Finally the PSP is getting functionality that actually makes it stand out in ways that the DS doesn’t. Here is a list of improvements/add-ons, that are coming soon for the PSP:

1. Skype support (for PSP Slim only): VOIP support for the PSP will hit in the next few weeks. PSP owners will be able to call and receive calls from landlines and cellphones for an additional charge. It will come as a firmware update, but will apparently only be accessible for Slim owners. Sony points towards a memory difference between the two versions of the handheld as the cause.
2. PSP GPS: Sony is officially showcasing a PSP GPS system at the 2008 CES. GPS has been available in Japan, but is now going to come to other countries as well. Users will be able to download city guides, see real time 2D and 3D maps, as well as get driving directions. No pricing has been released at this time, but it is still awesome to see the potential use of the PSP as more of a powerful handheld device.
3. Blu-ray to PSP move download: Sony has been showcasing the PSP’s ability to download a lower-res version of a Blu-Ray movie through the PS3. This makes me actually kinda want some Blu-Ray movies….

Dunno about you, but all these PSP additions make me happy to own the system. I am not happy that I won’t be able to use Skype–though I don’t know how much I actually would have used it, but I still wish I had the option. Maybe I’ll just sell the phat PSP to Aegies…

Anyways, combine these new features with games like God of War: Chains of Olympus, and I think the PSP has a good year ahead of it.

Chufmoney

Sometimes Sony makes me super happy. Granted, I had mixed emotions about the new PSP. I was happy to see the improvements, especially the video out, but was sad to remember that I already own a PSP fatty.

For those of you who were waiting for a new PSP, it probably made you really happy to hear about its features: the smaller size, slimmer profile, video out, and built in flash memory.

Wait, what the fuck?

Where is the longer life battery? It is missing! That’s because the new slim PSP only gets 3-6 hours of game play per charge with the stock battery. However, for those of you who hate that idea you can take the old PSP battery and put it in your new PSP and it will make the life much longer. However, this also ruins the slimness of the system. Sony will be offering new battery covers for those who wish to put the fat battery in their slim system.

Seriously Sony, why did you shit on the good thing you were doing?

Chufmoney

[via PSP fanboy]

Kotaku always seems to dig up all the juicy rumors.  And, unlike some other sites we’ve seen (yeah we’re talking about you CVG), they tend to have good sources.  So when we saw their details about the PSP revision, we had to pass it on to you guys.

The new PSP, whose details are expected to be officially announced at the upcoming E3, is not a newhand held.  It will still play the UMDs that the current PSP does.  While it will be a more efficient machine, it will not be the PSP2.  We’ll probably be waiting on that release for quite some time.

The PSP “slim,” as its endearingly called, will have the following:

-8 GB flash memory

-a new more efficient LED screen

-a smaller design

-a better D pad, designed after the PS3’s

-a battery life that supposedly lasts up to four times longer than the current PSP

-faster load times due to the improved UMD drive.

While all of these details are certainly exciting they are still rumors at this point.  However, should they prove to be true, and Sony does hit the 170$ price mark they are supposedly seeking, then this could greatly improve the PSP marketshare.  The PSP already has some great games out and even more on the way.  If Sony could improve upon the flaws that the system does have they could possibly take away some of Nintendo’s hold on the world of hand helds. 

Sony must work on downloadable content, especially if the PSP revision is going to have built in memory.  This, combined with their deeper games, will perhaps allow them to distance themselves from the constant comparison to the DS.

I certainly hope the Kotaku source is right.  Though I do feel slightly miffed because I was an early adopter.

Chufmoney

[via Kotaku]