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Sony Says PSP2 "As Powerful as PS3"
Jason writes "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. The company will reveal the first concrete details regarding the handheld in Tokyo on January 27. This is a month before Nintendo's 3DS platform goes on sale in Japan. Sony is already planning to reveal more at GDC and E3 after the initial announcement this month."
OK. But what's the battery life?
And of course, because of magic, nobody can remember the over-hyped "PS2 emotion engine" and the "PS3 is so powerful it's going to last 10 years" marketing.
If the PSP2 is as powerful as the PS3, why is the PS3 Slim still so big?
Does it run Linux?
Great news! I already have some keys here that say I can run Linux on it.
Just a thought but should they not, for simplicity, skip PSP2 and go straight to PSP3? I hardly look forward to walking into my local GameStation, watching all the cool kids hanging next to the PS6 section of games while I am nervously shuffling about the PSP4.
Is this thing on?
Does it have twice as many games? After all the PS3 has nogaems.
"And just as secure!"
And stop selling the PS3 then?
Man, it'd be even better than the Nomad was to the Genesis.
Then I have no real incentive to buy the PSP3.
and all this will happen again. Anyone who's been around long enough will remember that Sony has a history of exaggeration when it comes to their consoles.
My guess is that it'll have a modern programmable GPU with even more features than the PS3 has. Some guy in marketing heard that, and suddenly it's more powerful than the PS3.
Figures the first 4 posts sum up the /. crowd.
- HATE Sony
- Laugh at hype
- Panic over battery life
- Linux support
I don't buy anything from sony because they are scumbags.
Suing your own customers was a big mistake. I'm not even going to replace my PS2 when it craps out on me.
You could buy used...
Perhaps worked pretty well to harm Dreamcast (in case Sega itself wasn't enough). Probably won't work too well this time, didn't really work with PSP1.
Though I can believe PSP2 will be perceptually pretty close to PS3. Not only it has been half a decade - the screen is smaller, likely much less pixels to push, less need for texture resolution, etc.
One that hath name thou can not otter
Is this literally possible? Can you build a device with powerful enough (but still very power efficient) cpus and gpus to have the same power as the PS3? And ideally, be instruction set compatible?
With an adequate battery life? I would guess that 4-6 hours is the realistic minimum battery life for a handheld console with a rechargable battery back. And it has to not be too heavy for a japanese girl to hold, and it has to have reasonable heat dissipation levels.
Any engineers in the mobile phone industry reading this who can comment?
Anyone want to track the features announced prior to availability, and then track how long before each/any are removed for 'security' reasons?
eskwayrd = m^2c^4
you know.. to save money..like
getRandomNumber() :)
{
RETURN 4
}
I admit, I'm concerned about this product.
I mean, look at when the PS3 came out. It had a number of connectivity features like a memory card slot, and a lot of promise for future development. And as it matured and newer versions of the console were released, those features were progressively taken out and kicked to the curb in order to provide a more simplistic, a lesser, a (dare I say it?) downgraded user experience. Similarly, things like the Other OS option were taken out of the menus, further limiting this box as either a game player, a lobster trap for your purchased music and movies, or if all those fail, a doorstop. A very large doorstop, at that—you could use it to prop open the garage.
I have reservations about the PSP2. Has Sony included enough bells and whistles in this device that, a year or two down the road, they can yank the popular features willy-nilly and still have something that's viable in the marketplace?
You cannot truly appreciate Dilbert until you read it in the original Klingon.
The PS3 was in my greedy hands when MGS4 dropped. The Wii was in my greedy hands with the announcement of well, quite a lot of pretty good stuff. Virtual On Oratorio Tangram/Force made the purchase of a 360 a no-brainer.
Gamers largely shouldn't care about the number of triangles or how many shaders a console has. Yes, it's true, better graphics can enable developers to put together a deeper experience. But don't spew CPU/GPU bile to me about how powerful a machine is. Show me the games first. And if the device is really up for the task, the games will be amazing.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
As powerful as the PS3? Will there also be good games for it? By good games I don't mean games with good graphics. I mean fun games. There's a difference.
Rumor is that Sony has developed a mini quad-core Cell processor for PSP2.
http://www.pspworld.com/sony-psp/news/mini-4-core-cell-processor-is-feasible-for-psp-2-012424.php
even garmin is trying to retailor their gps receivers for the consumer market (not the specialty market, professional gps will always have a niche) as a telephone
http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/
nintendo ds and psp are dead, killed by convergence into the smart phone market, unless they try convergence like garmin is. otherwise, the only future these guys have are as trinkets for the toddler set, before the kid gets a smart phone for his birthday. nobody cares about framerate and pixel count on a goddamn handheld. hell, wii should have taught these guys that nobody cares about framerate and pixel count in the living room either, only playability and fun (except for the hardcore gamers... and sony has pissed even them off)
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Yes, it can play MGS:3, but at 340x240 resolution..... which is just as powerful as the PS3, they both play the same game content, and display it at 30 frames per second....
We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
Most consoles are sold at a loss - the manufacturer makes most of their money from game licensing. By buying a Sony product, he'd eventually contribute to their bottom line by buying a new game (used ones seem to be getting more and more gimped).
Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye... then its just fun.
I think Sony has finally figured out Nintendo's weakness. When Nintendo comes out with something that fundamentally changes the nature of interaction with the gaming device, Sony needs to hit them, hard, with something more powerful that doesn't try to change anything else. This has never been tried before and is sure to result in immense profits and market domination.
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What's the point of a portable console as powerful as the PS3 if the display is smaller than a playing card?
My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
I have had a PSP Slim for a couple of years. Other than God of War and maybe 1-2 more games, i've barely touched it. My son uses it most of the time now since he got Invisimals for Xmas. I have to give them credit for that game, its a pretty cool game. Maybe its me, but I don't find many games on the PSP appealing...
If they actually come out with some decent titles, then i'll buy it.. but I have a feeling I won't be.
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
Suing your own customers was a big mistake. I'm not even going to replace my PS2 when it craps out on me.
And nothing of value to Sony was lost.
Perhaps, as an act of protest, we should buy these consoles, dismantle them, and sell them for parts. Just to hurt Sony's bottom line.
Palm trees and 8
Can we just link to the original article please?
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42499/PSP2-as-powerful-as-PS3-set-for-Q4-launch
The 3DS will have two screens. The top will be a 3D screen with a 800 x 240 px (effectively 400 x 240 WQVGA per eye) at 238 ppi resolution.
My iPhone 4 has a 960 x 640 px resolution.
I doubt the PSP2 will only have a 340x240 resolution.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
in the N64 or anything earlier, the graphics are always obviously unrealistic, wheras IME the PS2 is as convincing as modern games or even movie CG.
In Katamari Damacy and We <3 Katamari for PlayStation 2, Namco had to stylize the objects down to N64 levels of detail because of the sheer number of them on screen.
I really wanted to like the PSP, except I want something closer to a PS2/PS3 controller. I want dual analog controls that feel comfortable.
I game more on my iPhone than perhaps any other device at the moment because it is convenient and always with me. I don't want to carry a second dedicated device for gaming.
The Playstation Android phone intrigues me. If they had downloadable Playstation games, plus an Android phone in one device, I'd definately look at that. But again, the controls become a huge factor.
So where exactly is the niche for a PSP2?
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
I would consider buying only if Angry Birds is available for PSP2!
We need better game design and not the fastest hardware.
hmmhmm
Xbox 360 I've seen shortened as X360, or simply 360
Everyone knows where Microsoft really got the name of the X Square Circle.
1. Acquire Nintendo 3DS
2. Determine it's features
3. Hold press conference announcing even better features
4. ?
5. Profit!
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
Yes, but will it have more than 2-3 games that are actually worth playing on it?
I mean, there must be a reason why for every PSP I see someone using, I also see 10-12 people with a Nintendo DS?
~Syberz
No, most consoles STARTED OUT being sold at a loss. Overtime as manufacturing yield improves and cost cutting measure are put in place, they DEFINITELY turn a profit on the hardware. This was true of Sony and Microsoft; Nintendo on the other hand NEVER takes a loss on hardware. Game licensing fees after they went over the hump is all gravy.
nintendo ds and psp are dead, killed by convergence into the smart phone market
Let me know when smartphones have 1. a physical directional pad and action buttons for game genres that need them, and 2. a selling price that isn't three times that of a DS or PSP.
If Sony can't be assed to put a second analog stick/pad on the damn thing, nobody can take it seriously as a gaming console.
What the hell are we supposed to do with a single stick on the same side as the D-Pad? Puzzle games maybe?
If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
What we at Sony try to say is that the PSP2 is as good running a 720p game as a PS3 running a 1080p game. That is to say the PSP2 is 50% as powerful.
Of course, that's still impossible, everybody knows that. What we really mean is that the psp2 can run the kind of games that the PS3 runs, so the power of the psp2 is "in the ballpark", basically it's 25% the power of a PS3, kindof.
I hope this clarifies it for you.
Otherwise, I could care less.
You are correct. In my haste to express the idea that they make more money off games than they do consoles, I went overboard in stretching the "initial loss" meme.
Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye... then its just fun.
keep in mind that pixel pitch also makes a difference, not just resolution. this is why CRT tv's don't make great monitors, even if they support the resolution. The dot pitch was far too big.
I am slowly falling out of love with modern games. I value quietness over loud fans. I value battery power over slightly better graphics. I value gameplay over quick time events. I value playing a game over waiting for load time. I don't mind realizing that I am playing a game when I am playing a game.
I know a bunch of people grew up with these things I mentioned above and think it is normal and "the way it should be" (tm), but it just isn't my cup of tea. As with the PSP, it looks like the PSP2 will bring more of the same. There is a growing gaming culture pigionholing the definition of what a good game has to be.
Once you start despising the jerks, you become one.
As powerful as the PS3...at what, exactly? Browsing the web?
If they want PSN games that can be developed for the PS3 and PSP2 simulataneously, I assume they'll keep with TV resolutions. It makes life the simplest. The article said the PSP2 will have a "HD" screen.
Most people interpret HD as being 1280x720, and Full HD as 1920x1080. Full HD is unrealistic for a portable, but 1280x720 isn't completely out of the question. If they match the retina display of the iPhone, but a larger screen that is.
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
The PSP currently has a 4.3 inch screen. If they match the pixel density of the iPhone 4 screen, they'd need a 4.7 inch screen to pull off 1280 x 720 (720p widescreen).
The question then becomes, can they match the iPhone's pixel density?
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
They wanted to say “As powerful as my shit”. Wii and 3DS ftw.
I have to disagree with your statement comparing PSP and PS2. Initially the PSP seems pretty close to the PS2, but after extended play one sees a difference between the two. The PS2 games have higher poly counts and more visual effects.
Either way both are great systems and I continue playing games on both even though I have a PS3.
Why don't the manufactures buy them wholesale from Sony and sell them back to Sony?
It seems like an obvious way to make money.
get a game gripper
How well do phones whose keyboards have been inserted into the Game Gripper accessory handle multiple simultaneous key presses?
subsidized prices are all that consumers care about
Only if the consumer can afford one of the luxury plans associated with these subsidized prices. Mommy won't buy a $70/mo smartphone plan for each of three kids.
Have you seen the prices in Poland? I could have a gaming rig easily outperforming PS3 in every way for this price. There's no f**ing way they're subsidizing it.
What makes you think Sony will buy them?
I don't want my handheld to be a smaller version of a console. I want it to offer me games that I can play on a small screen and are still fun to play. A higher poly count on a small screen isn't worth ponying up $200+ for.
There's really not much point in doing so now. PS2 emulation is far enough along that it usually provides a superior experience to the real thing.
Everything will be taken away from you.
Maybe they should stop doing that then. And actually, Wii sells more than anyone else, and it is not sold at a loss.
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Anybody else here remember how the PS2 was so powerful that it could render the ballroom scene in Final Fantasy 8 in realtime?
Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
Maybe the news release was just badly translated from Japanese to English.
Can it play Crysis?
----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
The PS3 slim is of an incredibly clever design, managing to keep the power supply inside the case and the way the blower package fits over it all is simply perfect. I don't hear it run high often, but it does. That's because heat's being generated and it needs to go somewhere else, and that relatively large blower ingeniously fixed inside of the case does that vital work.
Now, I really hope that Sony isn't dare trying to claim that they've overcome the need of dispensing heat or the incidental release of it. It's not the portability that's the problem, it's the side effects of doing billions of calculations a second and the power needed for it.
But honestly, I wouldn't really be all that shocked to see Sony come out with an Easy Bake Oven for your fingers with what else they've done lately...
"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
I own just about every console out there and a few handhelds. Would have loved to buy the PSP, but even after all this time, there's not enough content out there to justify buying it.
Also, their claim seems kind of absurd about it being as powerful as a PS3. That would be awful, if it actually as (it isn't). I mean, think about that. There's no end to the current console cycle in site. We probably won't see a new generation until 2013 and the "life span" of the PS3 is supposed to be as long as the PS2 (so, until 2016). And yet, in 2011, they claim that something the size of a cell phone is as powerful as the console that they're trying to push people to for the next five years?
It's also not sold with any sort of advanced hardware.
Yes they kill the battery. But at this point, most people, I believe, prefer that over this downloadable-nonsense.
Actually, yes they can. The DSC-TX9 digital camera from Sony has a 1280x720 LCD screen that is 3.5", which is a very high pixel density. I have an older T-series and it even appears to be an IPS display, but it is lower resolution.
But that's just me. At least I can rent or borrow 1st.
Can my karma get any worse than bad? Let's find out!
Exactly what I was thinking, however in my case it is about being abused by Sony's support policy re its defective first generation machines. They could put out the most amazing console in recorded history and I don't care, it isn't work the pain, wasted time and humiliation. By the way I used to be a big PS3 booster.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
Oh one more thing, GP needs some upmodding.
Have you got your LWN subscription yet?
I had to respond, for the Final Fantasy Adventure sig. Awesome :)
Exactly. I really don't care about the marketing hype.
Tell the devs it's going to be as powerful as the PS3, have them push out snazzy screen shots and marketing promotional material telling us to buy the damn thing.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
"As powerful as the PS3" == "Looks about as good on a small, low resolution screen." Much the same way as the PSP was as powerful as the PS2.
There's absolutely NO INFO available on the PSP2, yet you already know what kind of games there will be released on it and that it will not be your cup of tea. Care to share your stockmarket predictions as well?
Never underestimate the relief of true separation of Religion and State.
Sony's console performance claims have been so systematically inflated to absurd levels that no one should listen to them anymore. I remember when they claimed that the PS2 was so powerful that it was going to be used by the movie industry to render their blockbusters. Or when they claimed that the PS3 was at the supercumputer number-crunching level (and in their calculations they had an ovious scaling error by three orders of magnitude than, when caught by readers of the site, was dismissed without explanation by them). Then, the PS3 is supposed to be about 100 times more powerful than a gaming PC, but everyone knows that it is barely on-par.
They make great hardware, they should be content with that, they don't need to make up absurd claims to get them sold. Or maybe they think they do?
Consoles are sold at a loss right after launch, but that changes after a few years. The XBox is now sold at a decent profit, and I think the PS3 is almost there. Considering that console manufacturers make good money on the games they (and others) sell for the consoles, I don't see basis to ask them to only sell consoles at a profit. It is simply not good business advice.
Lets compare the PSP and PS2 hardware:
PS2 CPU: MIPS R5900 294MHz
PSP CPU MIPS R4000 with a max speed of 333MHz (and it has a second R4000 "Media Engine) The thing has more GFlops available than the PS2 does!
PS2 GPU: Graphics Synthesizer at 147MHz.
PSP GPU: embedded in the main CPU, it has a max speed of 166MHz.
The PSP GPU can do things in hardware that on the PS2 has to be done in software, however the PS2 has those programmable vector units so it has more versatility.
PS2 Main RAM: 32MB
PSP Main RAM 32MB
The PS2's RAM is slightly faster and it has more internal bandwidth with those MASSIVE busses like that crazy 2560 bit one. (Big pipes, small pans, a la that Ars Technica article) So yes, the PS2 can transfer data faster internally.
So figuring what they were capable of doing with the original PSP, I wouldn't be surprised if the PSP2 is in some ways equal to the PS2.
1
I'm not sure why this is funny... buying items from a manufacturer is not a reversible transaction (outside of return policies and such).
Nintendo never sells them at a loss. And their console is the #1 selling console this generation. Sounds like good business to me! :D
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Computing power isn't everything anyway. In fact, it's pretty much irrelevant, as the DS and Wii have shown.
Clever signature text goes here.
If Sony contracts my company to deliver three million PS3s by the end of the quarter, it may very well be cheaper for me to buy them wholesale and sell them back instead of just manufacturing them, if what's said about "selling them at a loss" is true.