PSPlite
Latest
Inside the PSP-2000 launch bundles
Click for high-resolution image. The Daxter bundle is available in select retailers today (call them before you head out!). But what's inside the box? Here we have your first look at the new PSP bundles. Inside, you'll see that the bundled UMDs do not come inside actual game cases. Rather, they're enclosed in cardboard paper sleeves that proudly proclaim "Not for Resale." Guess you won't be able to trade them into GameStop, huh?Also included in our gallery are some high-res shots of the other packs, such as the Star Wars Battlefront combo. Check out the gallery for more:%Gallery-6905%
PSP-2000s apparently available today
Sony has issued forth a press release stating that the newly slimmed PSPs (the PSP-2000 to the tech savvy) are now available in the wild. You'll still have to buy the silvery systems as part of the $199.99 "Entertainment Pack," which comes with a copy of Daxter, the Family Guy -- Freakin' Sweet Collection on UMD, and a 1GB Memory Stick.Funny thing though, calls to all of our local game stores turned up squat, both in terms of consoles and in info. In order, we heard "We don't know.", "There's no date.", "It's not in our system." and "Christmas." Have any of you had better luck?
PSP Lite launch delayed for the UK
The bad news keeps on rolling in for UK residents interested in picking up a PSP Lite. The redesigned handheld seemingly has been delayed nine days: from its "before the rest of the world" September 5th date to a much more somber "after the rest of the world" date of September 14th. No official response has been provided from Sony, but with no advertising, no AV cables, and a single color at launch, it seems Sony is poised to disappoint their European fans with a lackluster attempt at launching a new system.
AV cables not available at UK PSP launch
Some may say the biggest selling point of the newly redesigned PSP is its ability to output video to the TV. So, why are the cables not available at launch? Questioningly, the PSP-2000 will not get this system-defining peripheral at its launch. In terms of color selection, only Piano Black will be at launch. Ceramic White and Ice Silver seem to be MIA at the moment.We contacted Sony Computer Entertainment America to see whether or not the AV cables will be available at the US system launch later this year. However, they've yet to return our e-mails. Stay tuned for more.
Joystiq and PSPFB hands-on with PSP-2000: Part 2
Yesterday, we answered your questions about the newly redesigned PSP, codenamed PSP-2000. Today, we'll explore the load times of games on Sony's redesigned handheld. With added RAM, games are supposed to load faster than the older model. Did we see an improvement? Also, we tackle some more questions from PSP Fanboy readers.Do games load noticeably faster?Submitted by: Hashbrown_Hunter This took a lot of effort to piece together. It seems that games do load faster, although not as significantly as we would hope. In the above side-by-side video of the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront, you can see that although the games were launched at the same time, the PSP-2000 (the silver one) loads slightly faster than the original. It loads the level slightly faster as well. However, going through our games collection resulted in varying results -- some games didn't change at all, while games like Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow actually took longer on PSP-2000! It appears that games with significantly long load times are the ones to benefit the most. Check out our test results here. Check out Gamespot's test results, which feature different games, here.
Joystiq answers questions about Sony's slimmer PSP
Those patiently awaiting the slimmer PSP, codenamed PSP-2000, will probably enjoy (or be exceedingly envious) of Joystiq's hands-on with the forthcoming device, but regardless of what emotions it evokes, we're givin' it to ya straight. Hordes of readers submitted questions about the impending PSP, and nothing provides the answers like a good bit of time handling the actual unit in question. So go on, tag the read link to catch an early glimpse of the PSP Lite, and who knows, maybe one or two of your own burning questions will be addressed, too.
Joystiq and PSPFB hands on with PSP-2000: Part 1
This September, Sony will be unleashing the first ever revision of the PlayStation Portable. Codenamed PSP-2000, the system sports a new slimmer design, and the ability to display content on a television. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the new system -- but tonight, we're going to clear things up. We asked the readers of PSP Fanboy to submit their questions and received about a hundred responses. That's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to spend the next few days answering as many as we can. Let's begin. The PSP-1000's volume wasn't that loud. Did they increase the volume?Submitted by: dapurplebyrd As you can see, the speakers on the new PSP (right) are not louder than the old PSP (left). With headphones on, the volume output is identical as well.
A special PSP Lite Q&A
Hey PSP Fanboy readers!We thought you'd like to know that we're getting our PSP Lite systems this Thursday. Yes, you can hate us. You can be jealous of us if you want to. BUT! We want to share the love. We're going to collect your questions in our comments section and we're going to try our very best to answer every single question you have.C'mon! Give us your best questions here!
Squeeze the first new PSP commercial
How did they make the PSP smaller? The first Japanese ad for it uses an analogy ... they had to squeeze it to be 91 grams smaller.Certainly, the new PSP doesn't look very different from its predecessor. Sony will have to its very best to educate customers on why they might want to consider purchasing the newer, slimmer PSP. Do you think this ad does the job? (Even though it's in Japanese?)
Girls deliver awkward PSP experience at PAX
Having people get hands-on time with the upcoming PSP-2000 makes a lot of sense to us. But, according to Joystiq, the experience at PAX was a little uncomfortable. The Sony booth girls (who look a lot like PSP-tan) had systems tethered to them. However, for better or for worse, the systems were tucked away in a sensitive area (see picture, above).Joystiq added that "the cables weren't very long" and provided "awkward situations where you all up in their personal space and playing with something right next to the front of their pants." Hot?
PSP earphones and remote get redesigned
The PSP is changing in ways we never expected. The earphone and remote accessory is changing for the new PSP-2000. As you can see, the remote now has a reconfigured button layout -- could it be more intuitive than the original? We're assuming that the PSP-2000 requires this new remote due to the changed AV-compatible headphone jack.Check out another picture of the redesigned earphones after the cut.
PSP Lite launches September 5th in Europe with Simpsons Yellow, Spider-man Red
The race for PSP Lite is on! And ... Europe wins! The redesigned PSP-2000 will arrive in Europe on September 5th, and will feature two new movie-themed PSP systems to boot. "Simpsons Yellow" and "Spider-man Black and Red." We don't have pictures of these new models quite yet -- but our man in Leipzig should be able to steal a snapshot for you tomorrow. Unfortunately, according to Joystiq, it appears as though The Simpsons model is quite "gaudy."
LGC07: European PSP Slim launches with new colours
Yes. Colours with a "u." Some specially designed PSPs will be available only within Sony Europe's territories when the 2000 models launch on September 5th. In "Simpsons Yellow" and "Spider-man Black and Red" flavours, these new designs are clearly geared towards movie-buffs but also make a more colourful alternative to the current selection of black, silver and white. Americans will be able to choose from "Darth Vader White," black and silver -- if you really want a garish yellow PSP Slim, you can always import.
A closer look at PSP's AV cables
Here are the cables that you'll need to get your PSP connected to your TV. Official pricing hasn't been announced quite yet, but we can still stare in awe at the packaging, marveling at when we'll be able to connect our PSP systems to the TV.See past the break to see more images of the PSP cables.
Heavy demand restricts choice for Japanese PSP pre-orders
It's true that Japan has far more colors to choose from than the upcoming American launch of the redesigned PSP. However, did you know that Japanese customers are facing serious restrictions too?Sofmap in Akihabara has been meeting such wild demand for the redesigned PSP that customers are limited to only one system pre-order ... and aren't given the choice to pick a color. Amazon Japan pre-orders are already closed due to overwhelming demand.It's great to see PSP start picking up the spotlight in a territory that's typically been dominated by a different handheld.[Via Kotaku]
PSP-2000 pre-orders now available on amazon.com
Finally! It looks like online retailer giant, amazon.com, is allowing customers to pre-order the newly redesigned PSP (codenamed PSP-2000). There's a variety of bundles to choose from: Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron Entertainment Pack - contains Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron and a Ceramic White Darth Vader PSP-2000 system. $200. Releases October 23. Daxter Entertainment Pack - contains Daxter, Family Guy UMD, 1GB Memory Stick Duo, and a Silver PSP-2000 system. $200. Releases September 10. Black PSP-2000 system - $170. Releases September 10. We're sure that other retailers will start joining the pre-order bandwagon. Are you ready to buy (another) PSP?[Thanks, Faraz M.!]
Ample details on slimmer PSP
MTV News' Stephen Totilo managed to snag a plethora of details on the PSP 2000 (that's what they're calling it internally) from SCEA's head of marketing for the PSP division John Koller. All future PSP titles from Sony will utilize the upgraded 333MHz clockspeed, reportedly without a hit on battery life, said Koller. A second thumbstick was considered, as was (briefly) a built-in hard drive instead of Memory Stick. Both ideas were ultimately turned down.The upcoming PSP title Echochrome was originally going to be downloadable via the PSN, but Koller said they went with UMD because it was a "very rich game." Original, downloadable PSP titles should be coming in the next six to eight months, he said.The camera may get some specification changes before its North American release. The GPS attachment is expected to hit US shores in the next 10 to 12 months. As for the TV tuner, there are no plans for release it outside of Japan.Check out Totilo's article for more information, including Koller's assertion that Sony had nothing to do with famed hacker Dark_Alex's retirement.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Joystiq interviews SCEA's Phil Rosenberg and John Koller
Phil Rosenberg (left), and PS Fanboy lead writer, Andrew Yoon (right) At E3, we had a chance to talk to SCEA Senior Vice President Philip Rosenberg and John Koller, Senior Marketing Manager of the PSP. We talked to these two Sony executives to find out more about Home, possible PSP integration with Home, the redesign, and more.The press conference was narrated through Home. Why does Sony believe Home is such an important part of the PlayStation family?Phil: That's a great question. Home for us is a way to engage all of our users in real community, but in a real 3D manner that gives them a place to meet and to share their successes or their failures and then jump into gameplay. It creates an opportunity for us to help engage them even more in our platforms. I think when you look at the interface -- like how a PSP pops up in Home -- our whole proposition is around the ecosystem of PlayStation. It's not just about one platform. If you're in the house, or away from the house -- no matter where you are, you can stay connected with your peers.
Joystiq interview confirms Home amibitions for PSP
At E3, we had a chance to talk to SCEA Senior Vice President Philip Rosenberg and John Koller, Senior Marketing Manager of the PSP. We talked to these two Sony executives to find out more about Home, possible PSP integration with Home, the redesign, and more.When John was asked why PSP integration with Home wasn't on display at Sony's press conference, he noted that "It's absolutely roadmapped. It's certainly on the agenda. I think the point of the cell phone was just to show you can bring other products into play. But the PSP is certainly roadmapped at this point. Like Phil was saying, it's all about bringing together the PlayStation portfolio of products together and using them the right way with Home."Thankfully, Philip Rosenberg was able to give us a few hints at things to come. "But being able to access leaderboards, or community, or find out which of your friends are in Home, or in-game via hotspot, I think is realistic. As far as timing? I think that there's more to come."To read the complete interview, visit Joystiq.
Sony's slim PSP gets launch date, price for Europe
While it's not too terribly surprising that the forthcoming PSP's price was outed in Japanese yen first (not to mention those coveted extra hues they'll get), it is somewhat curious to hear that Europe scored the details before that other country. Nevertheless, Sony's David Reeves reportedly stated at a SCEE event at E3 that the slimmer PSP would "come out at €169 ($233) in all the PAL territories at the beginning of September," so we're going on pure assumption here that this will include the likes of Australia, too. Hey, we're really sorry about snatching Beckham and all, but at least you blokes (and dames) know when to hunt down the refreshed PSP, right?
