Rumor: PSP Firmware 5.0 To Feature Direct PSN Access

The PSP is one sleek and diverse little unit, and given its ability to connect to the PlayStation 3, it means avid gamers have a darn good reason to own both platforms.

For a while now, Sony has been talking about enhancing the connectivity between the PS3 and PSP. They've already taken great strides, but there's one final step to take: give the handheld direct access to the PlayStation Network. Currently, if you want to download content on the Store for the PSP, you must first use the PS3 and then transfer it to the portable. But according to a report by French gaming site PSPGen and Exophase, the upcoming PSP firmware update will deliver this highly anticipated feature along with an "updated RSS reader capable of reading text-based articles." If you didn't already know, the RSS feature on the PSP is only limited to displaying items including only audio, video or images. Now, if firmware 5.0 really does deliver direct access to the PSN, that's going to be a huge selling point for the PSP. And remember, the new model – the PSP-3000 – already offers further incentive for interested consumers…

All we know is that this update should be released some during the fall, so we'll be on the lookout for any information regarding firmware 5.0. It would be perfect timing, what with the new model and the holidays right around the corner, but none of this has been officially confirmed just yet.