Sony’s Considers PSPgo a Bridge to a True Download Only Device
There have been rumors for at least a year that Sony had a successor in the works to the PlayStation Portable (PSP). In true Sony fashion these were first vehemently denied, then dismissed with a wink, and finally confirmed. That confirmation came last week with the official announcement of the PSPgo at E3. In the end the device is looking a lot like both a fan-created mock up that made the rounds on the blogs late last year, as well as last year’s Sony Mylo. (good catch on Gizmodo’s part on that). Anyway, if Sony can save a few bucks on the design side by going the Mylo route then more power to them, especially since the PSPgo will list, at least initially, at $249. This could make it something of a hard sell in some quarters.
The basic rundown of the device is that, as was predicted, it has dumped the UMD drive and will instead rely on a download only content model. We are talking games, movies, TV and almost certainly music here. With the new model’s 16GB of memory and inexpensive external memory available, that shouldn’t be a problem. What is though is the rumor that existing accessories might not be compatible, and much more importantly all the existing games and movies out there on UMD discs. Regarding the later, Sony has made statements that they are working toward having all of these available digitally at launch, but the rub is how not to turn off current PSP owners who have an existing library of games and movies. According to Sony they are working on a content transfer workaround that is a “short term good will program that would continue for years afterward.” There are no concrete details yet on what that actually means, but we’ll definitely hear more soon since the PSPgo is scheduled to launch in October of ‘09.
None of this is to say that Sony is completely abandoning the existing content model. According to an interview of John Koller, director of hardware marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment of America on Kotaku.com earlier in the week, Sony thinks,
“The PSPgo will be a good way to bridge to a next generation download only device,” which will no doubt lean heavily on the PlayStation Network. He also added, “Our consumer research shows that many people still continue to prefer
purchasing games on tangible disc-based media, and we’ll continue to
serve this segment of the market, while also providing digital content
to the growing segment demanding this format.”
This strategy of phasing out the original content model also helps Sony with their relations with retailers wary of losing a software market. They will need this help when it come to selling the new hardware. If Sony can propose a workable backwards compatibility solution, keep retailers from revolting and perhaps manage a price break not too far into the hardware life cycle, the PSPgo may do well and perhaps give iTunes a little more competition, especially considering the pull Sony has in the motion picture and recording industry and the reasonable assumption that Sony has considered the download only model for the PlayStation 3. Granted that’s a whole lot of ifs, but assuming they happen don’t be surprised to see credible rumors in 2010 of a new hardware version of the PSPgo that has touchscreen and telephone technology built in. If that happens, the game will definitely be on. For now though take a look at an overview of the PSPgo’s specs, or see them in full here.
Key Specifications:
- 
- Approx. 128 x 16.5 x 69 mm (width x height x depth)
- Weight: 5.6 ounces (including batter)
- CPU: 333MHz
- 64MB memory
- 3.8-inch display (480 x 272 resolution)
- Built-in stereo speakers and microphone
- 802.11b WiFi
- Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
- USB 2.0
- Memory Stick Micro slot
- Analog video out
- 16GB storage













–Tom Milnes