E3 '07: New PSP model coming

Sony confirms slimmer, lighter PSP model in the works; includes extended battery life and hi-definition video output to TVs.

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SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Rumours have been flying around for a while that the PlayStation Portable would be getting a redesign.

One of the first rumours came from a UK event to launch the PSP in Education initiative, where Sony Computer Entertainment Europe managing director Ray Maguire called the current version of the PSP the "first iteration" of the hardware and that a "smaller, lighter" version would be coming in the future.

However, the company furiously backtracked after the event, with Sony America corporate communications director Dave Karraker saying, "Ray's comments regarding decreasing the size of the PSP were made in the general context that almost all consumer electronics shrink over time as advances are made in the technology to shrink the components used in manufacture. We have not, however, made any announcement regarding any new PSP hardware changes."

In June, Sony updated a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which showed a diagram of a possible new PSP model that featured a swivel screen and a way to switch between using it as a games machine and a mobile phone. More speculation followed that the new PSP was imminent and that it would also be a cell phone.

Today, Sony confirmed that a new PSP would be coming and that the redesign would indeed be a newer, smaller PSP. It also revealed the new model would come in a variety of different colours. Announced so far for North America are both the classic "piano black," along with "ice silver," which will arrive in September. There will also be a special Star Wars design: a white PSP with a picture of Darth Vader's face on the back, to be available in October.

Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai said that the new PSP will be 33 percent lighter, 19 percent slimmer, the battery will be more efficient, and there will also be faster loading of games. It will also come with the ability to output high-quality video by pressing the display button. This means that movies, games, photos, and all other PSP applications can be output to a TV screen.

Two bundles were announced for the new portable for North America. The first, titled "The PSP entertainment pack for North America," includes the silver PSP, a copy of the Daxter game, a 1GB memory stick Duo, and a Family Guy collection UMD. The second is the new Star Wars Battlefront PSP pack, which will include the Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron game and the special Star Wars PSP. Both will cost $199.99.

For a closer look, check out GameSpot Hardware's in-depth examination of the device.

307 Comments

  • mikeisaniceguy

    Posted Feb 18, 2008 5:20 pm PT

    i'm getting the silver one for me b-day which is in 2 months. haha

  • Gentlemosh89

    Posted Jan 27, 2008 5:10 pm PT

    I got the star wars white psp slim for xmas. I AM ON IT EVERYDAY!

  • shotgun_org

    Posted Jan 4, 2008 9:23 pm PT

    i got a PSP slim piano black just yesterday!

  • BIG_PLAY3R

    Posted Dec 31, 2007 11:54 am PT

    Got the black one. Its my baby! =D

  • shameer93

    Posted Dec 30, 2007 1:15 pm PT

    yeah kaptain_insano dude!!!

  • kaptain_insano

    Posted Nov 25, 2007 7:26 pm PT

    all those who are stiking old school with their old PSP's....WE RULE!!!!!!!!!!!! W00T!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • USMCshooter

    Posted Oct 12, 2007 1:58 pm PT

    i think it would be cool if they had two analog for FPS. and it would be cool if you can have red green and all the colors.but the cost of one would be $145.

  • tyzwain

    Posted Oct 8, 2007 5:23 am PT

    Lol got one, its good but Im still waiting to buy a PSP to TV cable.

  • DarthEthong467

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 7:58 am PT

    A Star Wars pack sounds awesome!!! I just hope it don'thave some technical flaw like catching on fire or something.

  • Osirex2

    Posted Aug 27, 2007 7:06 am PT

    what sony does not understand its not so much how the system looks like its how the game play looks like and feels like. if the game or the game play sucks then your system unit sells weak.

  • IamTakkun

    Posted Aug 25, 2007 4:24 am PT

    So the black one didn't sell well, try two other colors.... WAIT, get some good games first. That's the problem.... Who'd a thunk!?

  • Sonic_X

    Posted Aug 23, 2007 12:39 pm PT

    Sony should have done this back when the DS Lite came out instead of waitin for Nintendo to takeover. I traded in my DS for a PSP a couple months ago and I have to say I'm really happy with but I don't feel the this new PSP slim is worth it. So I'll just stick wit my good old PSP, and to all u people gettin hyped about being able to ur PSP on ur new flatscreen, that's what my XBOX 360 is for.

  • jukeboxjoe

    Posted Aug 14, 2007 1:47 pm PT

    If the price is right (I'm guessing around £100 or so judging from the American price) I'll get the Star Wars one. I hope Sony learns from how badly they overpriced the PS3 and makes this a sensible price over in the UK

  • stfolife

    Posted Aug 11, 2007 4:21 pm PT

    nobody is forcing you to buy one so if you dont want one dont get one im going to get the ice cool one

  • Machsonic

    Posted Aug 1, 2007 1:19 pm PT

    I'm buying the Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Bundle. It has Darth Vader on the back heh heh heh. And it's Ceramic White, you can not mess with Ceramic White.

  • nghtcrwlr821

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 1:08 pm PT

    I'm buying the Silver Bundle.

  • seanog911

    Posted Jul 25, 2007 4:03 pm PT

    Sony is going to lose a lot of money doing this if you ask me

  • oliver_475

    Posted Jul 25, 2007 9:31 am PT

    1 word...... meh

  • c_rake

    Posted Jul 24, 2007 9:58 am PT

    A better battery is always good to have, but I don't think a new PSP model will help sales in any way.

  • sexydaniboy

    Posted Jul 23, 2007 10:55 am PT

    "Sony decided to ignore common sense and just release a smaller PSP with replaced stereos and a slightly diffrent casing. This is not a redesign, its nonsense."

    This... is.... SONYYYYYYY!!! ...

    K, fun time's over. Still, it is nonsense: It may make a few people want to buy it, but it won't help sales for their system.

  • ooJmong

    Posted Jul 22, 2007 11:42 pm PT

    Eh...size and longer battery life are MANDATORY factors. And yet they're emphasizing these trivial matters? I have high hopes for Sony, but the PSP won't be getting anywhere at this rate...

    To all of you who have the original PSPs: We rule.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Jul 22, 2007 11:10 pm PT

    I wish they had made it easier to hold... -I traded my first one in for a 360.

  • rarson

    Posted Jul 21, 2007 2:28 pm PT

    Wow, finally some value for the PSP. Except, as much as I love Family Guy, I already own it all on DVD's, and I doubt I'd be aching to watch movies on a PSP at all... I don't even like watching them on my laptop (I prefer a TV). And it doesn't look all that smaller. But at least the price is decent.

    Now, how much better are the load times? That will ultimately make or break the purchase for me, since that's why I returned my original PSP.

  • Sony_FreaK

    Posted Jul 21, 2007 10:34 am PT

    If i get any of those PSP's I'll be buying the Silver with the 1gig stick and the Daxter. I love Star Wars but i don't want a picture of Darth Varder on the back. I'll get the game seperate. I hope the black psp comes with a 1gig also, not too fond of silver.

  • Kcube

    Posted Jul 19, 2007 11:13 pm PT

    I am getting one for sure

  • Azhar85

    Posted Jul 19, 2007 4:50 am PT

    i'll think new analog stick will be good..i''ll mean the analog stick will be smooth if they make it not too tight with the console...but they don't do that...suck sony...

  • jgon_9

    Posted Jul 18, 2007 6:56 pm PT

    Looking at that box makes me want to buy one. lol this isn't the first time. Just like when I bought the Game Boy Micro. Actually even the 2nd DS. I'm addicted to portable gaming

  • Demmi_Argo

    Posted Jul 18, 2007 4:12 pm PT

    *sighs* I had hopes for the PSP, I really did. When I saw the graphics on those launch titles I was like "the DS has officially been blown out of the water". But unfortunately I was forced to buy a DS lite because of the horrible lineup on the PSP (in terms of gameplay, not graphics). And then came the redesign, the second thumbstick would save the PSP and for some reason Sony decided to ignore common sense and just release a smaller PSP with replaced stereos and a slightly diffrent casing. This is not a redesign, its nonsense.

  • willripyouanew1

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 9:30 am PT

    Lighter is good but where's the second thumb stick??

  • KeLyfe

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 8:36 am PT

    New Model??? It the same thing...

  • robobie

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 7:22 am PT

    Is there a release date for this psp in europe yet???and what price will it be???because i need a new psp and i said i would wait for this one

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jul 17, 2007 12:25 am PT

    The main reason I want one is because of just a few games, mainly Silent Hill: Origins, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Every Extend Extra, Me and My Katamari, and Loco Roco. And Every Extend Extra is already going to the X360 through XBLA, so I'm not sure what I'll do with that one yet, but the rest I really want a PSP play. The other good thing that a PSP will be good for is the PS3 feature which allows you to download PS1 games to play on the PSP or PS3. I could think of quite a few PS1 games I'd like to play on the PSP, so I hope Sony starts cranking them out to buy on PSN.

  • MadGamer132

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 2:17 pm PT

    just like the DS Lite, this would be good for my buck. kudos.

  • manapsal

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 12:25 pm PT

    **** this, i expected something better than "this percent smaller and this percent" thinner...i'm just gonna buy a Portable Media Player and not give a **** about the games

  • DeathgiverX

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 10:14 am PT

    Great, now the black one can have some company on the store shelves. $ony needs try listening for once so they can figure out that the homebrew scene is the only thing keeping their failed system afloat, because there is no doubt in my mind that this new PSP is probably going to have their rumored new "anti-humbrew" boards. Oh, second analog stick and good d-pad where art thou?

  • Trogeton

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 9:35 am PT

    well now that I think about it.. only if you have not gotten one already, or you just want the new one, or something happened to yours and you want a new one, then I would get one, but other than that , it makes no difference

  • Final_Crusade

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 9:07 am PT

    What about improvements on the friggin D-Pad?!?!
    I love Street Fighter styled games, but the controls suck hard on the PSP 1000... Have they forgoten to improve that?!?

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted Jul 16, 2007 12:36 am PT

    I'm hearing a lot of "Wow, now that it's negligably smaller, I want one."...... are you people stupid? Sorry for being blunt, but something being only a tad bit smaller doens't make it any more portable, nor does it add to the value that much.

    A change is the GBA to the GBA SP. Or the iPod and the iPod Nano, that is a change that could instigate a want of purchase, but seariously, it's like, what, less than a centimeter length wise, not even that height wise, and about a fifth thinner?

    I bought the PSP the day it came out, and this doesn't make me say "Darn! I should have waited," nor does it make me say "I should get this new one!" That's not a good thing, that means that the "new" PSP isn't "new". It's called "Money Stealling", and so far, that what Sony set out to do.

    When they changed the DS to the DS Lite, I got one. Why? Because it wasn't just A LOT smaller, but it also had a better screen that was much brighter. It also dropped in price. This is just a kick in the face to anyone who wanted a new PSP. This isn't what people asked for Sony, not even slightly.

  • jamalnos

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 11:45 pm PT

    I will buy another one of this model.

  • marioman50

    Posted Jul 15, 2007 9:06 am PT

    so do those pictures mean that a ceramic white PSP will be available w/o Darth Vader, or can I just buy a different battery cover to replace him. You guys mentioned nothing of a regular white PSP yet you have a picture of the back of one, I guess that's a good sign.

  • Jebril

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 9:58 pm PT

    As a faithful DS owner....I will admittedly own in that now I want this PSP.....it looks so good like a real portable....but do I have 200 bucks?

  • msudude211

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 5:40 pm PT

    Awww. No second analog stick?

  • RedPanther95

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 4:16 pm PT

    The Daxter Bundle is better...

  • froggut198

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 3:18 pm PT

    Ugh, I've wanted to get a new PSP for awhile and I heard about this and was really excited, but it comes out in October?! Nooooo! I lack patience!
    Oh well, I guess I'll save up for a guitar and then for the PSP afterwords.
    Yay for job!

  • ProjectPat187

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 8:59 am PT

    Warfust u need to read about the new PSP, its THINNER not smaller

  • DarthMatoro

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:59 am PT

    I seriously want this PSP but I don't have any cashola to get it! LOL!

  • Warfust

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:37 am PT

    So smaller (would have to be screen too) and still uses proprietary information storage. Not to mention the UMB format is pretty much gone for movies.

    I'll pass.

  • kbaily

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:19 am PT

    Too bad it doesn't have the one thing it needed...a second analog stick.

  • f789790

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 7:00 am PT

    if anyone thinks the old psp is too heavy they need to go lift some weights

  • brittoss

    Posted Jul 14, 2007 12:26 am PT

    The silver one looks really nice but I've got the original fat white one so I don't see the point in me buying a new one as the redesign isn't that big a thing for me. If it was on the scale of the GBA -> GBASP redesign then I would be taking a second look.

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