Topic: PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) - previously known as NGP

[BlackNMild2k1]

More rumored details on the PSP2
http://kotaku.com/5675525/psp2-will-ditch-the-umd-may-rival-xbox-360-in-horsepower

[...]
While the device was shown in two form-factors, one that looked like the PSPgo (seen above) and one that looked like the PSP, Sony told attendees that they have not yet settled on the final design for the system.

Since breaking the news earlier this week, a few more details have shaken loose about the device, which our sources have verified.

One of the key ones is that the PSP2 will not have a UMD drive. The UMD (Universal Media Disc) was launched in 2004 for use in the PSP. Initially, the format was used for movies, but slow sales of UMD films lead to studios dropping support for the format.

Sony's PSPgo is UMD-free version of the PSP, and sources tell Kotaku that the PSP2 will follow in the footsteps of that portable. Games will be stored on a Memory Stick, according to one source. Though we've also been told that Sony is still puzzling out what the final non-UMD storage solution will be for the PSP2.

We've also learned that the PSP2 will be a much more powerful gaming device with twice the RAM of the Xbox 360.

While we don't yet know all of the portable's system specifications, we have been told that the PSP2 will feature 1 GB of RAM. That's compared to the 64 MB of RAM the PSPgo and PSP 3000 have. Both of those portables use a MIPS R4000 CPU clocked at up to 333 MHz. By comparison the Xbox 360 has 512 MB of RAM and runs a 3.2 GHZ CPU.

I guess this thing is gonna come with a battery back pack and at what price do they expect to bring this to market?
PS3jr? $599 US DOLLARS!?

[Shorty McNostril]

Surely this isn't going to be the PS3 all over again.  And here I thought Sony were starting to learn from their mistakes.  If this turns out to be true of course.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Another rumor, but this time from VG24/7
http://www.vg247.com/2010/10/28/psp2-is-codenamed-veta/

Multiple sources have confirmed to VG247 that PSP2 is currently codenamed “Veta”.

Apparently the name has been picked to disguise the fact that every man and his dog is currently putting together software for the machine. It doesn’t appear to be working.

We’ve also been told the Sony is deliberately spreading misinformation about PSP2 in order to identify where leaks are emerging. Considering your mother probably knows someone who’s seen a kit first-hand, we’re going to wish the Sony bods luck with that.

Kotaku(and/or VG24/7) to be "source"-less in the near future? or mis-information to cast doubts on the "leaks"? Hopefully we find out soon enough.

[Chozo Ghost]

Well, if Sony is giving out misinformation to spot leaks then we can't believe anything at this point.

[BranDonk Kong]

RAM is cheap, and "much more powerful gaming device" would be comparing it to the original anyway, I believe. The PS3 also only has 512MB RAM.

[MaryJane]

The thing is, Sony is kind of doing what Nintendo is doing, with handheld to console power and price. I assume they are hoping that PS3 users will pick up this monster of a device (bigger, heavier, powerfulier, and pricier than it's competition, just like the PS3 originally was) and then they can lower the price, or make a PSP2Go that is smaller, maybe a slider again to disguise its bulk, and is cheaper. And if the PSP2 packs enough functionality (as in rivals the iPad) it might work.

[Spak-Spang]

The problem is Sony is making an even MORE expensive machine than Nintendo is.  Nintendo listened to developers and gave them what that wanted to be able to design great looking games, but still kept the system somewhat downgraded to be more affordable.  $300.00 is alot, but the price will be lower I think in other markets...

However, if the rumors about what is in the PSP2 are true...then I don't see how they can release the system under $300.00 dollars, and it will more likely be $400.00 

That price to me is just too much...I can spend a few more hundred dollars and get a laptop computer...no thanks. And I know that isn't a fair comparison, but it kinda of is...when you are looking at technology and what is out there, your value your presenting must be comparable to other things on the market at a price point people can understand.

The 3DS fits that...but I dunno about the PSP2.  If it is $400 or $500...then you are beginning to compete with the Ipad...and the PSP2 won't win that perception war.

[MaryJane]

With a 6' screen, full OS, camera, and 3or4G, the PSP2 could be good competition for the iPad, especially for people who feel the iPad is too big or doesn't offer enough functionality.

TabletPCs will soon catch up to laptops in terms of power just like laptops caught up to desktops. The only thing they'll be missing is the physical  buttons needed for gaming, which is where the PSP2 comes in; 6 or 10(D pad) buttons and a touchpad to emulate a mouse.

With even power (if it is as powerful as the X360), the PSP2 may even be able to play PC games reworked for its button configuration. It all depends on implementation and public reception.

Edit: For point of reference look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which has a 7' screen, and in the U.S it's wifi only. The PSP2 is right in that range, and may even have the 3G that the international SGT has.

[BranDonk Kong]

The PSP2 isn't going to be anywhere near as powerful as the XBox 360. The 360 may not be able to compete with modern PCs, but it still has a 3.2Ghz 3-core PowerPC CPU. There doesn't even exist any dual-core CPU mobile phones yet, and when they do come around, they'll probably start at 800Mhz or 1Ghz, and they'll cost a ****-ton of money.

[BlackNMild2k1]

The PSP2 isn't going to be anywhere near as powerful as the XBox 360. The 360 may not be able to compete with modern PCs, but it still has a 3.2Ghz 3-core PowerPC CPU. There doesn't even exist any dual-core CPU mobile phones yet, and when they do come around, they'll probably start at 800Mhz or 1Ghz, and they'll cost a ****-ton of money.

Dual cores are supposed to be hitting before XMas, but Marvell just announced a mobile Quad core @ 2.5ghz (I mentioned it in the rumor thread I think, but here is another link on it)
http://www.androidtapp.com/lets-skip-dual-core-processors-manufacturers-already-talking-quad/

but I'm sure you're right that it will cost alot, and who knows how bad the battery life will be.
if the PSP2 gets anything less than 5 hours then you are moving into GameGear/Nomad territory.
Nobody wants to have to charge a device 1-2 times a day just so it's ready to go.

[MaryJane]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/sony-earnings-call-entertains-playstation-phone-reveals-tablets/

As for the new PSP product, as mentioned, I know that you are not asking me to tell you when we will be coming out with a new product, but there is a gaming market based on [the] cellphones, and there are many changes that are being seen [with] Nintendo, as well as ourselves, in the field of the product for the gamers. And there are smartphones and others or even cellphones gaming markets are very popular here in japan. So the market itself is very... expanding.

It's not that we are not looking into those markets as well. We will look into those markets in trying to develop strategy for the future. Of course, we can't talk about specific products, but smartphones and tablets... it is difficult to tell you how we can put the games on them, but they are not going to be planned in different parts of our company. When we organized ourselves last April, we introduced network services, and within that umbrella, network services, all of these products are handled. Therefore, the planning and the prototypes for various content [are] all carried out within this... one umbrellas. So we are trying to figure out what we can do as Sony in this market. I think this is as far as I can tell you regarding these products at market.

There [are] so many different elements. There is Sony Ericsson and there is SCE. They moved from Aoyama, the design and headquarters had to come to Sony City. Of course this contributes to savings on rent on an office... but they are [also] closer to the planning and engineering group of Sony, and I think we can better incorporate all of these capabilities better... so when the timing is right we can probably announce [to] you about the new product that we have.

As for tablet, and this, too, we will not be able to tell you when and what kind of product. But obviously as a mobile strategy, this occupies a very important position. On one hand there is PC, and on the other hand there is [the] joint venture with Ericsson on smartphone and for the games devices. And tablets, some fall somewhere in between, and it is true Apple has led the market, but when we are to enter the market, we would like to put a Sony character onto the... a new product, and that is the effort we are making right now. Therefore I think you can hope for a very good product to come out.

Most of the bold sentences were done by Engadget I, did the one where he says it's difficult to tell you how we're going to put games on smartphones and tablets... We already know about the Playstation Phone, so will there also be a Playstation Tablet? No more PSP?? But they're pretty much saying they'll be a Playstation Tablet, they pretty much said anything they release in those markets is going to revolve around gaming. This could be exciting, I would probably have bought a Galaxy Tab if they brought the 3G model to the market, so I could make calls with a bluetooth headset and have a pocketable computer (if I could save enough lol), but if the Playstation Tablet/PSP2 is around $400 and doesn't burn off my fingerprints (some people may want it to...) it might be a pretty good purchase, alongside the 3DS which would still be my first buy, but again that's asking a lot $ and I'm more willing to go for the 3DS... I think.

I don't know what's up with all the size color boxes...Or why my text is italic... guess it carried over Engadget's formatting.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I don't know what's up with all the size color boxes...Or why my text is italic... guess it carried over Engadget's formatting.

no one will be trying to quote that post. trust me on that. too many {tags} inserted to be worth the trouble.
It's something I've made sure was known about, but the only thing I can suggest is to make sure you click that red "A" on the advanced editor screen before you paste something from another site.... or even this site, if you want to save yourself from a formatting and editing nightmare.

[Chozo Ghost]

The PSP2 may have twice the RAM as the 360 (I say "may" because that is just a rumor at this point), but RAM isn't everything. As others have pointed out, the 360's processor is a behemoth that is unmatched by any mobile phone at this point, and it is very doubtful the PSP2 will be any exception to that. Other factors besides RAM matter when measuring how powerful a device is.

Portable devices have the very important issue of power consumption that isn't much of an issue of something plugged into a wall like a console, so the PSP2 will be heavily restricted by the amount of power it consumes. This doesn't mean a powerful processor isn't possible, but there are a lot more logistics involved with getting it into a small device and keeping it from sucking the battery dry. So I'm thinking we may see something about as powerful as the Wii, or perhaps even a bit more powerful... but certainly not at the level of the 360.

[BranDonk Kong]

The Wii will be nothing compared to it. Pretty much every (high-end, or "bleeding edge") smartphone produced in the last 6 months is more powerful than the Wii, in every aspect.

[BlackNMild2k1]

PSP2 Dev kit pics have been leaked - Dual Analog, rear track pad and Front & Rear facing cameras./size]
http://www.vg247.com/2010/11/17/psp2-dev-kit-snaps-show-twin-sticks-trackpad/

VG247 has obtained the world’s first images of the current PSP2 dev kit.

The shots clearly show the device’s forward- and rear-facing cameras, as well as the much-discussed trackpad on the rear of the unit.

Note that this isn’t the console’s final form factor. As you can see, developers are working with a kit with similar construction to a PSP go at the moment, with a sliding screen over physical controls. We don’t know when the final physical spec will be nailed down, only that this isn’t it.

We were first told PSP2 kits were in developers’ hands early this year.

It has an HD screen. The last set of rumours surrounding the handheld said the chipset has yet to be finalised.

The machine is rumoured to be extremely powerful, with approximately twice as much RAM as a 360.

EA has confirmed it’s had “exposure” to the unit, and developer Netherrealm has openly admitted it’s working with a kit.

PSP2 is supposedly heading for release in late 2011.

But that might not be the final design, it may have switched back to the original PSP non-slider model

Update: We’ve been told by a source that these images are from the last kit. There’s a newer one, which is a single, non-sliding block. Remember those last Kotaku rumours of the unit over heating? Sony switched back to the current PSP form in order to cool it down.

Front Pic


Rear Pic


That seems to be everything the PSP fanboys have been asking for design-wise so I hope they are happy.
It's a shame that they might not get to keep that slider design in the launch model though, I think it would look sleeker that way.

[Spak-Spang]

Looks big and clunky...I hope everything is designed well for them.  Not that I will buy one.

[BlackNMild2k1]

If you match up the size of the buttons, its only a little bigger than the PSPgo and looks to have the same size screen too.

[Spak-Spang]

True...but if you take the slide mechanic out...then you have to stretch it out like a PSP...and I thought that was too big.  Maybe the will try a clam shell design.

[Kytim89]

I heared a while back that the PSP 2 was going to ditch the UMD drive. So, would it go to digital down loads like the PSPGo and suffer the same fate as that console? Perhaps Sony has a new format to introduce to the market? This seems highly unlikely until we realize that perhaps Sony has learned from Nintendo that handhelds need cartridges and has implemented their own version of the media for the PSPGo.

[BlackNMild2k1]

They already have a cartridge format that they produce in house. It's called a Mem Stick and they might as well adapt a separate proprietary version of that failed format.

[Adrock]

That right thumbstick on the outside is going to take some getting used to. Also, I still don't get the rear trackpad. I find that to be far less useful than a touchscreen.

[Kytim89]

They already have a cartridge format that they produce in house. It's called a Mem Stick and they might as well adapt a separate proprietary version of that failed format.

This is what I meant, sorry.

[BlackNMild2k1]

That right thumbstick on the outside is going to take some getting used to. Also, I still don't get the rear trackpad. I find that to be far less useful than a touchscreen.

It's exactly like a touch screen only you don't touch the front of the screen and obstruct your view.

I think it's an excellent idea as it allows you to hold the PSP2 firmly in both hand and use both analogs or a combination of buttons and trackpad all at the same time. It could also double as L2 & R2 since the track pad is most likely multi-touch. If they happen to go with a 3D screen, or allow you to use your Sony branded 3D glasses with the screen, then you will be able to manipulate objects on the screen by using the trackpad on the back without killing the 3D effect or even blocking your view.

[Adrock]

It's exactly like a touch screen only you don't touch the front of the screen and obstruct your view.

It lacks precision since you're have no idea where your tapping or swiping. That, to me, seems far less convenient or intuitive. Maybe I just need to see it in action. However, a game like Elite Beat Agents wouldn't even work with a rear trackpad instead of a touchscreen. I feel like anything you can do with a rear trackpad, you can do and almost always do better with a touchscreen. An obstructed view wasn't ever really a problem on DS as no one complained about it. The rear trackpad seems to be Sony's lame attempt at innovation. Jeez, of all the things not to completely copy from Nintendo...

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'll just quote a previous post that could give you a better idea on how it might work.

it's a touch pad on the back, not a touch screen.

think more something along the lines of a laptop touch pad but on the backside of the PSP2.

I think it's a nice approach to the dual analog issue while providing mouse functions and still being able to use buttons at the same time.
check this out: http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2064

that is likely what they are aiming for, and i wouldn't consider that copying the DS, but actually being innovative.
If that is what they are attempting, then I am very interested in seeing how it gets used.