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PSP2 losing UMD drive?

Unconfirmed reports have the dual thumbstick-enabled, touchpad-equipped portable losing its optical drive in favor of memory stick-based games.

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Source: Gaming blog Kotaku.

What we heard: Two days after the PlayStation Phone appears to have been unmasked, new details may have surfaced on the PSP2. Gaming blog Kotaku appears to have a bevy of information on the device, including the fact it will sport dual analog sticks, a larger "HD" screen, and a touch-sensitive pad on the back of the system.

Additionally, the upcoming portable will not have a UMD drive, with games instead coming on memory sticks, according a Kotaku's source. How large the games will be is unclear, as it appears the PSP2 will be a much burlier device under the hood than its predecessor. It will reportedly feature 1GB of RAM, versus the PSP's 64MB and the Xbox 360's 512MB.

The PSP2 may look like the UMD-less PSP Go, but with a second thumbstick.
The PSP2 may look like the UMD-less PSP Go, but with a second thumbstick.

One question that remains unanswered is the form factor of the PSP2. Kotaku's sources say that prototypes resembling both the PSP Go and the PSP-3000 were shown behind closed doors at the Tokyo Game Show. However, Sony had reportedly not yet decided on which direction to go in at the time of the event.

The official story: "People are reporting on rumors and calling them details. As you know, we don't coment on rumors or speculation."--Sony rep.

Bogus or not bogus?: Certainly very interesting, especially coming on the heels of the PlayStation Phone photos, which show Sony is using touchpad technology in its portables. However, without more information, it's too early to say either way.

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