According to Andriasang, Nikkei is reporting that among other things, the PSP2 will have a touch screen (a feature we all expected) and another feature that comes a bit out of left field -- full 3G support, provided in Japan by NTT DoCoMo. The service will be for downloading and networking games, media, and apps, but it won't work for phone calls. A standard wireless LAN connection will also be an option. No details on payment plans, variant PSP2 models, or potential providers outside of Japan are available at this time, though we may find out more when the console is unveiled on January 27th.
The other big news here is that the PlayStation Phone will formally be announced sometime in February. As we've seen in pre-release video, the machine will run on Google's Android OS, and use PSP-style button-based controls.
Awesome news about the 3G. I hope the service comes to future home consoles too. That said, does anyone else think it's weird for Sony to announce two portables around the same time? Seems like bad business. On one hand, it's confusing to the casual consumer, and on the other, it's also forcing people to choose between the PlayStation Phone and the PSP2. Competing against yourself is never a good idea.
[Thanks, Matthew!]
Jonathan Holmes is the most lovable Associate Editor on Destructoid. Catch him on videos, original editorials, and on back episodes of the Destructoid Show and MTV's Road Rules. Jonathan is a retro gamer's gamer.
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Contest:
4:00 PM on 01.23.2011 | 
Either way, PSP2. Is sounding cool.
Home wifi or LAN = only at home or linked hotspot like psp to ps3.
Just seems weird to me. I'll worry about my connection speed, Sony.
Thats retarded...its called the internet, wi-fi, that crap
No 3G for systems, only portables.
*Unless you're Sony, in that case you are FUCKED.
And even if I WAS in the market for a new phone, I'd probably wait for the PSPhone2 or X or XD or whatever the hell the next update will be because initial release phones don't have a great track record.
Wait, so Gs can also be used for non-phone usage? Wait, PSP2 and Playstation Phone? Like, couldn't they just call it something else since Playstation means Sony gaming; I mean, it would imply that this phone main advantage would be gaming...but then that's suppose to be the PSP2's job...wow, this is more confusing then learning the rules of Inception.
If Sony matches the 3DS's price, we may have a serious contender. Can't wait!
i think the choice with 3G is fine since japan has one of the fastest internet connection, don't know about 4G doing in japan, maybe it's not yet booming?
oh well as long as we get great games, no region lock bullshit, and UMD BC. it's all good :P
If they're separate, then I won't get either. Which one will be abandoned or given worse treatment? Sony can't dip its toes into both pools and then half-ass them both. If the PSP phone IS the PSP2 that would be great. Android based software that'd play PSP2 games as well as games on the Android Marketplace would be fantastic. Sony could also release a non-phone version of it, similar to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.
4G is is more than adequate for online multiplayer and video streaming, but it would still sting compared to cable internet on download speeds. 3G is painfully slow for for streaming, downloading and online multiplayer, but good enough for web browsing on the go.
That being said I'm very excited about the PSP2. I really hope Sony gets it right. The PSP had a lot of flaws but it was Sony's first attempt in the handheld market, and everything considered I think it went well. I love my PSP. As for this PSP phone...I'm still holding my opinion.
Hopefully sony doesn't "psp-go" this one (what an overpriced piece of shit that thing was....or, is).
what about the games?
once it comes to america, whos the carrier gonna be? sony ericsson isnt know around america. this is why i think it wont be a phone when it comes to over here.
or they better pick every carrier rather than stick to at&t or verizon cause its gonna be expensive.
Has the author ever heard of the iphone and itouch.? Where as the psp 2 would be a much heavy on the gaming side.
It supports 3G, which is a telecommunications network capable of delivering data to your device ANYWHERE. That means when you aren't at home, or there is no wifi hotspot around, you can still have access to the online features of your device, like updates, downloads and multiplayer. Seeing as the PSP2 is a PORTABLE console, you can see their line of reasoning for this move.
There are many countries that have a plethora of wifi hotspots, but there are an even larger number of countries that do not. Australia, for instance, has absolutely fuck all hotspots.
It's pretty much dirt cheap for manufacturers to have their device 3G enabled, but the real price point to worry about is how much they will charge per month for the service. So, HOPEFULLY, this move wont add too much on to the PSP2s price.
I'm interested in seeing where this device goes, it's power capability, and what games they launch it with. But I have my reservations after the flop of the pspGO.
I mean in Japan having a phone and does flipping everything is kind of the standard. In America as much as iPhones, Blackberries, and HTCs have begun to minimalize the amount of stuff we carry with us the mentality tht your phone is your phone and your handheld is your handheld still hasn't been broken. If it really is UMD-less with 3G support I question how well that'll do here in the states. In Japan though I'm sure they're so accustomed to it that it'll work.
I dunno. I do hope it's a good service though. The only people who can seem to nail digital distribution is Valve. XBLA and PSN fight for a very distant second place position.
3G could change that. There would need to be some serious dealing with 3G service providers, and the cost would need to be very low (or better yet, folded into people's existing 3G plans on their smart phones) but it might be worth it. 3G could push download-only gaming from the fringe market it is today, to a leading force in the industry.
I hope people realize even an iphone with NO service account can run skype over 3g and 4g.
As usual, citizens should reject corporate attempts to steal functionality and create monopoly.
As far as the Xperia Play goes, there are still too many questions for me to say whether or not it'll succeed: unit price, carrier support and the cost of games on their custom marketplace all immediately come to mind.
The Playstation Phone is the thing running the Android OS. Depending on who Sony decides to saddle the phone with, it might be 3G or 4G. It will have some sort of Data connection though.
I know what you mean. Hell you crack a PSP and you can run Skype on it.
People in mass are not smart at all. Everything people need to know on making a PSP a phone is out there right now. Just got to look for it and apply it.
As a PSP owner who would actually defend the available software selection and the overall capabilities of the device, I just can't say I'm too enthused. Ever since I got my iPhone.. I just haven't had a use for my PSP. For those who knock iGames, the iPhone is damn near perfect for true-blue on the road/mobile gaming. The PSP almost feels like a console you lug around, and the games are seemingly designed with a console mentality. I honestly don't know how someone could just whip one out and start playing something.
3g support piques my interest, but I sincerely doubt it's enough to compensate for this problem.
If i do multiplayer on PSP, chances are I'm doing it locally or at home anyway and would be able to do so with a better connection.
I just smell Sony trying to sell something extra here.
@Holmes - Just because people can't be bothered to figure out how to set up a wireless router doesn't change the fact a chimp could figure it out. Why should the rest of us get stuck with added cost from an inferior networking option we may not even use?
And really, setting up wireless stuff for PSP and DS was a simple matter of touching a screen or pushing a button a couple times.