PSP Go Is A Go-Go

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Submitted by Paul Munn on May 30, 2009 – 8:20 pm18 Comments

The PSP Go has been nearly completely leaked to the press late today as videos from the June issue of Qore have been posted online. The big differences are:

Much reduced, sliding, 43% lighter (than 3000) form factor.
No UMD slot.
16 GB of onboard memory.
Memory Stick Micro slot.
Bluetooth for headsets and data tethering.
Will sell alongside the PSP-3000.

I’m very happy to see Bluetooth for headsets — especially if it also supports stereo — and the really big weight loss, but the last bit about it staying on the market alongside the PSP-3000 confirms most folks fears that a UMD-less unit would damn all of those people who own UMDs to not being able to play them or get them converted over. Sony could surprise us with, say, a helpful service where you mail the UMD in and get a credit for the game on the Store, but I doubt it.

Hit Engadget for the latest updates, and tell us what you think.

Tags: bluetooth, playstation portable, PSP Go, psp-3000, Sony, umd

Jordan_Snyder

Aww… It almost makes me upset that it leaked out before E3… It spoils the surprise, you know?

I'll probably save up some money to pick this one up around Christmas time. I'll keep my old model for the custom firmware, though.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

I am not interested in this because it really does not add anything to the mix. I mean it loses one feature, but adds nothing to make someone want to move to it from an older device. What kind of crazy sauce is running in the pipes over there at Sony.
JoeFourhman

Since I've never had a PSP, I'm still not really interested in one until a genuine generational revision comes out. It just seems like a bad time to jump to a PSP when they have to be readying a PSP2 sometime soon, right? I mean, the PSP is pretty old by now.

I jumped on a DSi because I already have a DS library, so I wasn't really that concerned about when the next generation DS will show up… as I've already lived through the DS lifespan.

All that said, I like the downloadable game focus of the PSP Go. Get me that plus two analog nubs and I bet I'll buy one.
Jordan_Snyder

It might not be all that stupid to pick up this late in the game. While the DS kind of overshadows it, it still has a pretty nice library, and supposedly, their going to be sending many of their previous UMD releases to the digital store. Plus, no retail = lots of money saved.
lundy3311

I never got a PSP and I wanted one, and the PSP Go might push me over the line to finally buy one.
JoeFourhman

Yeah, but my point is that I don't want a PSP 1 if a PSP 2 is right around the corner.
StephenJMunn

You're making an assumption that digital downloads will be cheaper than retail UMDs, and a big one at that. If the games come out for both UMD and download, the price will most likely be exactly the same, making the UMD versions the better value. You're getting more “stuff” for the same price. I like boxes.
Jordan_Snyder

I wouldn't call a couple years “right around the corner,” but if you feel that's too soon…
Jordan_Snyder

The whole point of digital distribution is cutting out the middle-man and lowering prices. Lower prices will give people the incentive to buy the system and more games, and will probably earn them the same amount, if not more, of a profit. How much did the first Patapon sell for? I don't remember, but most PSP games sell at $29.99. Patapon 2, released digitally only, sold for $19.99. If the prices stay the same, something is definitely up.
StephenJMunn

Patapon 1 was $20 when I bought it, and I'm pretty sure it was very near launch.
http://www.aeropause.com mclazyj

I think it just depends on the game type. I am waiting on a price drop on Resistance Retribution. I hear it is great, but I just can convince myself to spend $40 on a portable game.
Jordan_Snyder

I couldn't remember it's starting price. That said, I know Sony will be bum-rushed with criticism if their still tagging a $30-40 price point on digital games.
InfinityDevil

I don't think we'll see a price until we get closer to its launch date of “Fall 2009″.

Game MSRP will not come down because of the distribution model. They will come down for other factors, e.g. the research Steam has done that shows that they sell far more copies of games when a price drop occurs, however temporary, greatly offsetting the revenue lost.

The PSP still brings so much horsepower to the table that I don't expect to see its sequel anytime soon. And now with onboard storage to hopefully allow Sony to lock down the firmware better and stave off piracy, I expect it to grow in features more like the PS3 has over time.

With bluetooth joining WiFi I think the Go as a hardware platform is ready for the next 2+ years of games.

Two things give me pause, the more I think about it: the slider and the placement of the analog nub. Sliders technically don't do well over time, they break.
JoeFourhman

The PSP turns 5 next year. That's too late to jump in on a generation for me. I'd have to imagine a new model is coming soon.
Jordan_Snyder

Fair enough. I love you Fourhman.
InfinityDevil

I don't think we'll see a price until we get closer to its launch date of “Fall 2009″.

Game MSRP will not come down because of the distribution model. They will come down for other factors, e.g. the research Steam has done that shows that they sell far more copies of games when a price drop occurs, however temporary, greatly offsetting the revenue lost.

The PSP still brings so much horsepower to the table that I don't expect to see its sequel anytime soon. And now with onboard storage to hopefully allow Sony to lock down the firmware better and stave off piracy, I expect it to grow in features more like the PS3 has over time.

With bluetooth joining WiFi I think the Go as a hardware platform is ready for the next 2+ years of games.

Two things give me pause, the more I think about it: the slider and the placement of the analog nub. Sliders technically don't do well over time, they break.
http://www.fourhman.com Joe Fourhman

The PSP turns 5 next year. That's too late to jump in on a generation for me. I'd have to imagine a new model is coming soon.
Jordan_Snyder

Fair enough. I love you Fourhman.