Giving the Nintendo DS a 6-month head start, Sony schedules the European launch of its first-ever portable gaming console, the PlayStation Portable, for September 1st.
Sony has announced that the company is planning to introduce its PlayStation Portable (PSP) no sooner than September 1st in the old world. Already out in Asia and the U.S., the device will be making its entry six months after the introduction of the Nintendo DS, which was introduced on March 11 and has proceeded to sell in large quantities.
Boasting a 4.3", 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels and 16M colours, the graphic rendering capabilities of the PSP are claimed by Sony to nearly rival those of its PlayStation 2 gaming console. The device relies on the company's newly developed and proprietary Universal Media Disc (UMD) format for storage, a 60 mm optical disc capable of storing up to 1.8 GB of data.
In addition to its gaming capabilities, the PSP also supports playing back audio and video content. From UMD discs, the device can play back audio in ATRAC3+ format and video encoded using the MPEG4 based H.264 coded. Also present is a Memory Stick Duo expansion slot, which in addition to acting as a memory card for saving game information also lets users play back tunes stored in ATRAC3+ and MP3 formats as well as video in MPEG4 SP format.
Its Memory Stick Duo expansion slot is not the only means of communication with the outside world offered by the PSP, however, as the device also integrates a USB 2.0 connector and support for Wi-Fi 802.11b. Courtesy of its Wi-Fi support, the PSP will let up to 16 players connect directly to one another in ad-hoc mode to allow for head-to-head competition, and is also capable of downloading software and data over the Internet to store on Memory Stick Duo cards.
Controlling the gaming experience is an analog controller on the left hand side, placed just below a four-way digital pad serving a similar purpose. On the right hand side, the typical set of four action buttons have been placed, along with the power button and a hold switch. Further controls are placed below the screen, whereas dual stereo speakers are placed above the screen. Also, the PSP integrates a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Weighing in at 280 g and measuring 6.7" x 0.9" x 2.9", the PlayStation Portable is powered by a 333 MHz processor backed up by 32 MB of main memory and 4 MB of embedded DRAM. Slated for availability throughout Europe on September 1st, the PSP is to be available in a Value Pack offering which will sell for 249 EUR and contains the PSP itself with a pouch, 32 MB Memory Stick Duo card, Battery Pack, headphones with remote control and a wrist strap.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Archive