Japanese PSPs tuning into TV September 20

TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment held its "PlayStation Premiere 2007" press conference in Japan today, giving the Japanese media a chance to check out the new PlayStation Portable that was announced at the E3 Media & Business Summit.

Aside from updating the press with all the details unveiled last week in Santa Monica, Sony made a number of new announcements that apparently pertain only to the Japanese market. There, the new PSP model (PSP-2000) will be coming out on September 20 at the price of 19,800 yen (around $162).

In Japan, SCE will release a TV tuner (PSP-S310), which users can attach to the new PSP via its USB port. The peripheral weighs in at only 17 grams and is very portable, but is compatible only with the new PSP model. Also, since it's a 1seg digital TV tuner (ISDB-T broadcasting format), its use is limited to the Japan airwaves. The TV tuner will be released at the same time as the new PSP, and will retail for 6,980 yen (about $57), about the same as a low-end USB TV tuner for a PC.

At E3, Sony announced that two new PSP colors--ice silver, and ceramic white--will be available alongside the traditional piano-black finish in the US later this year. Japan will be getting an additional set of three light-colored models that SCE calls its "Bloom Series": rose pink, lavender purple, and felicia blue.

Japan is also getting an exclusive, limited-edition model of the new PSP. For the 10th anniversary of the Final Fantasy VII franchise, Square Enix is collaborating with SCE to release a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII limited edition bundle, which includes a special silver PSP (pictured at top) featuring distinctly colored buttons, logos, and a serial number. The limited edition set also includes the Crisis Core PSP game and a keychain shaped like the sword of the game's hero, Zack.

The limited edition Crisis Core PSP bundle is coming out on the same day as the game, September 13, allowing Japanese FFVII fans to get their hands on the new PSP a week before its official release. The Crisis Core PSP will be limited to a production of 77,777 units and will sell for 25,890 yen (about $212).