Ben-DutkaOh yes, the PSP2 hype is climbing, and it's climbing fast.
We learned this week that Sony's newest portable offering might be unveiled on January 27 and now, that same source has provided us with some juicy – and perhaps hard to believe – details. It seems the PSP2 will be on store shelves for the holiday season this year and more importantly, we'll be looking at a "high-end portable equivalent of its next-gen home console." Indeed, Sony has told licensees the unit "is as powerful as the PlayStation 3." Sources have also stated that Sony would start outlining its 2011 handheld strategy "within days" of Nintendo revealing their 3DS plans. As it stands now, we might have a super powerful portable device in our hands as early as October, and it'll boast a high-definition screen and twin analog controls. As for the games, Sony is doing everything they can to separate the PSP2 from the Apple and Android handheld devices…well, if the new PSP is as powerful as the PS3, that's separation enough, yes?
Lastly, PSP2 will utilize a media format to insure "retail has a part to play in the console's lifecycle by selling physical software," so the idea of a PSP Go clone seems to be out. Just don't forget the new PSP will certainly be capable of smaller games and apps via the PSN. If you're into handheld gaming, this news should be quite exciting and if the sources are correct, we'll have all the relevant info in only two weeks time. Stay tuned.