E3 2004: Sony debut eagerly-awaited PSP handheld
Looking quite amazing, if we do say so ourselves...
With Sony's pre-show conference now in full swing the Playstation Portable has been fully unveiled to the awed masses. As well as the first images of the wee beast in action, we've news herein on the specifications and other such details, including clues to the titles that we'll be playing on this device Sony claim can produce full-motion "3D-CG" visuals similar to the PS2.
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The PSP will initially be available in black, and will include a 16:9 ratio TFT LCD wide screen, centred on a sleek, ergonomically designed controller that Sony hope will fit snugly in the hand. The dimensions are 170mm x 74mm x 23mm and it will reportedly weigh 260g. The screen will support the full sixteen-million or so colours of the spectrum, in a resolution of 480 x 272. The positioning of the PSP's D-Pad and buttons are apparently based on the Playstation's - for convenience - and the device will incorporate stereo speakers, a headphone jack and volume/brightness controls.
Connectors offered include a full 802.11b wireless LAN option (for connection in the home and to the wider network), as well as USB 2.0. The wireless functionality will allow several PSPs to connect and enjoy multiplayer gaming or take the player online. Data will be downloadable wirelessly, via USB, or using the Sony Memory Stick compatibility offered.
PSP software will come in Universal Media Disc format, which supports 1.8gb of data, despite being only 60mm in diameter. This format will offer support for movie and music files as well as games and other software, and a robust anti-piracy encryption system is touted.
Here's the cold hard technical truths of this prodigious new handheld:
- Product Name: PlayStationPortable (PSP)
- Color: Black
- Dimensions: Approx. 170 mm (L) x 74 mm (W) x 23 mm (D)
- Weight: Approx. 260 g (including battery)
- CPU: PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1~333MHz)
- Main Memory: 32MB
- Embedded DRAM: 4MB
- Display: 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD
- 480 x 272 pixel (16.77 million colors)
- Max. 200 cd/m2 (with brightness control)
- Speakers: Built-in stereo speakers
- Main Input/Output: IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
- USB 2.0 (Target)
- Memory StickTM PRO Duo
- IrDA
- IR Remote (SIRCS)
- Disc Drive: UMD Drive (Playback only)
- Profile: PSP Game
- UMD Audio
- UMD Video
- Main Connectors: DC IN 5V
- Terminals for charging built-in battery
- Headphone/Microphone/Control connector
- Keys/Switches: Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
- Analog pad
- Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
- Left, Right keys
- START, SELECT, HOME
- POWER On/Hold/Off switch
- Brightness control, Sound Mode, Volume +/-
- Wireless LAN On/Off switch
- UMD Eject
- Power: Built-in lithium-ion battery, AC adaptor
- Access Control: Region Code, Parental Control
- Accessories:
- Stand
- Headphone with remote commander
- Headphone with remote commander and microphone
- External battery pack
- Case
- Strap
- E3 Prototype Exhibition: USB Camera for PSP
- USB GPS for PSP
- USB Keyboard for PSP
- UMD Specifications
- Dimensions: Approx. 65 mm (W) x 64 mm (D) x 4.2 mm (H)
- Weight: Approx. 10g
- Disc Diameter: 60 mm
- Maximum Capacity: 1.8GB (Single-sided, dual layer)
- Laser wavelength: 660nm (Red laser)
- Encryption: AES 128bit
- Profile: PSP Game (full function)
- UMD Audio (codec ATRAC3plus, PCM, (MPEG4 AVC))
- UMD Video (codec MPEG4 AVC, ATRAC3plus, Caption PNG)
- Japan
- Atlus Co.,Ltd.
- Bandai Co.,Ltd.
- Banpresto Co.,Ltd.
- Capcom
- Cyberfront Corporation
- Dimps Corporation
- Dorasu Corporation
- Electronic Arts K. K.
- Fromsoftware, Inc.
- Genki Co.,Ltd.
- Gust Co.,Ltd.
- Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.
- Idea Factory Co., Ltd.
- Koei Co., Ltd.
- Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
- Konami Computer Entertainment Studios
- Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc.
- Konami Corporation
- Marvelous Interactive Inc.
- Mto Co.,Ltd.
- Namco Ltd
- Nippon Ichi Software Inc.
- Now Production Co.,Ltd.
- Sammy Corporation
- Sega Corporation
- Snk Playmore Corp.
- Spike Co., Ltd.
- Square Enix Co., Ltd.
- Success Corporation
- Taito Corporation
- Tecmo
- Tomy Company, Ltd
- Workjam Co.Ltd.
- Yuke's Co., Ltd.
- 34 Companies In Total
- North America
- Activsion, Inc.
- Atari, Inc.
- Backbone Entertainment
- Bethesda Softworks Llc
- Eidos
- Electronic Arts
- Factor 5
- Inxile
- Konami Hawaii
- Lucasarts
- Majesco
- Midway Games Inc.
- Namco Hometek, Inc.
- Radical Entertainment Inc.
- Rockstar Games/ Take 2
- Saffire
- Sega Of America
- Snowblind
- Sony Online Entertainment
- Stormfront Studios
- Surreal Software
- THQ
- Ubisoft
- Vicarious Visions 24 Companies In Total
- Acclaim Entertainment Ltd
- Activision Uk Ltd
- Argonaut Games Plc
- Atari Group
- Blitz Games Ltd
- Broadsword Interactive Limited
- Codemasters Software Company Limited
- Criterion Software Ltd
- Driver-Inter Ltd
- Eidos Interactive Ltd
- Eko Software S.A.R.L
- Engine Software Bv
- Eurocom Entertainment Software
- Full Fat Productions Limited
- Hothouse Creations
- Icon Games Ltd
- Ignition Entertainment Ltd
- Kuju Entertainment Ltd
- Pocket Studios Ltd
- Publishing Identity Svenska Ab
- Rebellion Developments Ltd.
- Revolution Software Limited
- Rockstar Games
- Rockstar Leeds Ltd.
- Sidhe Interactive
- Tantalus Interactive Pty Ltd
- Team17 Software Limited
- Torus Games Pty. Ltd.
- Ubisoft Entertainment Sa
- Visual Impact Bvba
- Warthog Plc
31 Companies In Total
South Korea
- Axis Entertainment Inc.
- Cinepix
- Coong Entertainment Inc.
- Expotato Corp.
- Lions Logics
- Neowiz Corp.
- Nexon Corporation.
- Seed9 Entertainment Inc.
- Skonec Entertainment Co., Ltd.
- Zepetto Studios Inc.
Europe/Pal
Comments
Wow. This is going to be huge.
I wonder what the battery life will be like though - with all the wireless stuff & a tasty screen.
no bluetooth -- no buy
want a non-fixed wireless solution
come on sony, quit fighting the wave
http://www.blueserker.com
yeah, I have a feeling this thing is going to suck up tons of power. Friggin huge screen+optical disk drive+wi-fi+powerful processor = Sony better pull a new battery technology out of thier rears for this thing to last more than 2 hours.
I just hope they make enough for launch this time. Don't want to repeat the PS2 launch fiasco. Pre-Order, Pre-Order, Pre-Order...
Yeha, The DS is gonna pwn this thing.
Anyone who thinks the DS is going to own the PSP is blind. The PSP is going to stomp the DS. Nintendo is for little kids.
Who want bluetooth when you can have WiFi?
I love how Sony releases all the specs except for the battery consumption and price. And they don't even have it playable, yet it's releasing this year, supposedly.
Nintendo is for little kids, huh? http://media.nintendo.com/mediaFiles/b080225c-960e-4a52-a2c6-d7db10bdaef0.mov
It looks pretty sweet for a handheld. It would be nice if it supported MP3 or OGG but I am still looking at getting one. Can not understand why they went with 802.11B over G but I am sure they have there reasons and as for not have Bluetooth well that is not that much of a loss really. I never really thought they would have put it in there anyway.
Bob's right. Nintendo's for little kids.
Nintendo's also for people who have been enjoying games since before the Famicom was released, me included. (You see, some gamers are over 25 and have been gaming for just as long -- to us, Nintendo simply provides a kind of gaming you can't get from many other developers/publishers.)
Lastly, Nintendo's for everyone in between.
BTW, GCN Zelda 2005 is looking good.
Dam....the PSP is gonna be a big money maker after the big hit of PS2.
I can't wait to buy one for me.
What is the price of a PSP??
When is it coming out???
I think it looks ugly
Will it connect to the PS2 for extra functions like the GBA connects to the Gamecube? It's a cool idea that is underused and has loads of potential imho.
I love Ninty, always have always will. I applaude them for the DS and will be first in line to get one and play some new innotive games.
But the PSP is gonna wipe the floor with it and sell so many more cause it's so safe and unoriginal. It is gonna make Sony and EA a ton of money but it not gonna expand the horizons of gaming that at least nintendo is trying to do.
The Nintendo DS has great graphics and a touchscreen. If the PSP does not have a touchscreen it will fail to compete successfully with the Nintendo DS.
"ergonomically designed controller that Sony hope will fit snugly in the hand"
OMG You got to be kidding me? That looks like the most unconftorble thing ever. They obviously don't know comfort since their ps2 controller feels like crap (GCN and xbox controllers fit like a glove)
Anyways, I bet you anything the first day someone gets that their screen is going to be scratched up to hell if they put it in their pocket. BTW: Why the hell would you need a keyboard for this thing?
blue tooth = suck ass, good not to go with it
GPS could be used to plot wifi spots so you can acess the internet, if this thing can be used for war driving, i mean pda's are used for it so im guessing you will ba able to, which would make this thing unstoppable.
also who needs bluetooth when you got USB 2.0 and a memory stick, blue tooth is so damn slow compared to both these options
what about a backlit screen?
remember the gba before the sp?
I didn't catch whether this screen was lit or not...
UNIVERSAL MEDIA DISC
"...and UMD are copyrights of Sony Entertainment Corporation..."
:/
The system looks unwieldy, but I've yet to see the graphics in person. Oh, and, to quote the front of the Gran Turrismo disc:
"...quality not at all inferior [to] PS2..."
someone in marketing should get fired. :D
-Tima
is the wirlese internet thing u can go any where that has a wirless router and go on the internet or is the like a catch to this
Yet again, another gaming platform that the rest of us, the world, has to wait for our "masters" to release. While I understand that they can make more per unit in profit off of the japanese market, but the our market is needed but not respected.
Save your money for something real, not a rehash of old games on a gimick platform.
WOW!!! I was just about to buy a Nintendo DS (saving up) BUT NOW THAT IVE SEEN THIS... SCREW YOU NINTENDO, make way for Sony. w00h00!
:) :)
:) :)
:D :D
:O :O
Where does it say about the battery life ???
let me guess maybe 2 hours plus - Like my Sony Camera ?
so what ever happened to the promise the Sony CEO made about having phone functionality in this one?
To whomever made the comment about not having bluetooth being a deal killer. Um, catch a clue... if you have wifi you do not need bluetooth. Unless you want to do something wacky like download your address book from your cell phone to your psp. But really, you won't do that ... you will synchronize both to your PC/Mac. Cell over nice, but slow buetooth, psp over nice and fast wifi. Killer game machine, I hope someone makes some good PIM software as well so I can dump my blackberry, etc. :D
From gamespot :
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/05/11/news_6097116.html
its built-in lithium-ion battery will have a life of 2.5 hours with video and 10 hours if used for audio playback only.
Well, you guys probably aren't going to be happy, but media experts are thinking it'll be priced 250 or above. Insane price for such a little thing, huh?
Nintendo DS is gonna wipe the floor this thing while breakdancing, porking a supermodel, and getting knighted by the Queen of England.
Sony doesn't "get" portable gaming. Sony has published their high-end claims for battery life for music and movies; why not for games? That's right, it's because dynamic graphics and sound processing, game logic, repeated game disc seeking, and controls all eat away at power even more than straight disc playback and audio/video decoding do. 2.5 is going to be _longer_than_the_maximum_ time that you're going to be able to play games on the PSP. And that's why it has no chance except for wite people who carry backpack nuclear generators to power the thing. PSP Population: 4 Ghostbusters, max.