Sony on Friday announce the PSP2 – Sony insists on using the name NGP Next Generation Portable. Finally all of the rumours can be dispelled, the PSP2 is no longer vapour ware. Even more outrageous is it seems to be everything that we have been asking for. Sony listening, to real people, impossible.

Sony is reportedly pitching the PSP2 as a high-end portable equivalent to its PS3. The gaming content on the platform will clearly differentiate the handheld from Apple’s and Google’s mobile products as well as the games found on the App Store and the Android Market.

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The spec’s for the new system are extreme

• Quad Core ARM Cortex 9 CPU

• PowerVR GPU running on a stunning 5 inch OLED screen with 960 x 544 resolution

• Front and rear cameras

• Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS

• Dual analogue controller – not the shitty nubs the original PSP used

• Rear touch pad –not that kind – it’s the same as a notebook touchpad mounted on the back

• 6 axis motion controllers
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You may have noticed UMD missing from the list – or not – big clap for Sony, finally that pig of a format is dead. Games will be downloadable and flash card based. The clever bit is the flash card wont be completely full but will have space for save games, downloaded content, game updates etc So all of the data for the game is kept on the one card and wont occupy any of the PSP2′s internal memory.

PlayStation Suite – an android game dev system – will be introduced with the PSP2 but it will become available to all Sony’s Android phones. This does suggest the PSP is actually running Android as its core operating system – no confirmation as yet. How long will it be till Sony shifts the PS3 to Android ? There was talk of handheld and PS3 running the same games but nothing was confirmed.

Upon release the PlaysSation Suit will contain new original content, PlayStation One content converted – emulated – to run on newer hardware and possibly the PSPGo catalogue. The PlayStation One content is extremely interesting as it will match the resolution of the PSP2 – old TV res 768 x 500 compared to 960 x 544. Compatibility with games from the original PSP is limited by the lack of UMD drive.

The platform will include a standardised development environment allowing developers to create games for the entire android platform. The list of games being demoed at the conference would seem to confirm the development environment is working well. Games including Kill zone, Resistance, Little Big Planet and Uncharted – more still to be announced, all making for an impressive line up ready for the release of the PSP2 in Q4 2011.

The Near App will let you play other PSP2 owners around you with proximity gaming – where your proximity to another PSP2 effects the game – being a possibility.

Sounds pretty tasty hey, I already have itchy trigger fingers.

Picture courtesy of TechFever

Buddha’s Brother out…