New PSP Go revealed accidentally by Sony

Sony's new handheld is indeed called PSP Go and has up to 16GB of flash memory and Bluetooth support for tethering to mobile phones.One of the worst-kept tech secrets of recent times has finally been outed

That's according to Sony's own Qore gaming show, the latest episode of which was posted prematurely and then yanked, but not before the internet pounced on it.Although it's not clear if the Wi-Fi link has been retained.The top of the PSP Go slides up to reveal controls underneath, including just one analogue joystick. It seems likely that a Memory Stick slot will be included to augment the 16GB of flash memory.

Old PSP to stay

Significantly, the Go will not replace the standard PSP 3000 - that will remain on sale, so it'll be interesting to see how Sony positions the pair and how much the newcomer will cost when it goes official at E3 this week.

The biggest change comes with the overall design as it now is a slick, sliding gadget, smaller in size, slimmer, but also much lighter (about 43%) thanks to the omission of the UMD drive. Additionally, the screen has been shrunk to just 3.8″ and the handheld now sports 16GB of built-in flash memory. Bluetooth technology is included, though its use is not yet apparent. All in all, it looks pretty good, on paper. But is it?

Personally, I simply cannot see who Sony intends to market this to. What does it have for 100% new users? It’s a little more compact, but if people were not compelled to buy a PSP before, is that enough to entice them now? On the other hand, there’s the existing install base, and things look slightly worse for them. Their existing UMD library is rendered unplayable, the screen size is smaller and even the design may have sacrificed some comfort in order to become that much more compact.

Even as a mere test for digital distribution handhelds, it strikes me as 100% unnecessary as Sony could simply and efficiently test that by pushing the actual service more. Release more games, advertise the service, add $5-10 discounts compared to the store-bought copies, see the percentage of users that end up biting and gauge how it can be applied to the future handheld models. A new PSP SKU was simply not needed as the current PSP models are perfectly capable of downloading games and most every user must have a memory stick by now, thanks to the already available digital content. I’m certainly very curious about the marketing’s direction and the resulting sales. Surprise me, Sony!

E3 is just a few days away right?

Here’s a comparison of the PSP Go vs PSP Phat. Sure the screen is smaller but not by a lot. The differences in the layout is quite remarkable though. The original PSP buttons are gone (display, sound, volume) but the new interface is actually much more appealling.

The only issues that I see with the new PSP hardware is the proximity of the back of the screen to the shoulder buttons. If you’re too close, you’ll end up rubbing your fingers against it making gameplay irritable. Then there’s the size. From experience, past PSP models are admittedly bulky, not because of their weight but because of their width. Because of the orientation of the controls (on both sides of the PSP), your hands tend to hold the unit there making the bulk issue. The PSP Go has it’s controls at the bottom of the unit, making it feel much more like holding a controller but it’s still a matter of personal preference.

I personally can’t wait to get my hands on one of these and test it out. If they come out before I get my hands on my next PSP purchase, I’ll no doubt get one pronto. If not for the curves of the hardware, then it’s the 16 GB onboard memory. Yes, the PSP Go uses onboard memory AND it has a slot for your Sony Memory Stick.

And here’s the requisite PSP Go vs Nintendo DSi comparison.

The question on current PSP gamers’ minds is probably the one concerned about porting their CURRENT UMDs to the PSP Go. My guess is Sony will provide digital version downloads for us via the PSN instead of a converter. It’s much more efficient and user friendly but the trade off is bandwidth.