The Sony PSP 2 will be front and center at an event in Tokyo Thursday. Set to take on the Nintendo 3DS in the growing handheld market, the PSP 2 may pack the power of a Playstation 3, but fit in your pocket. With 3G data and a touch screen, here’s the latest on the PSP 2.
We’ve seen our fair share of leaked images of the PSP 2, but today it’s time to trim the fat. At the core of the handheld will be an OLED touchscreen display (four plus inches) and 3G data connection, confirmed by Japan’s Nikkei business paper. According to the paper, the 3G services will not allow voice — which is probably why Sony is also cooking up a Playstation Phone.
Another major upgrade are dual analog sticks, a move which will separate the PSP 2 from the Nintendo 3DS. Like the current PSP Go, UMD discs are gone — this time for good, and downloadable content is the one-stop shop.
Graphics are king in the world of gaming. The PSP 2 will focus on graphics, upgraded HD graphics will trump the current PSP Go and iOS platforms. We don’t have frame rate specifics, but expect the gap between the Playstation 3 and PSP to diminish.
Not confirmed, but also a feature expected on the PSP 2 is a touch-sensitive back panel. While mostly speculation, the addition of a touch-sensitive back panel could provide an interesting control for gaming.
The last real change expected on the PSP 2 will be media sharing. There’s currently limited support between the PC and PS3, but we expect Sony to take a major leap in this department on the next-generation Playstation portable.
In a few short hours, the PSP 2 will be official. The months of anticipation will come to an end and the future of Sony’s portable gaming market will be clear. Of all the features we’ve highlighted for the PSP 2, which will make you a believer in the next generation console?
