Name: SONY PSP-3000
Category: portable game machine
Price: Not yet announced
Release date in Japan: October, 2008

Here's one for the gamers: Sony Computer Entertainment's announcement of its latest PlayStation Portable game machine, the PSP-3000. First, a really short background on the PSP:

The PlayStation Portable hit shops in Japan at the end of 2004, and North America in March 2005. It's sold over 40 million units worldwide since. The PSP is a slab-shaped game machine with optical drive, a good-sized screen, WiFi, Internet and multimedia capabilities, and the ability to connect with other PSPs and the PlayStation 3 console. It received a "Slim and Light" redesign (PSP-2000) about a year ago, shedding weight and bulk while gaining USB charging, composite TV output, a brighter screen, and 64MB of onboard memory (up from 32MB).

What's new in the PSP-3000? Two things, mainly: a better screen and a microphone.

The new screen offers "the highest-level contrast ratio, response time, and wider color gamut possible on a portable LCD screen", says SCE, as well as anti-glare coating to improve outdoor viewing. The unit's video-out port also receives an uprade, with the ability to output gameplay in interlace format for non-progressive TV screens.

While that all sounds nice, the microphone is what will enable new types of gameplay and usage. Expect to see upcoming games gain voice-based controls and network play chat capabilities. SCE is already promoting Skype capability as a selling point, making the PSP-3000 into an Internet phone.

That still makes for a pretty modest refresh; other than the screen and microphone upgrades, the PSP-3000 is little changed from the current model. Available colors will be Piano Black, Mystic Silver, and Pearl White. SCE promises a worldwide launch in October 2008.

More info: http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/080821ae.html

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