October 9th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals
With only one analog nub, the PSP can’t seem to nail down a comfortable first or third-person shooter control scheme on its own, but a new tech called “PSP Plus” will allow users to pair the handheld with the PlayStation 3’s more genre-capable SIXAXIS or DualShock 3 controllers. Sony announced PSP Plus at the Tokyo Game Show today but didn’t provide much info about how it works, so we’re not sure if it’s the same technology that was patented last year. We do know there’s a pretty outrageous catch: you’ll need to connect your PSP to your PS3 to use the controller. With only one game supported (Resistance Retribution), we prefer just about any homemade hack to this solution, and if you’re at home with your PS3, why not play Resistance 2 instead? It’s what Kratos would do.
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Posted in playstation 3, ps3, psp, dualshock 3, Dualshock3, playstation portable, sixaxis, psp plus | No Comments »
August 13th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
We expect a lot when Sony makes a full point update from the PSP-2001. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case as we thumb through the FCC filing of Sony’s newest PSP. Then again, it’s being pretty tight-lipped with most of the juicy docs well hidden in support of Sony’s request for confidentiality. We can tell you that the FCC’s tests were all focused on the 2.4GHz spectrum for the PSP-3001’s stated use of 802.11b WiFi (nothing new there) — no GPS, no 802.11 Draft-n, no Bluetooth. In fact,the schematic used to demonstrate the FCC ID placement looks identical to the existing PSP slim — no evidence of that rumored mic or redesigned Home button. Guess we’ll have to wait for this one to walk through the system a bit. Nevertheless, fanboys rejoice, PSP-3001 is real and this close to a formal announcement. See the label placement pic after the break.
Continue reading Unspectacular PSP-3001 outed by the FCC
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Posted in sony, breaking news, BreakingNews, fcc, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, psp-3001 | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, GPS
Only John Koller knows how serious John Koller, Sony’s senior marketing manager for PSP, was when mentioning that GPS-enabled games could eventually hit the PSP, but he definitely threw it out there. Speaking about the forthcoming GPS add-on for the PlayStation Portable, Koller stated that said module “changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP, because you can start integrating GPS into it.” He continued on by mentioning that Sony’s own first-party studios were “already looking at a number of things [involving GPS in games],” and concluded by asserting that a GPS game could land on the system as early as next year. Considering just how long we’ve been waiting for the add-on, we’re not holding our breath on the titles.
[Via PSP Fanboy]
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Posted in sony, gps, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, handheld gaming, HandheldGaming, psp gps, PspGps | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
There may not have been any word of a new PSP out of E3 as some had suspected, but it looks Sony may have a bit of a late surprise for us, at least if these tantalizing pics from PSPChina are to be believed. Apparently, this new PSP-3000 model remains mostly unchanged from the current PSP-2000, with the notable addition of a built-in microphone and a somewhat less notable PlayStation button in place of the usual Home button. As you can see in the picture after the break, the signature steel ring on the back of the PSP also appears to have been trimmed a bit (there’s a pic of the inside of the case as well, for the curious). Not exactly the DS Lite sort of upgrade that’d make everyone ditch their old PSPs to be sure but, as we’ve seen with the PSP-2000, it would be about par for the course for Sony.
[Via Joystiq, Khattab]
Continue reading Sony said to be prepping PSP-3000 with built-in mic
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July 14th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
Sony’s official blog says PSP firmware 4.05, out now, contains “other features” in addition to a couple new music visualizers, but it’s not clear what they are, apart from a slightly tweaked XMB animation if you’ve got a wallpaper set up. Go forth and download — let us know if there’s anything earth-shattering in there, won’t you?
[Via Joystiq]
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Posted in playstation, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, psp firmware, PspFirmware, 4.05 | No Comments »
June 26th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
Kaz Hirai took to a Tokyo stage today to give us a peek at the Playstation’s future, and he let slip a couple of interesting tidbits. First, Sony will be launching a new program called “Life with Playstation” that will give users real time news and weather, using a globe metaphor reminiscent of the Wii’s News Channel. Of course, since the PS3 has considerably more horsepower under the hood, the globe is a rendered weather satellite image showing cloud patterns, and it also supports geo-tagged photos and other content. Kaz also previewed the video-download service set to launch next month at E3, which will allow you to download or stream video to the PS3 and PSP. The store looks a lot like the current PlayStation Store, and it looks like HD rentals will run around $6 while SD purchases will clock in around $13 when it launches in the States this summer. We’ll learn a lot more at E3, presumably, but for now we’ll just settle for a decent screen shot of that globe interface.
[Via PS3 Fanboy]
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Posted in playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, playstation, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, Kaz Hirai, KazHirai, life with playstation, LifeWithPlaystation | No Comments »
June 19th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
Sony Europe president David Reeves has never been one to shy away from making bold statements in the past, and he’s now come out and weighed in on another touchy subject, with him flatly telling attendees at the DevStation conference in London that “there is a piracy problem on the PSP.” What’s more, Reeves went so far as to admit that it “sometimes fuels the growth of hardware sales, but that “on balance”, Sony is “not happy about it.” To that end, Reeves says that Sony will soon be unveiling new ways to combat piracy on the handheld, although he unsurprisingly isn’t getting a whole lot more specific than that at the moment.
[Via PSP Fanboy]
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Posted in sony, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, david reeves, DavidReeves, scee | No Comments »
June 16th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
There’s no indication of an exact release date just yet, but word just dropped on the official PlayStation blog that the PSP will be getting a boost to firmware version 4.00 “soon.” That’ll bring with it the addition of Google search directly form the XMB interface, which Sony says “replicates the Google Internet search experience.” Apart from that somewhat notable upgrade, the only other new feature they’re talking about at the moment is the ability to change the viewing speed during playback of videos stored on a Memory Stick. Not exactly the upgrade we would have guessed for a milestone like 4.00, but we can always hope Sony has a couple of surprises up its sleeve.
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Posted in sony, firmware, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, psp firmware, PspFirmware | No Comments »
May 30th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
It’s not the first time we’ve seen a controller hacked for use with the PSP, but this mod by Acidmods member Blizzrad takes things a bit further than most, with it relying entirely on hardware modifications in order to work, meaning it can be done on any PSP regardless of the firmware. It’s also one of the cleanest-looking mods we’ve seen to date, with the only evidence of tampering on the PSP itself being a discreetly placed controller connector right above the power switch. Of course, that also means it’s considerably more difficult for most of us to do ourselves, but we can at least get a glimpse of what’s possible courtesy of the video after the break.
Continue reading PSP hacked for use with DualShock controller
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May 21st, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
It looks like Sony is aiming to put ColorWare out of business with all the new, brightly-colored PSP models it’s introduced as of late, a streak that continues with the company’s just-announced metallic blue model. This one is available exclusively in a new Madden NFL 09 bundle, which includes said game, along with a 1GB Memory Stick, the NFL: In Just One Play video on UMD, and a PSN voucher that’ll let you download the Beats rhythm game free of charge. Look for it land on August 12th with the usual bundle price tag of $199.99.
[Via Joystiq]
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Posted in sony, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, madden, madden 09, Madden09, psp bundle, PspBundle | No Comments »
April 8th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
The last round of PSP firmware updates brought Skype support, but it looks like 3.95 isn’t nearly as exciting: Sony’s added in reconfigurable button mapping to PS1 emulation, and made it so that you can choose to either shut down your PS3 or leave it running when you’re done with a remote play session. That’s about it, but we know you’re all compulsively checking for the update now anyway.
[Via Boy Genius]
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Posted in sony, firmware, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, 3.95 | No Comments »
March 28th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
It’s only just turned three, but it looks like the PlayStation Portable is now at the center of new rumor mill concerning yet another possible revision, with this one sparked by Sony itself, no less. It doesn’t come from an over-talkative exec or anything, however, but rather a curious placeholder image that was turned up on Sony’s online instruction manual site. As PSP Fanboy reports, not only are there the expected images for the original PSP-1000 series and the slimmer PSP-2000 series, but there is one for a hereto unheard of 3000 series as well (no 4000 series, though). Of course, it’s entirely possible that the image is nothing more than a mistake or the work of someone trying to be a little too prepared, but we have a sneaking suspicion that won’t stop the speculation from spinning out of control.
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Posted in sony, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, psp rumor, psp-3000, PspRumor | No Comments »
February 26th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/hardware/Sony_announces_499_Metal_Gear_Solid_PS3_bundle’; It’s no surprise that Sony has had some sort of new PS3 SKU in the works, but the company has now finally gotten official with it, and thrown in another surprise to boot. On that former front, Sony’s announced the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PS3 Bundle, which includes said game, an 80GB PS3 and a DualShock 3 wireless controller (also available separately), all for the usual $500 price tag. Look for it to coincide with the launch of MGS4 in the second quarter of this year. As if that wasn’t enough, Sony’s also taken the wraps off its new God of War PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a spiffy red Kratos-approved PSP, the God of War: Chains of Olympus game, Superbad on UMD, and a voucher to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops for free. $200 and it’s yours this June.
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Posted in playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, breaking news, BreakingNews, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable | No Comments »
February 14th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/playstation/First_Look_at_Sony_s_PlayTV_for_PS3′; Sony’s been relatively mum on its Slingbox-like PlayTV add-on for the PlayStation 3 since it announced it last fall, but it’s now finally starting to show it off for all to see and, thanks to the BBC’s dot.life blog, we now have a pretty good idea of what European PS3 users can expect. As you can see in the video after the break, the PlayTV software appears to be straightforward enough, and includes the usual program guide, and options to pause and rewind live Freeview TV, as well as the ability to record one channel while watching another (thanks to the dual tuners in the device itself). Also on display is the PlayTV’s ability to work with your PlayStation Portable via Remote Play, which’ll let you watch live TV (or recorded programming) from anywhere with a WiFi connection. One of the few things it can’t do, it seems, is record programming in the background while you’re playing a game, although the developers are apparently “working hard” to add that feature. Still no word on a price or exact release date though, so you have a bit longer to be spared the inevitable bragging from your European friends.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Sony’s PlayTV for PS3 gets shown off, still only for Europe
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Posted in playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, playtv | No Comments »
January 5th, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
We won’t call it “official” just yet, but it looks all but certain that Sony will indeed bring Skype to its famed PlayStation Portable. According to Reuters, Sony is “planning to add an internet phone function” (that’d be Skype) to its PSP in order to “stir up demand,” which wouldn’t be a half bad idea considering how the DS seems to be hogging the limelight of late. Purportedly, the software could become available “as early as this month,” and while Sony spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka declined to comment on the rumblings, he did note that the company was “studying ways to add value to the PSP.” Are you thinking what we’re thinking?
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Posted in sony, voip, psp, skype, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable | No Comments »
January 2nd, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/playstation/Skype_officially_comming_to_Sony_s_PSP’; Guess what babies? All your wildest dreams are about to come true (provided they don’t get too wild). That’s right, according to new PR for Sony’s upcoming CES showing, Skype is apparently coming to the PSP. Details are scarce at the moment (i.e., nonexistent), but the company makes clear mention of a Skype client for the handheld game system on its CES 2008 promo site, which is pretty official — though we’re gonna hold our breath a little till we see a press release. Obviously, we’ll be hearing a lot more about this when the big show kicks off this month, but until then at least we can all sleep a little better at night knowing the PSP is about to get yet another succulent function. Just hit the read link and click on the controller icon, all you need to know is listed in the sidebar.
Update: Thanks to some sleuthing by the crew over at UberGizmo, a perverse and exciting little easter egg has been found in the PSP promo video which accompanies this new info. For literally one frame, Sony all but confirms Skype on the handheld with a nearly-subliminal image that reads “Make calls with Skype.” Check the image after the break and see for yourself.
[Thanks, Jorge H]
Continue reading Skype coming to Sony’s PSP?
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Posted in sony, breaking news, BreakingNews, voip, voice over ip, VoiceOverIp, psp, skype, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, skype client, SkypeClient | No Comments »
November 20th, 2007 by
Filed under: Gaming
The online Playstation Store for the PSP just quietly went live on our side of the world with two downloadable PSP titles, 16 PSone titles, and a handful of themes, wallpapers, and videos. Wipeout Pure and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops are the first two $10 PSP games out of the gate, and highlights of the PSone list include Twisted Metal 2, Crash Bandicoot, and Tekken 2, all for $6. The store requires the download of a Windows-only loader app to transfer files to your PSP — and now, after waiting all this time for PS3-free downloads, we’re kinda wondering why we can’t sync up over WiFi. Eh, don’t let our grumpy whining bother you — go get your game on and let us know how things are working for you in comments.
[Via Gamebrink]
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Posted in sony, psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, playstation store, PlaystationStore | No Comments »
October 17th, 2007 by
Filed under: Gaming
While many of the PSP mods we’ve seen have been of questionable utility, at best, this latest creation from Acid Mods member Rex and his R&D team looks to be considerably more practical, although it’s far from a simple hack. Not only did Rex add some presumably improved speakers, but he managed to squeeze in an internal camera that, judging from the video after the break, appears to work remarkably well. Unfortunately, that came at the expense of the PSP’s UMD slot, although Rex says he’s now working on a PSP slim version that’ll keep the UMD in place. While there’s no tutorial for building your own just yet, that is apparently coming “soon.”
Continue reading PSP modded for internal camera, speakers
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Posted in psp, playstation portable, PlaystationPortable, psp camera, psp mod, PspCamera, PspMod | No Comments »
