The PlayStation Portable ,officially abbreviated PSP, is a handheld console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005.
The PSP is widely known by the series code (PSP-1000, PSP-2000, etc.). There are sub-codes within this numbering system however which designate the region coding. One UMD game, BattleZone, and most movie discs have region encoding, and so will only work on the appropriate master unit.
The PSP-2000 (marketed in PAL areas as “PSP Slim & Lite” and still marketed as PSP in North America, Japan, China, India, Italy, and Portugal) is the first redesign of the PlayStation Portable. At E3 2007, Sony released information about a slimmer and lighter version of the PlayStation Portable. The new PSP was announced to be 33% lighter and 19% slimmer than the original PSP system. The model numbers were changed to PSP-2000, following the previous region-based numbering scheme (cf. the PSP-1000 numbering scheme of the “old” PSP model).
the PSP-3000 (marketed in PAL areas as “PSP Slim & Lite (with enhanced screen + built in microphone)” and still marketed as PSP in North America and Japan) has an improved LCD screen with an increased color range, five times the contrast ratio, half the pixel response time to reduce ghosting and blurring effects, a new sub-pixel structure, a microphone, a new disc tray design, new button designs and logos, and anti-reflective technology to improve outdoor playability. It can also output all games by component or composite using the video out cable.In its first four days on sale, the PSP-3000 sold 141,270 units in Japan, according to Famitsu. In October 2008, the PSP-3000 sold 267,000 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain.
game
The PSP-3000 plays the same games and offers the same media support as the older PSP models, but Sony has upgraded the system with an improved LCD screen and a new built-in microphone. The LCD is the same size and resolution as older PSP displays, but it has a “wider color gamut and anti-reflection technology,” according to the latest Sony press release.
screen
The wider color gamut means that the new PSP screen is capable of displaying a wider range of colors. The new LCD also features five times the contrast ratio and quicker pixel-response times than the old PSP display. The response time has doubled in speed and will help eliminate ghosting or blurring during gameplay and video playback.
The increased color gamut and improved contrast ratio was noticeable when we placed the PSP-3000 system right next to a PSP-2000 (PSP Slim); colors looked richer and more vibrant on the PSP-3000. The vivid, ghost-free screen does draw more power than the old screen. John Koller, Sony director of hardware marketing told GameSpot that the new screen will reduce battery life by “about 20 minutes.”
battery
UPDATE, 09/03/08: Sony has informed us that the PSP-3000 will actually have the same battery life as the PSP-2000. The new screen does require more power, but Sony engineers have reduced the power draw from other system components to make up the difference and ensure that battery life remains the same for both gameplay and UMD video playback.
display
Sony added the antireflective technology to improve the PSP’s outdoor playability. We took our two PSPs outside for some side-by-side testing under the bright California sun. Neither system was playable in direct sunlight, but the PSP-3000′s display performed better than the 2000′s when we took a look at both systems in a shady area beneath a tree. We had difficulty taking pictures of the PSP’s antireflective screen in action outside–please bear with our angled indoor shots
The new system has the same video-out port and uses the exact same video cables as the PSP-2000, but Sony has upgraded the PSP-3000′s video output to support gameplay output on interlaced displays using composite video cables. The move will surely excite gamers dismayed over the fact that the PSP Slim can output gameplay video only to progressive scan displays. Now they can buy a new PSP instead of an HDTV.
microphone
The PSP-3000′s other major upgrade is its new built-in microphone. Sony put the integrated microphone into the PSP design roadmap after seeing the success of the headset-enabled SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo. Sony placed the microphone pickup beneath the screen to the right of the volume buttons, well out of thumb reach, to prevent any inadvertent muting.
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Sony hasn’t moved around any buttons or switches on the PSP-3000, but the system does have a few external design changes. The black PSP-3000 will have the same glossy finish as the older models, but the silver and white PSP-3000 systems now have a textured surface that provides better protection against fingerprints. The Sony logo that was located on the upper right of the system face has moved to the upper left, and the PlayStation logo that used to be in the upper left is now on the home button beneath the LCD. In addition to rotating the logos, Sony designers have replaced the brushed metal ring on the back of the unit with a thinner chrome ring. The PSP’s edges have also softened along the sides while hardening in the corners.
