First Look at Sony's NGP

The new Playstation Portable 2 was released in Japan and we're now able to get a good look at it. We want all the specs. What's it do, how much does it cost and when and were can we get it? Is it totally sweet? Yeah it's sweet and we have some answers.



First things first, whats NGP stand for? It's the code name for the PSP 2, Next Gen Portable. Some of the latest ads are calling it Nfinite Game Possibilities. I'm thinking the N is the 2011's version of the X but it's not that catchy.

Watch the video and we'll talk.



In the video you see Killzone, Broken, Resistance, Wipeout and a few in Japanese that some of you could figure out. Activision as announced that it's making a Call of Duty version for the PSP 2. Who else is? Here's the list which is subject to change at the whim of developers.

• Killzone
• Uncharted
• WipEout
• LittleBigPlanet
• Call of Duty
• Resistance
• Little Deviants
• Hot Shots Golf
• Reality Fighters
• Gravity Daze
• Smart As
• Broken
• Hustle Kings

What's it got:

Key NGP features:

• Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
• Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
• Dual analog sticks
• Two cameras (front and rear)
• Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
• Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
• Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
• PlayStation Network access, including ““LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
• NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.

Now, the technical specs if you speak geek:




COST:

Sony isn't saying. They are putting out word that it's the same price as the PSP when it launched back in 2005, and that was $250. Nintendo 3DS came out at $249.00 so to keep things interesting it should cost around the same neighborhood.

"We are not talking about price yet, but I hope that when we announce the price, people will say it makes sense," Sony's Shuhei Yoshida told Kotaku. "The 3DS is pricier than what Nintendo typically launched their hardware for."

Meanwhile, Sony Europe's Andrew House told Eurogamer, "I can't put a ballpark on it in terms of figures, but I think what I would say is that we will shoot for an affordable price that's appropriate for the handheld gaming space." He also said that he doesn't know when the final price will be revealed.

3G

When it was announced that the NGP would have 3G capabilities it makes you think you may need to sign up for some sort of data plan. Sony still hasn't answered that question, House did reveal one important piece of information: the NGP will come in two different SKUs. "All of the devices will have WiFi capability; a separate SKU will have 3G," he told Eurogamer.

As for paying for 3G, he said "You'll hear more from us around that aspect of the strategy as we get closer to launch. We are working very hard on partnerships in that area."

Battery life

Yoshida told 1up that "It'll be about the same as the original PSP," which is around 5 hours. This is despite the fact that the NGP will use a proprietary type of flash storage as opposed to the battery-sucking UMD discs of the PSP.

John Carmack, who recently touted the virtues of the iPhone and iPad, expressed his excitement for the NGP on Twitter. "Low level APIs will allow the Sony NGP to perform about a generation beyond smartphones with comparable specs,"

It looks like a great gaming device. When there is a release date we'll get it to you. For now all they are saying is late 2011 for the U.S.