This September, about two and a half years after the launch of the PlayStation Portable in the United States, Sony will finally release an improved model. The new model, PSP-2000, is not the second generation of the PSP, but is rather an enhanced version of the current unit. One of the most useful features in the new model is the ability to output photos, movies, and games onto a television screen at standard definition resolution (480p) with a set of AV cables. Next, to solve the unit’s bulkiness, Sony slimmed down the PSP-2000 by about 20% and made it 30% lighter. Although the unit is still way bigger than a iPod Video or iPhone, it’s a good improvement.

On the technical side, the internal RAM has doubled from 32 to 64MB requiring less loading cycles. Although the new CPU requires less power and UMD reading time has been reduced, the battery life remains the same since a smaller battery had to be used to fit into the slimmer unit. Some rumors indicate a possible brighter LED backlit screen, which could drastically improve battery life, however no official statement has been issued. Also as a bonus the new PSP can now be charged using a USB cable, though it will take 5 hours instead of 2.5 with a AC adapter. The WiFi switch and speakers have been repositioned for easier access and the IR has been removed because it was never used. One thing we didn’t like was that the UMD now literally “falls” into a slanted tray instead of using the loading mechanism which used to take in and pop out the disk.

The PSP 2000 “core package” will retail at $169 and will include only the console (black), a battery, and an AC charger. (Original PSP cost at $250 at launch.) In addition a Ice Silver PSP bundled with Daxter, a 1GB card, and a UMD movie will be available for $199 on the same day (September 10th). Retailers such as Amazon are already taking pre-orders for the PSP-2000 at no extra cost. Also in the situation that Sony drops the price before or within 30 days after launch, Amazon will refund the price difference!

Pre-Order: PSP Slim for $169 (NO TAX + FREE Shipping)
More: Ice Silver Bundle | Ceramic White StarWars Bundle

On March 15, 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) held two press conferences. The first announcement came from Tokyo, Japan revealing the launch date for the PlayStation 3 (PS3). The second announcement came from Foster City, CA revealing their future plans for the 1-year-old PlayStation Portable (PSP).

At the first briefing Sony announced that the PS3 would have a world-wide launch (North America, Japan, and Europe) in early November 2006. They expect to have about 1 million units available during launch. SCEA has also confirmed that the PS3 will be using Blu-ray technology, which will be able to store a total of 50GB on a single disc. Sony also guaranteed that the PS3 would have 100% high-definition support as well as standard-definition for older TVs. The PS3 will also be able to access plenty of online content and can connect to millions of other users through any high-speed broadband network. Many expect a shortage of units since only 1 million units will be available at launch. SCEA has not yet confirmed the official price on the unit, but is expect to cost around $400-500. Some other items that SCEA mentioned was that the PS3 would come standard with a 60GB HDD and would be 100% backwards compatible with both PS1 and PS2 games.

At the 2nd briefing Sony announced a new PSP package, which would be available on the market by March 22nd. The package will be cost only $199, down from $249, and will include all standard accessories. Even though SCEA managed to sell over 15 million PSPs worldwide last year, their goal is to make the unit more affordable for consumers. The PSP already has a large selection of media to choose from: over 107 brand name games and 347 blockbuster movies. SCEA also stated an USB camera for the PSP would be available this spring. (similar to the PS2’s EyeToy) With this new hardware and the built-in WiFi card, Sony has plans to turn the PSP into a VoIP device wich will support video and voice chat. There also may be a GPS module that includes a UMD with maps available for the PSP very soon.

SCEA Press: Tokyo Announcement | California Announcement
Links: PlayStation Products Global | U.S. PlayStation
Recent: A “PSP 2″ Soon? | More PS3 Information

Some new rumors indicate that Sony may be planning to release a new and improved edition of the PSP by the end of this year. The unit might be called the “PSP 2″ if it ends up to be a complete redo. (it will still probably be considered a first generation portable gaming device) These rumors indicate that the PSP will get 4GB of internal NAND flash storage, which will be provided by Samsung Electronics. They also claim that SCEA may also include a small camera into the unit to allow taking pictures, recording videos, and streaming content to others using WiFi. (it can stream to PS3) Many posts also indicate that the PSP may be cut down in size of the depth by a quarter inch.

If this rumor were true this would be a great step for Sony and they would have fixed the biggest drawback of the unit, storage space. The PSP would cost more because of the included 4GB of memory, but would be cheaper than purchasing a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo costs ~$300. (1GB card = ~$80) With internal storage the portable can hold music, photos, and videos without the need of expensive MS media. The “PSP 2,” would be a big competitor for Apple’s iPod, which can now play video. Sony would once again take the lead because the iPod doesn’t offer speakers, a large screen, WiFi, or true gaming. UMD sales have also dropped drastically so SCEA may plan to offer downloadable content through the PSP’s browser as they stated at the Consumer Electronics Show 2006. (downloaded media can be stored on “new” internal drive).

I personally doubt that such a major hardware update will be released so soon unless they have a really good reason. For example the PlayStation was launched in 1995 and only in 2000 did they release a totally redesigned smaller version. Then for the PS2, which was launched in 2000, there were no major hard ware updates until 2004 when they completely redid it and released a slim PS2. With this record, very slight chances that a new PSP will be released within a two year period.

Links: U.S. PlayStation | SCEA Products
Related: PSP v2.60 HomeBrew

Many of you may have come across an article about six months ago (on sites such as [tag]digg[/tag]), which showed a crashed PSP with a blue screen. The image that was showed back then was actually a result of what would occur if your PSP were to crash when running a homebrew application. But the image seen above is actually a real Blue Screen that is a part of Sony’s PSP. From my experience I had never seen this screen before, but only appeared on my PSP with Firmware v2.60 when a game froze. The error message popped up when I accidentally hit the eject button on the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories UMD while the game was loading. (This might also occur if you put a PSP to sleep when a webpage is loading.) The actual error message says:

Setting Information is corrupted. Press the O button to repair and restore default settings. (displayed in 10 languages)

When this occurs none of the buttons function (even power switch) other than the O button. Once it is pressed it starts to restart and it goes through the startup splash screen. After that it displays the setup process that everyone goes through the FIRST time the PSP is turned. Also to note, the PSP that got a Blue Screen has never had any homebrew applications on it and has never been downgraded. There was no mention of this crash screen anywhere in the manual or online, if this has happened to you let everyone know by commenting below.

Links: U.S. PlayStation.com | Latest Firmware Update
Related: PSP v2.60 Review | DownGrade PSP | TiVo 2 PSP