That right there is the next iteration of the Sony PSP -- named
the Sony NGP, which stands for 'next generation portable'. That's right, things just got official.
It's a fairly drastic overhaul of the PSP design, adding a second analogue stick, and a mammoth 5-inch OLED touchscreen that boasts a whopping 960x544-pixel resolution, to keep your games looking sharp.
The NGP also has a touch-sensitive trackpad on its rear -- it's about the same size as the screen on the front, and you can use it to control in-game action by tracing your fingers along it. At a press conference in Japan where the new handheld was announced, a demo of the NGP playing Uncharted was also shown, where the touch-sensitive area on the back was used to execute more complicated in-game manoeuvres. Nifty.
We can't wait to find out exactly how that trackpad feels to use -- it could add an extra dimension to gaming control, but not being able to see where your fingers actually are (the trackpad is stuck on the back of the NGP remember), could prove bothersome.
There are front and rear-facing cameras, which allows for some augmented reality-gaming kicks, and packs 3G and Wi-Fi, as was leaked ahead of time. The new UI for the console will be called LiveArea, and will let you swoop gracefully between homescreens, and comment on your buddies' gaming achievements.
Sony has ditched the UMD format for the NGP, but it still uses physical media, in the form of SD card-style storage. We have a sneaking suspicion that format will be proprietary, though Sony has been more open recently to using non Sony-built storage options in its tech.
And speaking of being more open, Sony has also surprised us by announcing the PlayStation Suite, a games store for Android that will play host to a load of classic PSP and PSOne games. It'll be available on Android devices packing version 2.3 Gingerbread or higher, and could significantly boost Android's stakes in the mobile gaming world. Nice one, Sony.
A version of the PlayStation Suite will also be available on the NGP, and it's sure to be a major selling point of the still-unofficial-but-leaked-to-hell Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, aka the PlayStation Phone.
The bad news? The NGP won't be out until Christmas. That's nearly a whole year away, and gives the NGP's rival, the Nintendo 3DS, plenty of time to gather momentum. Exciting times for mobile gaming, folks -- stay tuned for more info.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 7
Add your comment
Anonymous 27 January, 2011 09:42
This looks like a good move from Sony. I am torn between the 3DS and the NGP. The 3DS has a much larger games library and might even be cheaper:) But my last handheld was a DS lite which i promptly sold not long after. The problem i find with handhelds is that they don't hold my attention for too long. Any thoughts?
Anonymous 27 January, 2011 10:27
I do not think this will sell half as well as the 3DS. the trackpad idea is good, but i don't think it is enough to make the system worth buying, this system just doesn't seem to have enough going for it, to make it worth buying.
pete2106 27 January, 2011 10:31
It looks like a good device, and if they make the PSone library a lot more robust then I would consider one. The problem is going to be that Sony will put a MASSIVE price tag on it like they did the original PSP and the PSPgo. It's a pity really. This could be really good
Nick Hide 27 January, 2011 10:32
Why isn't this the PlayStation Phone?
Anonymous 27 January, 2011 13:35
I can't see the rear trackpad being bothersome to use. How often do you need to stare at your fingers when using a trackpad on your laptop?
anonymous 27 January, 2011 14:04
This has come out far far too late.
Only PS fans and the Japanses will waste their money on this.
Anonymous 29 January, 2011 13:27
NGP ALL THE WAY im fed up of playing 3+ games on the ds