More news about PSP redesign: details still murky

Gaming blog Kotaku reported yesterday that they had scooped up exclusive details on the upcoming PSP redesign. We have known for some time that Sony has been planning to change the look and possibly the functionality of the PSP handheld, but now we have a better idea about what the new PSP might look like. As usual, Sony refuses to comment on “rumor or speculation”, but official sources inside the company have apparently let slip some juicy details about the company’s plans. Are these rumors valid? Let’s take a look at some of the features that have been speculated upon so far:

Perhaps the biggest change planned for the new PSP is that it will ship with 8gb of internal flash memory, more than enough space to store music, movies, and downloadable game demos. Unfortunately, the device will retain the inconvenient UMD drive, but the new drive has apparently been improved and made faster to reduce those annoying load times. The sources also stated that the new PSP will use an LED screen, which will be smaller in size but sharper than the original (we don’t yet know if the smaller size refers to screen real estate or the thickness of the component). The major advantage to LED screen technology is that it uses less battery power, enabling the new device to enjoy more than 8 hours of independent play time (we will believe that when we see it).

Sony is hoping to have the device ready for a September roll-out, just in time for the holidays. Company sources have been cited saying that the device is unlikely to cost more than $170 (the current price of the PSP core pack), which seems like a reasonable price point. While the specifications discussed in this post remain unverifiable as long as the sources refuse to be named, there is good reason why Sony does not want to officially reveal the details of this new product line. There are still hundreds of thousands of PSPs on store shelves, and the company would undoubtedly like to sell those before launching a new version. If you are considering purchasing a PSP and the 8GB of internal flash is important to you, we would suggest waiting a few weeks to see if more information emerges about Sony’s plans.

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