PSP 2

The latest wave of rumors have begun about the imminent release of Sony's latest iteration of their portable PSP console, dubbed the PSP 2. So far, of course, there has been no official announcement from Sony about a new version of the console.

In late April 2009, a podcast released by online gaming site 1UP revealed that Sony would be announcing a new PSP console, called PSP Go!, at the 2009 E3 gaming convention in June. The hosts of the podcast claimed to have seen the device first hand. The new PSP, they continued, would no longer have a UMD drive and would have up to 16GB of flash memory. The PSP Go!, according to the podcast, would be released in Japan in September, followed by a North American release in October or November. Curiously, the podcast was quickly pulled down from the website and an edited uploaded in its place. Sony, of course, offered no comment.GameSpot: UMD-less PSP2 due by early November? (April 29, 2009)

On January 25, 2009, Dave Perry, a gaming industry veteran, blogged on his Twitter account that a friend of his was currently working on a game for the PSP2 and had access to a prototype of the new console. Perry stated, "That would sound like a fall release to me." He explained that the latest version of the PSP will no longer have a UMD drive and that games will be purchased using digital downloads.Official Site: David Perry - Game Developer Homepage Kotaku: Perry: PSP 2 is Real, Could Hit This Fall (February 25, 2009)

In response, John Koller, director of PSP marketing in North America, stated that he had no idea how Perry came across his information. He pointed out that Sony has always made minor renovations to the established PSP model, rather than huge design overhauls as Perry is suggesting. Koller confirmed that Sony is leaning towards digital distribution of PSP games in the future. He also made clear that there are currently no new hardware development kits in the hands of any developers.MTV Multiplayer: Sony Comments On PSP2 Rumors... (February 26, 2009)

Since the Japanese release of the Sony PSP in 2004, there have been two overhauls to the original model. In September 2007, a slimmer and lighter version of the PSP was released as the PSP-2000, aka the "Slim and Lite." The new version featured faster UMD load times, zippier internet browsing, and the system memory was doubled in size to 64MB. A video-out feature that allowed the system to be connected to a TV was also added. Skype functionality was introduced as well, effectively turning the console into a portable telephone. To make the PSP-2000 slimmer and lighter, battery capacity was cut by 1/3, reducing play time to about 4 to 7 hours.PlayStation.com: Technical Specifications - PSP (2000) system

In October 2008, the PSP-3000 introduced even more changes. Dubbed the "PSP Brite," the new version featured a brighter LCD screen with an increased contrast ratio and response time, as well as anti-reflection technology. The video-out port was upgraded and a built-in microphone gave players the option of hands-free voice communication, both in-game and via Skype.PR Newswire: New PSP Comes With Advanced High Constrast LCD Screen... (August 20, 2008)