================================================== ==============================
= 1. What is the Sony PSP? =
================================================== ==============================
The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console released and currently manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. Its development was first announced during E3 2003, and it was officially unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, the United States and Canada on March 24, 2005 and in Europe and Australia on September 1, 2005. It is considered the first handheld video game system to use an optical disc format (Universal Media Disc). After PSP Slim was released, Sony had announced that they are discontinuing production of the standard psp. Meaning standard psp are currently on limited stock and gone after the current stock sold out.
A new slimmer and lighter version of the PlayStation Portable, titled Slim and Lite, was announced on July 11, 2007 and Sony's press conference at E3 2007. It will be available in the US, Europe and Japan in September 2007 with various colours and a very different box packaging to the current PSP. Among these versions three were physically shown at E3 2007: a white version with a Star Wars imprint, a piano black version and an ice silver version.
================================================== ==============================
= 2. Specifications (taken from various sources) =
================================================== ==============================
Normal Playstation Portable
PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1~333MHz)
32MB Main Memory
4MD Embedded DRAM
UMD Drive (Playback only)
IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
USB 2.0
Memory Stick Duo PRO
IrDA
IR Remote (SIRCS)
5V DC OUT
Terminals for charging built-in battery
Headphone/Microphone/Control connector
Control:
Directional pad (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Analog pad
Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square buttons
Left, Right shoulder buttons
START, SELECT buttons
Display Mode, Sound Mode, Volume +/-, Home buttons
POWER On/Hold/Off switch
Wireless LAN On/Off switch
UMD Eject switch
Dimensions: Approximately 170mm (L) x 74mm (W) x 23mm (D)
Weight: Approximately 260g (including battery)
Screen: 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD
480 x 272 pixel (16.77 million colors)
Max. 200 cd/m2
Built-in stereo speakers
3.6V 1800mAh lithium-ion battery
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 3. PSP Launches and Packs -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The European launch date was 1st September 2005. The retail price is £180. Like in the US, the only pack initially available was the Value Pack containing:
1 PSP console
1 Power supply
1 Instruction manual
1 White wrist strap
1 Carry case
1 Cleaning cloth
1 32MB Memory Stick Duo
1 Pair of headphones with inline remote control
1 Music/movie/game sampler UMD
The US launch date was 24th March 2005. The retail price is $249 USD. The only pack initially available was the Value Pack
containing:
1 PSP console
1 Power supply
1 Instruction manual
1 White wrist strap
1 Carry case
1 Cleaning cloth
1 32MB Memory Stick Duo
1 Pair of headphones with inline remote control
1 Music/movie/game sampler UMD
The first million purchasers will also receive a Spiderman 2 Movie UMD.
The Japanese launch date was 12th December 2004 for 20,790 Yen with tax.
The system includes:
1 PSP console
1 Power supply
1 Instruction manual
In addition, a "Value Pack" was launched in Japan on the same date for 26,040
Yen with tax that contains the same as the normal pack plus:
1 White wrist strap
1 Carry case
1 32MB Memory Stick Duo
1 Pair of headphones with inline remote control
The "Giga Pack" was launched in Japan on 31st October 2005 for ¥29,800 ($400 SGD) in Asia, $299 ($473 SGD) in the United States, $349 ($492 SGD) in Canada and £214.99 ($642 SGD) in the UK. It contains the same accessories as the "Value Pack" but Sony replaced the 32MB Memory Stick Duo with a 1GB ones.
A base unit package aka "Standard Pack" or "Core Edition" was available only in Japan at launch, although it had been released on the U.S. and Europe on March 22, 2006, with pricing points set at $199 U.S ($345 SGD), €199 ($401 SGD), $329 AUD ($387 SGD) and £149.99 ($448 SGD).
On 12 September 2006, Sony announced that they are releasing a new PSP pack called "Entertainment Pack". The Entertainment Pack includes the following:
1 PSP Console
1 AC Adapter
1 ATV Offroad Fury Blazin' Trails Game
1 Lords of Dogtown UMD movie
1 1GB Memory Stick Duo Pro
1 Demo Disc
This was released and on sale for US$249 (about $349 SGD).
The "Bonus Pack" ,which was initially announced on 4th October 2006, went on sale in Japan on 18 October 2006. This pack consists of the following:
1 PSP Console
1 Pouch
1 1GB Memory Stick Duo Pro
1 USB Cable
1 PSP Stand
1 AC Adapter
1 Battery Pack
"Bonus Pack" is more or less similar to "Giga Pack" except that lint cloth and earphone w/ remote are not included just like the USB cable and PSP stand that were not included in the latter. It will be selling at the price of US$280 which is about $19 cheaper than "Giga Pack".
------------------------------------
4. PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite
------------------------------------
At E3 2007, Sony released information about a new version of the PlayStation Portable, currently packaged in the PAL territories as PSP Slim & Lite. The new PSP is 33% lighter (reduced to 189 grams from 280 grams) and 19% slimmer than the original PSP system. The model numbers have changed to PSP-2000, following the previous region-based numbering scheme (cf. the PSP-1000 numbering scheme of the "old" PSP model).
Features and Changes
The PSP Slim & Light offers a 33% lighter and 5mm (19%) thinner system. Internal changes to achieve this include the removal of a metal chassis (used to reduce damage), improved WLAN modules and Micro-controller, and a thinner and much lighter LCD display.
Although dubbed "PSP Slim and Lite", the PSP-2000 range offers a lot of other tweaks and improvements from the older generation. To target the original PSP generation's poor load times when in UMD games, a "temporary memory" was implemented in order to speed up load times.
Further to this, the internal memory (RAM and FlashROM) was doubled to 64MB to improve load times and accommodate for an improvement in the web browser's performance.
PSP Slim MagicGate Memory Stick Slot
PSP Slim MagicGate Memory Stick Slot
To make the PSP slimmer, the capacity of the battery was reduced by about 1/3. Due to more efficient power usage, the runtime of the PSP is still the same as the older model. Older model batteries will still work with the PSP Slim & Light which extends the amount of playing time on the PSP Slim & Light. However, the battery cover on the newer model does not fit over the older battery due to its bulkier size.
Amongst these, other minor changes were made. The PSP Slim & Light has a new enamel coated finish to prevent scratches and smudges. The serial port was also modified in order to accommodate a new video-out feature (while rendering older PSP remote controls incompatible). USB charging was made possible (using a USB cable to plug the PSP into a USB port to allow charging). The D-Pad was also modified in response to poor performance - being raised, while buttons offer improved responsiveness, confirmed in the GameSpot "hands-on" review: "several GameSpot editors have noticed that the d-pad and buttons on the new PSP provide a little more tactile feedback for a better overall feel."
A new UMD loading tray design was introduced to be more efficient in terms of size, while the Wi-Fi switch was moved to the top of the console and the Memory Stick slot moved to the upper left. The speakers were repositioned on the front of the PSP near the top of the screen. The rather obsoleted infra-red port was also removed - which offered no use to the original PSP generation other than in homebrew applications. The analog stick was also redesigned to be more flexible.
A "1Seg" tuner (model PSP-S310) peripheral, designed specifically for the PSP Slim & Lite model, was released in Japan on September 20, 2007.
Pricing
The announced price is set at $169.99 for the Core Pack and $199.99 for the newer PSP entertainment packages. The original version of the PSP is also set to be priced at $169.99, until they are sold out, although some stores may lower the price as a clearout sale to try and sell their PSP systems more rapidly. The PSP Slim will sell for $169.99, and the two special limited edition ones cost $199.99. The Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary edition is limited to 77,777 units is currently on sale in Japan and online stores for US$399.90. In New Zealand the PSP Slim retails for a price of NZ$299.95. In Australia the PSP Slim retails from $249-$279. Production of the original PSP has already been halted.
Retail Configuration
The initial North American PSP release was the Ice Silver Daxter Entertainment Pack at $199.99 The Piano Black version is currently set to be priced at $169.99. The Ice Silver PSP will come in an entertainment packet including the game Daxter, a 1 GB Memory Stick, and the UMD movie, Family Guy Freakin' Sweet Collection. About one month later, Sony plans to release a special Ceramic White Star Wars edition PSP which has a silkscreen picture of Darth Vader on the back. It will come with the game Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Both the Ice Silver and Ceramic White PSPs are set to be priced at $199.99. Sony will release the colors Rose Pink, Lavender Purple, and Felicia Blue in Japan at launch. A special "FINAL FANTASY VII 10th Anniversary" Edition will be released a week before launch, limited to 77,777 units. The package includes a silver color unit with Final Fantasy pictures at the back, and an original Final Fantasy sword-shaped strap. (Some shops will also provide a special ear-phone for pre-orders).
Europe will get black and silver models and the two special limited edition colors available as a bundle: Simpsons-themed yellow bundle and the red and black Spider-Man bundle. At the moment, U.K are pre-ordering the Slim & Lite PSP for £129.99. The white models will be released on October 11th.
Release Dates:
* Hong Kong - August 30
* North America "Ice Silver" - September 6
* South Korea - September 7
* Australia - September 12
* Japan, Final Fantasy VII design - September 13
* Europe "Piano Black" - September 5
* Europe "Ice Silver" - September 5
* New Zealand - September 14
* Japan, all colors - September 20
* South Africa - September 24
* North America "Piano Black" - October 5
* Europe "Ceramic White" - October 6
* North America "Ceramic White" - October 4
* Europe "Spider-Man" - TBA 2007
* Europe "Simpsons" - TBA 2007
TV Output
Sony has added a TV output for the PSP Slim available through Firmware 3.60. The PSP can output standard resolution (4:3), and widescreen (16:9). It also offers a screensaver if the PSP is inactive for a set amount of time. It is able to output games, videos, and other media. To achieve TV output on the Slim model, Composite, S-Video, Component and D-Terminal cables are sold separately by Sony. Games are output as a progressive scan signal, which can only be carried by the component video and D-Terminal cables, and can only be displayed on a television which supports progressive scan. The maximum resolution through TV output is 640x480 pixels, and composite video uses NTSC colour encoding (no PAL composite signal is available).
------------------------------------
5. PlayStation Portable 3000
------------------------------------
System Changes
Release
The PSP-3000 was released on October 14, 2008 in North America (US$199.99 for the bundles and US$169.99 for the core, which will be released later on), in Europe on October 17, 2008, and in Australia on October 23, 2008 for AU$299.95.
The PSP-3000 will come in two limited-edition bundles in North America. One includes a Mystic Silver PSP-3000, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, the National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets UMD movie, a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo and a voucher for a PS Store download of Echochrome. The PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack includes a Piano Black PSP-3000, one 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, and a PS Store voucher for Everyday Shooter. According to Circuit City, the core pack will release on November 9, 2008.
In Europe the console will be released in eight different bundles. It will retail for €199 in the Eurozone and £149 in the UK.
The PSP-3000 was released on October 16, 2008 in Japan for ¥19,800 ($184). Two bundles will also be released for the holiday season. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam: ¥24,840 ($227) on November 20 and Patapon 2 Donchaka: ¥23,800 ($218) on November 27.
In New Zealand, it was released on October 17, 2008 for NZ$325.
Problems?
Screen:
It has emerged that the new screen shows visible dark lines, similar to traditional scan lines, and displays interlacing-like artifacts during on-screen motion.
It has been shown that the new screen possesses a new horizontal subpixel structure, which is thought to create the scanline-like appearance, but the origin of the interlace-style artifacts is currently unknown.
No comments:
Post a Comment