AfterDawn: News

Sony says it will shrink the PSP

Sony Computer Entertainment UK chief Ray McGuire confirmed recently that the current version of the Sony PSP will undergo a redesign and bring forth a smaller and lighter PSP for the masses.

While saying the screen size of the PSP will remain untouched, he believes that with advances in miniaturizing electrical components, it is possible for stuff more goodies in a smaller package inside the vulnerable PSP. A thinner, sleeker handheld can be expected sometime in the future, although a date as to when the next version might be seen wasn't announced.



This sort of thing is not new to Sony, as they did the very same thing with the original Playstation, dubbed the PSOne and again with the slim-line PS2.

There were hints that the new fangled PSP could feature something fans of the handheld have screamed about since it's inception. Onboard storage of up to 8Gb of space and perhaps the inclusion of the Eye-Toy addon. There were no official comments however on exactly what changes will be made, only that a change will come.

Source:
The Register

Written by: Dave Horvath @ 13 Mar 2007 5:15

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• 22 comments

• SProdigy

  Once again, who are they kidding. Piracy is the major selling point of this device. UMD movies were selling BOGO in Circuit City's ad this week. They are most likely feeling pressure and need to rehash this system to combat piracy and give it a marketing boost.
  
  I'd like to see if they can make the vast improvements that Nintendo made with the DS Lite.

  13.3.2007 05:30 #1

• ZippyDSM

  I hate the mini portables..I'd rather spend 100 to play it on the console

  13.3.2007 06:13 #2

• plutonash

  who the hell cares this thing lost the mobile game wars a long time ago. dead system dead format.

  13.3.2007 06:16 #3

• Hopium

  amen brothas

  13.3.2007 06:17 #4

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by plutonash:who the hell cares this thing lost the mobile game wars a long time ago. dead system dead format.
  because its a better portable emu/movie player and such than the DS :P

  13.3.2007 06:21 #5

• kyo28

  LOL Ninten ... ahum ... PSP Lite

  13.3.2007 07:00 #6

• chubbyInc

  Oh I have an idea. How bout lower the price for the one unit they have, start making more games at say $20 each and then hope that it will start making money for them. System's a fine size for me, but whats the point in buying $50+ games when you know your neighbor is downloading them for free. Shame Sony go back to the drawing board!

  13.3.2007 07:07 #7

• ZippyDSM

  chubbyInc
  that would require effort they prefer selling costly stuff to zombies that worship them....

  13.3.2007 07:15 #8

• BobbyBlu

  Quote:Once again, who are they kidding. Piracy is the major selling point of this device. UMD movies were selling BOGO in Circuit City's ad this week. They are most likely feeling pressure and need to rehash this system to combat piracy and give it a marketing boost.Thats true Piracy has been the major selling point of this device but for someone say its dead not true nintendo has out sold PSP.But PSP has sold real good that Sony is making money from it now.No i don't think Sony doing it to combat Piracy to honest i don't think Sony care about piracy because there product has been so eazy to hack.This is just basic Sony they always rehash there products with a smaller version.

  13.3.2007 08:40 #9

• SProdigy

  That was precisely my point: the PS2 remake was done to thwart HDD loaders and flip tops.

  13.3.2007 09:14 #10

• Auslander

  the psp can't get much smaller and still be very usable. i wonder how sony stays afloat when they keep shooting themselves in the feet.

  13.3.2007 10:40 #11

• spydah

  I don't have any issues with the size or games with my psp. Its a nice multi-media device that gives me what i need for free on the go hehehe.

  13.3.2007 11:46 #12

• psp4ever9

  honestly, i think they should just spend some time on writing the firmware, make SURE it is safe, its not the psp thats the problem, its the firmware.
  

  PSP history
  
  2.00 > 2.60 > 2.80 > 2.80 + PSPFiler + xLoader > Brick > New PSP > 2.71 > 2.71 HEN-D > 1.50, 2.00, 2.60, 2.71, 2.80, 2.82, 3.01, 3.11 DevHook rules :)
  P.S. Im not a newbie, im just new to the site

  13.3.2007 12:10 #13

• canuckerz

  Originally posted by Auslander:the psp can't get much smaller and still be very usable. i wonder how sony stays afloat when they keep shooting themselves in the feet.
  I completely agree, how the heck are you suppose to watch movies and play ps2 quality games if you make the screen smaller. I own a psp and love the size of it, I want to know where they got their info from, people who havent even held a psp let alone played one is my guess. Ask just about anyone who owns a psp, theres no need to make it smaller and making it smaller would be a major mistake.

  13.3.2007 13:15 #14

• Auslander

  they claim the screen would stay the same size....so...where would the joystick/buttons go? much smaller and they'll have to be *on* the screen.

  13.3.2007 13:26 #15

• BobbyBlu

  I like the size of my PSP i think its perfect but how in the hell they going to make it smaller but keep the same size screen.I think they going to make it slim, thats the only way i can think of.

  13.3.2007 14:14 #16

• mystic

  with sony screaming over the homebrews im suprized that they havent released an new addition... see if they can fix it so no homebrew can be done then they have you buying their games or its nothing more then a paper wieght. the fact that it has wireless and can be homebrewed it becomes a leader in the handheld war... eyetoy or how about the tv hook up that allows you to watch your movies on a tv would bre nice. see its all about the bengamens and what i'll get for my money.... so sony needs to either bundle it with some toys or make it a whole lot better...... why buy something thats no diffrent then the old fat one....that can be homebrewed?

  13.3.2007 16:21 #17

• Moomoo2

  Honestly I love the PSP. I put my movies on it, and hundrds of SNES and Sega games on it, etc.
  
  I'd buy another one simply so I could have 2 plays on the emulators...

  13.3.2007 17:02 #18

• pspjunior

  if they make it more slim wont the psp itself be for fragile? i dont want a psp that i have to be holding it like a frozen feather.. hold it to hard and it'll break

  14.3.2007 09:32 #19

• MidnightJ

  Even though there making it thinner, they better make it durable, or they will break way easiar.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  PSP History 1.52 > 2.71 > 2.71 HEN-C > 2.71 HEN-D > 1.50 > 3.03 OE-C Thanks for the Wininstaller Hex!
  
  PS2 with Swap Magic 3.8 DVD Coder ELF on my memory card.
  
  3.01 Emulation Via Devhook on your 2.71 PSP! http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/479682

  14.3.2007 11:14 #20

• psp4ever9

  make it as thin as paper and people will still buy it, because its small, as soon as something comes out, and its smaller, tons of peple want it, it couldve been invented in the 50s, but if its smaller, its a whole other thing, going the way of nintendo (gameboy micro, ds lite)
  

  PSP history
  
  2.00 > 2.60 > 2.80 > 2.80 + PSPFiler + xLoader > Brick > New PSP > 2.71 > 2.71 HEN-D > 1.50, 2.00, 2.60, 2.71, 2.80, 2.82, 3.01, 3.11 DevHook rules :)
  P.S. Im not a newbie, im just new to the site

  16.3.2007 15:31 #21

• dorkydork

  i love my psp and my ds but i wish they would do a couple of things with it.
  
  1. open it up for developers
  2. put flash 9 on it
  3. make a slide out keyboard like the mylo
  4. make a touch screen like the ds
  5. add two thumb stick controllers that feel like the ps2 controllers
  
  i use the psp for video and audio and images a few games. doesnt have as many games as i like though.

  17.3.2007 19:48 #22