Sony has once again jumped ahead of the competition introducing the PSP GO. So many features that this handheld possess just goes to show that the digital world is here and it's growing. Here's a detailed list along with screenshots showcasing the new addition to the Playstation family.

The PSP Go features a 3.8-inch sliding screen --versus the PSP-3000's 4.3-inch screen, is 43% lighter than the PSP-3000, has 16 gigs of flash memory, supports Bluetooth, and has all digital content. Just to reiterate, that means that there is no UMD drive. It also supports memory stick micro, so you can "add extra memory to it if you'd like."

There will, of course, be a large emphasis on games in the digital marketplace including
Gran Turismo mobile
Jak and Daxter
Metal Gear Solid PSP
but movies and other content will be offered as well.

Update: This is not a psp2 but the same psp with some drastic aesthetic chages.
              Psp2 would probably be due by 2011.  Sony would continue to support
              the normal psp 1000, 2000 and 300.
     All Roads leads to E3, you can watch the show via HOME with your PS3, while you sit and get some revountary and goundbreaking announcement from sony even as Sony has said ' this would be their biggest E3 show in 11 years.

There is no official relese date yet, probably we would get it from the Electronic Entertainment Expo. (E3) on Tuesday.
        cheers!

Nice one. I was just about to post this.

If these leaked images are true, then I am going back to buying a Psp. Thank God, Sony got rid of the UMD disk.

Here is additional report:

A new version of Sony's PlayStation Portable games console is expected to be launched at the E3 video games show.

Video and photos of the PSP Go have been leaked online, revealing a smaller, more lightweight console that has dropped the failed UMD disk format.

There have also been reports that Sony will announce a re-designed, slimmer PlayStation 3 but BBC News understands this will not be launched at E3.

The new PS3 model will be out later this year, BBC News understands.

Microsoft will kick start proceedings at E3 in Los Angeles with a press conference on Monday, at which the company is expected to showcase a raft of new features for its online games and content service, Xbox Live.


n the video, Sony's John Koller said: "It's a 3.8-inch screen, it's 43% lighter than the PSP-3000, 16 gigs flash memory, Bluetooth support and all digital content so the UMD drive goes away.

"So it's going to be something a lot of consumers like - download straight to a hard drive."

A spokesman for Sony would not confirm the launch of the PSP Go but said any announcements would be given on Tuesday.

So what happens to those with PSP 1000, 2000, now that the UMD is officially in the grave (not that it matters to hacked PSPs, but UMD users)? Will we now be using memory cards for the games? Dunno about you, but I think I'll wait this one out.

At any rate, before you blink you'll hear (wait for it): PSP Go 1.01.. Man. . . . . . . . . Sony, what r u up to?

When I saw this on BBC today my heart sank. That is a hell of a game. No UMD, no 2nd analog and it's a slide. To make matter worst the design SUCKS!
There's nothing as good as having a hard copy of your games. This game will be a failed project

ndividual:

So what happens to those with PSP 1000, 2000, now that the UMD is officially in the grave (not that it matters to hacked PSPs, but UMD users)? Will we now be using memory cards for the games? Dunno about you, but I think I'll wait this one out.

At any rate, before you blink you'll hear (wait for it): PSP Go 1.01.. Man. . . . . . . . . Sony, what r u up to?

According to a video interview from one of Sony's top gun. Psp 3000 would still be in sale along side the Psp Go. So I guess that is your question answered. It should be noted that the Psp Go is slimmer and light that the psp 3000, so I am guess it is directed at those who want portability.

The games would be "digital content" - am guessing download. What ever that means, we will be finding out this Fall [Toward the third quarter of the year or so]

sniperwolf:

When I saw this on BBC today my heart sank. That is a hell of a game. No UMD, no 2nd analog and it's a slide. To make matter worst the design SUCKS!
There's nothing as good as having a hard copy of your games. This game will be a failed project

Woah. Coming from some one who is yet to lay their hand on the actual console. I look forward to rerading your impartial review if you ever own one.

Please check out the interview here. It is directed at several people who may prefer to down load their games etc. Like I said, the psp3000 with the UMD is still available.

Sorry I cant find the video. Check it out on youtube or something.

@Elrazur
My guy you talk as if you have this console right in your hand. We are on the same page here.

The Design is crazy Ugly,

i hope the gaming experience makes up for it

It's ugly as hell. 90% of commenters on Engadget and Gizmodo agree with me. The screen's smaller, and they missed out on a golden chance to add dual analog sticks.

Meh.

sniperwolf:

@Elrazur
My guy you talk as if you have this console right in your hand. We are on the same page here.

Can you point out where and what gives the inclination?

I am being objective, on comparison to you who appear to be dishing out "questionable comments"

This thing is ugly. Even the fat PSP looks better than this. They could have atleast put 2 analog sticks if they want to use that ugly design. Does anyone else agree with me.

I can put this thing in my pockect because it's no longer portable

^^ huh? It is more portable. . . .

@ElRazur
no matter how much you try to polish a lump of shit, it's still shit.
For more money than the normal PSP ($249) you get a smaller screen and an uglier design, incompatibility with all physical media released on UMD so far and no 2nd analog stick.
On this PSP, there's no way to resell old games or trade or exchange games. That is an Epic FAIL right there, my friend.

Thumbs up Sony Good job!

texazzpete:

@ElRazur
no matter how much you try to polish a lump of shit, it's still shit.
For more money than the normal PSP ($249) you get a smaller screen and an uglier design, incompatibility with all physical media released on UMD so far and no 2nd analog stick.
On this PSP, there's no way to resell old games or trade or exchange games. That is an Epic FAIL right there, my friend.

I am not "polishing" anything.

No one is asking you to buy one. Dont forget that prices will probably vary in different regions.

The PSP Go is aimed towards the digital download audience - a market that is already taken place with things like Ipod et al. It is not meant as a replacement whatsoever for the Psp 3000.

Sony have made loss - loads of loss due to the amount of piracy with the Original psp, this pspGo will at least reduce some of those. Just look around this forum to see how people offer games on memory cards.

As for you claiming it is an epic fail. Do you even know what that means? How can it be a fail when it isnt on sale yet? Gosh. As for the aesthetic, remember that one man's ugliness is another man's thing of beauty.

I suggest you read more. There would be game content made available for the pspgo - over 500 titles or so. You may have to pay for it, if not, stick to your psp3000. How hard is that? No one is forcing you.

If you ask me, I think they are just angry at how the former PSPs were h.a.ck.ed with custom firmware that made them able to download games on the internet and store and play them from the memory cards.

How do they expect to prevent this from happening on the new PSP. As all programmers know, no matter how encrypted a software is, it was written, and it can always be re-written by ha.ck.er.s. There is no way to completely secure software. All you need is the open source code, then all you have to do is rewrite it!

Sony is waisting their time! They should throw this garbage away. Im waiting for the PSP2. This new PSP go, should just go!

Actually Sony Have learnt there lesson in other for them to catch up with piracy in terms of ripped umd's etc stored on memorycards to play Sony has lost alot of $$$ thanks to Dark-alex and Co. I guess thats why they releashed this version because the PSP 3000 is barely a year yet b4 the release of PSP go!

I will just wait until its hackable etc just like my PSP 1000 and PSP 2000

It would be hard to hack this one. Games for it would be via downloadable content. Meaning, even if hacked it would be patched again with a new update - New games wont play without the update.

@El Razur

Do you honestly find the PSP Go appealing? If you do then you qualify as a die hard fan boy

I am yet to see it physically.

@ texazzpete

It's ugly as hell. 90% of commenters on Engadget and Gizmodo agree with me. The screen's smaller, and they missed out on a golden chance to add dual analog sticks.

This is no PSP2  but the same psp, so why add a second analog?
then what happens to the older games?
just cool down and wait till 2011 or 12 for a PSP2


PSP GO!
RELEASE DATE: 0CT 1st - North America and Europe
                         NOV 1st - Japan
PRICE : $249

It has a hard disk inside, and it definitely has to have a mass storage mode for its multimedia features. Once the piracy breakthrough begins, it will be no more secure than the existing models.
The sole reason for this is a last desperate attempt by Sony to challenge the supremacy of the Nintendo DS handheld, compete for the lucrative multimedia market and try and combat the strong challenge from Apple's Ipod Touch and iPhone handhelds, which have strongly come into their own in t he past couple of months.

ElRazur:

It would be hard to hack this one. Games for it would be via downloadable content. Meaning, even if hacked it would be patched again with a new update - New games wont play without the update.

This has been Sony's strategy since 2005. it hasn't worked one bit.

ElRazur:


No one is asking you to buy one. Dont forget that prices will probably vary in different regions.

sony is asking me and every other consumer to buy this handheld. As long as i have the means and i fit in the demographic Sony is after, my patronage (and that of millions of others worldwide) are being sought. And like many others who have seen this, i'm underwhelmed.

ElRazur:

As for you claiming it is an epic fail. Do you even know what that means? How can it be a fail when it isnt on sale yet? Gosh. As for the aesthetic, remember that one man's ugliness is another man's thing of beauty.

It's called gauging the market. The vast majority of people responding to this have been underwhelmed, especially with respect to the price. When Engadget, CNET, Gizmodo et al react so negatively to the price, you've got the idea.
There's a HUGE used games market in the US and Europe. It's worth billions of dollars yearly. I've you've been to Europe or the US in recent times you'd see the growing number of used games shops and the expanding sections for used games. To cut things short, you cannot buy second hand PSP Go games, you cannot trade in used PSP Go games and you cannot sell off your used PSP Go games. For millions of consumers, that's a downer.

ElRazur:

. You may have to pay for it, if not, stick to your psp3000. How hard is that? No one is forcing you.

I'll go out on a limb and say you've never been involved in marketing before. it's a funny thing that i've only ever heard this 'no-one is forcing you' phrase from Nigerians, a people that are perhaps the least informed about consumer rights in the world .

I sincerely doubt any Sony rep would make this kind of statement.

And right on cue, it's just been revealed that the PSP Go will not ship with a mini USB port. So all the people that bought any PSP accessory like the keyboard and the GPS add-on are out of luck.
Good times, eh?

People already buying accessories when the details of the product are not fully known?

I think adding a USB port would be the first point of hac.king on this one.

Please read this. It makes a refreshing read and, an hands-on review.

I was wrong about the PSP Go. In our last Destructoid Discusses we expressed our feelings on the leaked photos and video of the system, and I now have to admit that we were a bit hasty with our judgments. I was probably the worst offender. I found myself calling out the design, button and controller placement, and just about everything else you could try to pick apart. And while my cohorts were happy to go along with me in this, now that I've had a chance to spend some quality time with the system, I have to say that I was wrong.

Instead, I've come away with the biggest case of technolust. The device is gorgeous. The design is sound. And the feel and controls? They're great. I'm not too proud to say that I was wrong, but in this case, Sony had to pull me away from a showing that ran far too long. They were doing the obvious watch check thing. They ran me off. I think they thought I was going to steal a PSP Go.

We spoke with Sony's Brian Keltner about the PSP Go's reception here at E3, which you can watch in the video below. I also broke down our impressions on the control, design, as well as our thoughts of the Go in action. Long story short? I'm impressed.

The design:

Something about the leaked photos rubbed us the wrong way. The scale seemed off, the device looked plasticy and cheap, and it was our opinion that this system would be unwieldy. Worst off, the slide screen design seemed like it would be gimmicky, and nothing like the fan concept images that we've been daydreaming about for so long.

I'm glad to say that the design of the PSP Go is lovely. It's much more compact and sensible in the hands than we first thought it would be. The top and back of the unit is metal (or at least metal reinforced), and the top is sleek and simple, sporting only a hole for a strap and a few ports.

The screen was stunning, and did not seem to have the video issues the PSP-3000 has been accused of. Fast action games like Motorstorm showed no problems at all. Images just seem to fly off the screen in vivid color. We watched video clips and played several games in our hands on time, and I feel comfortable in saying that the PSP Go has the best screen ever put into a portable console.

We first got our hands on the standard black unit, which was lovely enough. It is your standard glossy black affair, just like the the currently available PSP. But later, as you'll see in the video, Sony was kind enough to share with us a white, sparkly PSP. Don't get me wrong: I'll take either, but I really want this white one. And yes, we asked: Sony will launch in October with the black one.

The controls:

As far as our reaction to the leaked images and video goes, we were most concerned about the placement of the controls on the PSP Go. It seems that Sony saw our Destructoid Discusses video where we were quick to bash the layout and the inset controls. Sony's Jeff Rubenstein asked me to give it a chance, telling me that the d-pad and button placement is much like that of the DualShock controller.

He was right. The hand feel of the unit is very close to that of the DualShock setup that Sony has used from the beginning. The d-pad and left analog nub placement sits right where your left thumb would fall, just like it does with the DualShock. And while you don't have the right analog stick, a round combo of the start and select buttons fit there.

The face buttons are smaller and clickier, and kind of remind me of the feel of the Nintendo DSi ones. They're flatter and less raised than you'd expect, but still perform fine, and give even more tactile response than the current PSP ones do. The analog nub is also smaller than the current PSP nub, but it seems to have the same travel distance, and now sits in a recessed area to let the screen slide down over it. I really like the new L and R buttons, which are new shiny metal, and have a bit more travel when pressed.

As for the non-game controls, the volume rocker sits atop the unit, as does the screen brightness and music button. The left side of the slide-up screen's face sports the PS button, just like the one on the SIXAXIS controller.

In action:

We played several games on the PSP Go, including several new titles like Little Big Planet, Soul Calibur, Gran Turismo PSP and several more. I'm pleased to say that the control feel was absolutely natural, to the point that I didn't really think much about it. The back rounded corners and overall width makes it feel like you're holding a console controller, and the placement of the buttons compliments that nicely. In fact, the only thing that feels different is the L and R buttons, which I feel are a vast improvement from those of the PSP. Overall, your hands are closer together, much like they would be on a console controller, making the game play experience totally natural and transparent. It's clear that Sony put a lot of work into the design here.

Summary:

I went from being highly critical to being totally sold on the PSP Go. It only took some quality time with the unit to change my mind. This is the first time in a long time that I've been impressed by a portable's design, and it's hard to deny the appeal of the screen and the pocket-able form factor. My original concern with the control placement no longer exists. It's fine.

Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide if a smaller, UMD-less PSP is worth your $249. It may not be, especially as Sony assures us that the downloadable game services will also be available to current PSP users. For me, I'm sold. I will be picking up a PSP Go on October 1st.

http://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-hands-on-with-the-psp-go-134707.phtml&skin=

ElRazur:

People already buying accessories when the details of the product are not fully known?

I think adding a USB port would be the first point of hac.king on this one.

I should have thought it's obvious i was referring to accessories bought for the other models of PSP.

It does have a port for USB access. Just not a mini USB port.

ElRazur:

Please read this. It makes a refreshing read and, an hands-on review.

http://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-hands-on-with-the-psp-go-134707.phtml&skin=

lol. Gaming journalists are far more recession proof than the average teen that's budget constrained. The Biggest complaint about the PSP Go isn't really the look or feel. Afterall, most designs grow on you after a while (i.e the popularity of the massively ugly 2007 era blackberry devices). The price, however, will always remain a dealbreaker for many people. Purveyors of the used game market are also left out in the cold.

The PSP Go will likely only be a game changer when the price drops. Besides, with the newly supercharged graphics of the iPhone 3Gs and an upcoming 3rd generation iPod touch, Sony faces far more competition than before in the handheld space.

Yeah the price is a bit too steep. But then let the market decide. I posted that as a few people appear to have written it off already without even having their hands on one.


Also, the Iphone is not a gaming machine. You would be tied to a phone contract, which will make it even more expensive than the PspGo.

ElRazur:

Yeah the price is a bit too steep. But then let the market decide. I posted that as a few people appear to have written it off already without even having their hands on one.


Also, the Iphone is not a gaming machine. You would be tied to a phone contract, which will make it even more expensive than the PspGo.

Yeah, but can the PSP make calls? Are it's multimedia features anywhere nearly as strong as the iPhones?

People are ditching their PSPs for the iPhone. It's become an all-in-one device these days, and as devs are getting a handle on its power, games are looking really good.
The new iPhone coming out next week will have graphics easily better than the PSP's.

PS: When i say iPhone, remember that the iPod touch can run all iphone apps and needs no contract.

You are comparing a netbook with a super computer. Not exactly a fair comparison is it? The iphone is a phone primarily and that is what it is. A pspGo is a handheld game consoles and that is what it is. If I want to make a phone call, I will use my G1, and I want to play game I would use my pspgo [assuming I own one]

An all in one device, cannot do the job well as a dedicated device. Note this with most "combined" electronics.

Besides, Iphone and pspgo are aimed are different market. The Iphone is not designed to be held and played like a game consoles, where as, on comparison, it is reported that the pspgo feels like a pad. The point is, you cannot make such comparison between the two.

You claimed people are ditching their psp/[ds??] for iphone. Are these number of people significant? And what kind of gamer wants to play Gran turismo, motorstorm, pro evo on an Iphone? Surely, they are not real gamers. But hey, my two cents.