News

Cheaper PSP to get camera and GPS add-ons

Sony also hints at providing old PlayStation games for download to PSP…

Cheaper PSP to get camera and GPS add-ons
|
PSP

Sony is cutting the price of PSP, and has announced two new PSP peripherals will arrive on sale this autumn: a camera and a GPS receiver. Both add-ons will work with existing PSPs. It has also confirmed a download initiative that will bring more old PlayStation games to PSP owners.

The price cut means that from March 22nd PSP will cost 199 Euros in Europe, which should translate into about £140 on the British high street (a reduction from today's £179). In the US, PSP will sell for $199.

Turning to the hardware, Sony expects the new camera to enable the sort of EyeToy motion tracking games familiar from PlayStation 2, as well as games incorporating video chat. More intriguingly, the GPS (or Global Positioning System, to give it its wordy name) peripheral means you can let the network know exactly where you and your PSP are at any time. As such, GPS could be used to support PSP navigation applications such as streetmaps or even car-based route-finding, and just maybe some new kinds of PSP games based on where you are in the world. It's something the ill-fated Gizmondo handheld supported, and we look forward to seeing what kinds of applications game creators and others can dream up.

In addition, Sony has announced a new PSP model will arrive with the price cut on March 22nd. This model is 'new' in that it has updated software, rather than more sexier new hardware capabilities like the built-in hard disc drive or camera that some rumoured was coming. This new built-in software includes a Macromedia Flash player (good for viewing fancier websites and visuals) and an extended RSS Channel function, which should ease the playback and storage of Internet radio content and movies. Sony is continually updating the PSP's software, of course: you can update your own older model by connecting your PSP to the wi-fi network.

Sony is being very coy about the older game downloading service. It is simply saying it will offer "selected popular PlayStation format titles from the past". Since PSP is already home to versions of PlayStation games like Ridge Racer, it's unclear whether this is just meant as a ruse to score some marketing headlines against the likes of Nintendo's upcoming Revolution TV-console, or a fully-fledged push to get a huge number of PlayStation games onto PSP. Watch this space for more!

As for new UMD games news, Sony has merely confirmed the development of titles we already know about, such as The Godfather, DragonBall Z: Shin, LocoRoco, Field Commander, Syphon Filter and Football Manager Handheld. That doesn't make them any less eagerly anticipated, of course, but we certainly expect to hear about a few brand new games at the big E3 games show in Los Angeles this May.