maybe no memory stick slot? Probably new firmware that can see both, but you'd have to pick onboard or card for flash before starting a game as the games still won't know what to do with two flash memory sources...

fuchikoma

skobar

Dr.Chocobo

My PSP was stolen out of my car about a month ago and with these rumors I decided not to purchase a new one just yet. But now that it's confirmed, I'm really excited to be able to get back to MGS:PO in August!

Jim on the Wall

TechnoPirate

8 gigs? Nice.

Barbara

CreamSodaSlurpee

Now to name it...hmmm PSPii ?!?!

ichiban1081

skobar

then why the fuck are you posting or even considering a PSP?

BigChiefSmokem

skobar

How am I supposed to play GOW on the PSP without it?

OGHowie

Hexidecimal

Indeed the lifespan issues of OLED's have been taken care of. Specifically, there are methods to increase the lifespan of the Blue-LED, *the one that decreased the overall lifespan of the tech,* to 20k hours. It does increase the manufacturing cost some if only because of added complexity in the manufacturing process. However net it may still cost less to manufacture OLED's than LCD's.

Anyhow, if they do this, I am likely to pick one up, because there are a few good RPG's for it I would like to grab. More importantly however, I'm a game console collector and, "like," to grab as many consoles/handhelds as I can get my hands onto.

*sidenote*

Sony is going to begin manufacturing small OLED televisions this year. However don't expect them to be cheap. Despite the fact that they're supposed to cost less to manufacture, Sony is initially going to market them as, a luxury item, and will be priced accordingly when it first hits the market.

WolvenOne

Perfectchaos

fanboy... have you already forgotten about the thin ps2?

Hylian-Hero

Dante18

I already have a PS2, and prefer to play those games on my 42" tv, not a tiny LED.

velvet396

majortom1981

russtophiles

Games I would like to pick up or at least try out.

Metal Gears Solid: Portable ops
FFVII: Crysis Core
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
LocoRoco
Burnout Legends
Silent Hill: origins
Daxter
Lumines 2
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Metal Slug Anthology
Gradius Collection

That's a very nice list of good games. PSP really is starting to get a nice library of games.

skobar

kamra

Two possibilities for what it might mean:

1) An 'LED-backlit screen', as seen on very expensive monitors and Apple's smaller new laptop. Using an LED backlight rather than fluorescent lamps gives a better display (more even lighting and wider colour range) and also allows for thinner displays. I think this is only crazy expensive for big screens, not small ones. Also don't know whether the technology really makes sense for tiny screens or maybe these already use LED backlights, whatever.

2) An OLED screen (as seen in tiny screens on some phones, cameras, MP3 players, I think). These are also thin because they don't need a backlight, look great, and use much less power. Historically OLED screens didn't last as long but those problems may have been solved.

Either is good news. :)

Really this sounds like a good improvement to the system although I would still prefer a clamshell design, and it isn't clear whether they're making it smaller (great!) or just thinner (meh, whatever). Don't think I'll get one though - with DS having its niche for stylus-based games, Wii having the in-home games with fun interaction, and PS3/X360 having the graphically stunning blockbusters, I don't really see a place for PSP... if it had different control method or something then sure but it's basically just a handheld PS2 with shit controller.

quen

trigger2

Second: Nintendo is notorious for making minor changes to their handhelds and it's like the Second Coming for half the world. "OMG!! It's DS with a laminated turd stuck to the lid!! I'm soooooo buying that!!" If it makes their product better, Sony has every right to redesign PSP.

Third: Ok it's not all love for PSP. Two thumbs up for the changes, but the number one gripe I have heard from designers and players is "I wish this thing had another analog stick." I am really surprised that the addition of a second joystick, to make the PSP inline, design-wise, with the other PS products, is not on the list of changes.

trigger2

There still aren't any PSP games that I want.

Booji-Boy

PSPee - Fits the past redesign names but they won't use it for obvious reasons.

PSP Lite - Too DS.

PSP Micro - Too Gameboy.

PSP Slim - Fairly likely.

PSP Small - Terrible.

PSP 2 - I'm getting there, but I don't know. How about....

PSP Little - Hmm, I might be on to something here.

PSP 2 Little 2 Late - Bingo!

ridleysaria

DarkNight_DS

That said, I would have one already if they had more than one game I wanted to play.

Even if they went the way of adding a touchscreen, which would give them the possibility of bringing games like Ouendan to the PSP, they'd still only be catching up to the DS, of which I already have one.

Aaaaand, if Nintendo's hardware announcement is anything in the way of a new handheld, I'll definitely buy that instead of a reworked PSP still without games I want.

AgentMoskau

@Mario Why wouldn't it have Wi-Fi? The first one did. Taking it out would only break portions of older games that had online/multiplayer features.

Honestly people, think.

Samster

E2ekiel

Also, this is perfectly consistent with the PSP being thinner. Unlike LCD's, OLED's can be made extremly thin, to the point where they can theoretically be made bendable like paper. With that in mind, it should be easy to have a thinner screen, and to use some of the extra space to throw in some internal flash, and possible a larger battery.

Finally, OLED's, can be cheaper to manufacture then LCD's. This is somewhat compensated by the fact that blue-OLED's only last about 5000 hours and manufacturers have to apply some funky manufacturing to get their lifespan up-to 20,000 hours, *roughly comparable to the lifespan of an LCD television.*

However, I'm going to make the bold assumption that with so many other components, something is bound to break before the OLED's reach the 5000hour point. So they may not even attempt to lengthen the lifespan of the Blue-OLED's much in an attempt to keep their manufacturing costs low.

WolvenOne

DarkSideDave

Mario

Astrodust

Mario

YoYoBoY

YoYoBoY

well, it still doesn't have touch-sensitive flash games...so I guess that means they suck.

aykay

The problem is, that one of the PSPs main features was the emulation/PS1 playback. I dont know how the legal way to get PSX games works, but I heard it involves owning a PS3 which I do not and wont do before 2010.

Gremory

trmn8r

I don't think the screen is getting smaller. I think by the the screen taking up less space they meant that the technology would allow for a slimmer screen.

I'm definitely picking one up. They pretty much addressed all the problems I had with my psp. Faster load times, better battery life, better controls, built in memory... what else is there to fix?

KPrecise

That basically means. Same form factor.
I bet it wont look much different, in which case they will be taking the Lame approach of trying not to alienate the PSP base users.

I mean, any change will be great for the PSP, but enough to upgrade? I just don't know.

How much are 1.5 downgradable units getting on eBay?

aDuh

pn18

Sadly, Im a little discouraged that I already own a PSP. However, Im sure that places such as Gamestop and EB Games will offer deals for trade in that give you credit for your old PSP for a new one.

Hasaki

Yamster

Nah

SuedeGopher

I have a feeling Sony knows they MUST release it for under $200 in order to compete with the DS, or else Nintendo will just keep rolling along. Pricing of their systems is killing Sony right now, maybe they're finally learning that.

That said, if Nintendo drops the DS to $99 sometime soon (Which it seems about time for, being as it's been 2 years since the last drop), does the PSPtwo have a chance?

Justin42

wonder if ppl playing intensive button smashing stuff will break it

MumboJumbo

I want a PSP, but going for the cheaper model is probably what is going to happen for me again. The problem is, the PSP needs that extra battery life unlike the original DS, which does fine in that department. Oh, decisions.

TheBrain

But with Castlevania X, Brave Story, and Final Fantasy Tactics coming out, how can I pass?

Reluctant-Hero

Oled +:
OLEDs enable a greater range of colors, brightness, and viewing angle than LCDs, because OLED pixels directly emit light. OLED pixel colors appear correct and unshifted, even as the viewing angle approaches 90 degrees from normal. LCDs use a backlight and cannot show true black, while an "off" OLED element produces no light and consumes no power. Energy is also wasted in LCDs because they require polarizers which filter out about half of the light emitted by the backlight. Additionally, color filters in color LCDs filter out two-thirds of the light.

OLEDs also have a faster response time than standard LCD screens. Whereas a standard LCD has around 10ms response time, an OLED can have less than 0.01ms response time.

+ 8go .. for 170$ ? Hum O_o

nicomcm

:D

BigChiefSmokem

Now... now I don't know anymore. It seems like it's finally time to save some cash.

PTTSeven

Fetus_God_of_Love

Hell, I love my DS too! I still play my micro!!! Gah!!! I love portable systems! Don't even get me started on my Game Axe, TG Express and Linx! And yes, you crazy NGPC freaks! I love that little sob too!

This gen for portable has almost been as fun as the old school green screen Game Boy days. I loved using a flashlight at 2 am playing Gargoyle's Quest and Motorcross Madness.

Loyal2none

I'm perfectly ready to ditch my PSP for this new one, but for now, this rumour sounds bogus to me.

scrawledinwax

Aex

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that Sony is integrating a touchscreen into their next handheld, as by doing this, they're realizing that the touch-screen is an integral part of portable gaming. (now it is, atleast)

I just wish by the time PSP2 hits, they do something more than copying Nintendo and add somthing innovative of their own. I shouldn't be too hopeful though, because it's my theory that they copy Nintendo so much because their sour about the SNES CD add-on. But that's another discussion...

Daran

that is, until I see some pictures.

aykay

Kyle81

Anyway, I might have to pick this up, even though I'm worried about the lack of games. The Castlevania remake just looks so good...

BuckTwenty

kenjix

I hope that it is more portable overall though. I don't even care if the screen shrinks a little.

aDuh

Ever since I got screwed over with ny GBA when the SP came out, I've become wary of buying first iterations of handhelds.

No thank you Nintendo/Sony, I think I'll only pay once for a console.

JyL

PSOne.
PSTwo. (unofficially)

Everyone knows it should be called "PSPee".

Cutriss

Christopher7xii

And then the gaming cliches of every system will fight to the death for being the most unrealistic representations of their true demographic. It will be very sad becuase the Nintendo cliche is, of course, a 6 year old child. What kind of child can withstand the fury of an apecific urban "thug" gamer stereotype?

Phenix

Tanod

cocomo

More battery life... will be nice. Now I can charge every week or two instead of every couple days. It's only run flat once since launch though. What I really want is a battery level indicator on the DS! I know it can last way longer, but it has to get charged as often as my PSP anyway because if I don't, I'll be playing and the indicator will read "green... green... green... green... RED! OMG SHUT DOWN NOW! *loses power cutting game off in under 10 min*" :/

fuchikoma

LED tech in displays is still pretty high priced.
I'd say at least double the price of the reg LCD.
(LED normally only gives you better color saturation over LCD..but they look the same..check the new MBP comparisons)

8GB internal would cost them around $20-30 wholesale.

I'd say $200-$230 for the product...any bundle would push it to $250 or more.

ITR

But all sounds interesting. If Sony want to really hit the DS hard, they would release this holiday season, but probably looking at next season or maybe early spring would be my bet.

All you gamers are fickle bunch. Yes we want to keep the camera out to keep prices down. But many of you wanted the 360 Elite to come with an HD-DVD drive even though it was going to drive costs up. LOL

exkon

BlindsidesDork

It's not wrong, the problem is that many people won't take the liberty of realizing that the DS came out with the revolutionary functionality for gaming, and will say stuff along the lines of "Aww sheeeeaat man, dat PSP gots da touch screen, yo! DS can't touch this shiiit man!"

Darthvinder

Yourhero88

:P Wow, with flash memory in there and a faster drive, how can they sell that for $170???

Already have a PSP but I'll definitely pick up this new one.

Tanod

Chaoticalness

I have the original one and it's uncomfortable to hold for long session, super crappy D-pad , impossible to carry around in your pocket plus the battery is bad.

amonamano

elginer

8GB onboard is SWEET. thx.

murph

Kyle81

Joewithay

"The new Playstation Portable will have a much slimmer design, thanks mostly to a new LED screen that will deliver an ultra-crisp image but take up far less space. That LED also helps pump up the battery life of this sexy new model, which can last as much as four times longer than the original PSP."

While some people might enjoy looking at a large LCD screen, reducing the dot pitch to keep resolution and save space suits my taste. I imagine a faster UMD drive wouldn't save battery life, but caching to 8GB of flash memory would. And if it's truly under $170 American, then I might just bite.

Ainai