(Credit:
Joystiq)
The V-Screen is an add-on for Sony PSP consoles that's designed to make games appear in 3D. It's supposed to enhance "the perceived depth of the 2D screen image," and apparently will work with many games. It looks bulky in the picture, but the protrusions do fold down to a more compact state when not in use and act as a case for your PSP.
RealView Innovations, the company that will be making this product, doesn't seem to have a proper Web site yet, and no availability date and price has been given. We'll revisit this gadget when we get more concrete information.
(Source: Crave Asia via Coolest Gadgets)
The newest version of Sony's PlayStation Portable isn't even on sale yet, but the company is already looking ahead to what's next, according to Reuters.
The electronics giant is looking into making a combination gadget that would meld its PSP gaming system with the cell phones made by Sony Ericsson, its joint venture Swedish electronics maker Ericsson, according to Reuters, which cited the Nikkei business daily.
Sony reportedly plans to put together a team as early as July to begin development of the new gadget. Sony no doubt has its eye on Apple's iPhone, which is already popular with consumers and is now getting more serious attention from game developers as a platform for their games.
This isn't the first time rumors of this nature have circulated. In 2007, Sony raised eyebrows with a patent filing that appeared to show a PSP-like device with phone capabilities, and British Telecom said it was working with the company to bring voice and video chat to the PSP.
In the meantime, Sony continues to work on its portable gaming device. The PSP Go, which was unveiled at the E3 gaming conference, is smaller than its predecessors and has a slide-up screen. It will go on sale in North America on October 1 for $249.
(Credit:
Sony)
More goodies out of Sony's party bag of patents, this one involving a remote-controlled car that can be navigated using a PlayStation Portable.
While this seems to be merely exchanging the remote for a PSP and goes where cell phones have gone before, it does add an interesting dimension--a camera mounted on top. According to the patent, visual data from the camera is beamed back to the PSP so the user can navigate obstacles or record and save a movie. Which opens up possibilities such as spying on friends carrying out surveillance work. Or even turning this idea into a patrolling security device for the home.
The patent also states that this can be used for a racing game within "augmented-reality zones" to spice up gameplay. Now all we need is a nitro-powered remote-control car that drifts, and we have a winner.
(Source: Crave Asia via Siliconera)
The Nintendo DSi
Now that Nintendo has released the DSi, every portable gaming system now supports--in one way or another--downloadable content. Whether you're downloading apps from the Apple App Store or transferring PSP games from the PlayStation Network, it's clear digital distribution is the future of entertainment.
With all of these options, you may ask yourself "which portable gaming device is right for me?" If you're the casual gamer who wants everything in one device, you may want to check out an iPhone or an iPod Touch.
More serious gamers can get their fixes with a much more gamer-centric experience with a PSP or DSi. Not ready for the world of downloadable games? The DS Lite is still your most affordable option at $130.
Let our portable gaming product comparison feature help you out in your decision-making process. Based on games alone, what is your pick for the best portable gaming experience?
Ah, it's funny how rumors get started--and this one is truly back-channel if there ever was a back-channel rumor.
Kotaku is reporting that a developer at Acclaim, David Perry, wrote this message on his Facebook and Twitter accounts:
"I hear Sony FINALLY has the PSP 2. And thank goodness, they've removed the stupid battery-sucking UMD disc drive. I'm excited!"
Now that message is rapidly making its way through the blogosphere. Of course, it's unclear what it means exactly. As Kotaku says, no one knows if Perry has seen the new PlayStation Portable or is "just hearing rumors through the development community."
At the same time, it wouldn't be surprising if Sony were to shift away from a cumbersome optical disc system and move completely to flash memory storage (Memory Stick Pro Duo) and digital downloads via the PlayStation Network Store. Kotaku does bring up a good point in wondering how such a device would be backward-compatible (perhaps if you have the UMD, you'd be allowed to download a digital version of the same game?).
While there's been a lot of chatter lately about a totally new PSP system, it's still up in the air whether the next version will be a complete redesign (a true PSP2) or just another another incremental upgrade to something that would be called the PSP-4000 (we're on PSP-3000 right now).
Kotaku and others are pointing to E3 in early June as a moment that would be ripe for a PSP2 announcement--which does seem logical. However, I for one hope it will do a lot more than play games.
As always, feel free to comment.
Update: Kotaku has some new quotes from Perry, who claims the PSP2 is indeed real and could hit this fall. I'm sure Sony isn't all that happy to have a developer leaking unverified information--but we don't mind.
(Credit:
Sony)
Word of a new attempt to impress female gamers showed up Tuesday on Sony's official PlayStation blog. This year, a "lilac"-colored PSP will be released.
At $199, the console will come in a bundle that includes a Hannah Montana game, episodes from the show, and stickers for an added girly touch. For the same price, Sony will also sell an "Assassins Creed" bundle that includes a black console and other unannounced content.
Lady gamers were peeved last November when a pink "Guitar Hero" controller was released, compliments of the tween band Aly & AJ.
I'm not one to complain about tech products gone girly, but it's unnecessary for companies like Sony to constantly shove pop-star paraphernalia down our throats. A purple PSP coupled with "Assassins Creed" or "God of War" would be a satisfying bundle for girl gamers. I'm not paying $199 for a purple PSP if I have to be inundated with the likes of Ms. Montana.
A fan-made mock-up of a PSP2.
(Credit: Kotaku)While we just met with Sony Hardware Marketing Director John Koller, he had nothing to say about the possibility of a PSP-4000, let alone a successor to the PSP itself. According to Eurogamer, it's possible he was holding something back.
It seems that a PSP-4000 is very much in the works for 2009. We'd imagine the updated PSP would address the screen interlacing issues that the PSP-3000 suffers from, but we're just speculating. We're still going to chalk these details up as rumors, but it does make sense for a new iteration of the PSP to debut as there have been updates quite steadily for some time now.
The site also claims that PSP2 games are already in development. If this is true, that would mean we could see a new portable console in about 16 months--following conventional development time cycles.
What would you like to see in the new PSP2? Let us know in the comments section. We'd love to see some onboard memory, two analog sticks, and a touch screen.
Thanks to Jake B., a Crave reader who first saw this on Eurogamer.
Additional coverage: Sony tries to dispel PSP 3000's battery issues
Sony officially unveiled the PSP 3000 Wednesday at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany, confirming rumors that had popped up online in recent weeks. But before you get excited (or--if you just bought a PSP--exasperated), note that this appears to be an even more subtle upgrade than the slimmed-down PSP 2000 that debuted in September 2007. The main changes, according to Sony:
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $169.99 - $170.00
View the latest prices for Sony PSP 3000 (black)
While Sony did not unveil any new hardware at the company's E3 press conference, new photos are beginning to show up around the Net that lead us to believe they're hard at work on an updated version of the PSP.
Kotaku reports that forums members from PSPChina BBS have captured the rumored PSP-3000, identified by its PlayStation logo button that would replace the "home" button currently on the original and slim PSP models. The "new" PSP also features an onboard microphone located to the right of the volume controls.
While these photos certainly look convincing, we're still going to have to label them as rumors for now. We'll update you if Sony ever confirms their validity.
What would you want to see from the next PSP? Built-in flash memory? Larger battery life? Let us know in the comments section.
More pictures of the rumored PSP-3000 after the jump. ... Read more
