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Sony Reveals the Next Generation Portable Console

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the faster-smaller-quieter dept.

UgLyPuNk writes "Of course it's not called the PSP2, because that would be too obvious and straightforward for the games industry. For the moment, at least, you'll be looking forward to news about the NGP – the Next Generation Portable." ARM® Cortex-A9 core (4 core), SGX543MP4+, Front and Rear camera. Rear touch pad, GPS.

13 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Rear touch pad by HelioWalton · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Putting a touch pad on the back is actually rather clever. The back is almost never used for anything but battery compartments and whatnot. Of course, having input devices on the back means that when you put it down, it'll either be screen down, or touchpad down. That touchpad had better be ready to last through explosions, otherwise they are probably going to start being broken quickly.

    1. Re:Rear touch pad by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      3D is a gimmick, and doesn't really enhance gameplay that much.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:Rear touch pad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think the same thing was said about the DS

    3. Re:Rear touch pad by MozeeToby · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Any stereo 3d system pretty much by definition involves asking me to focus my eyes at one distance while converging my eyes at a different one. This is, for me at least, almost instantly uncomfortable and long term becomes very much so. I was able to get through Avatar without a screaming headache, but even so, it isn't the kind of thing I'd like to do on a regular basis.

  2. Some specs by teh31337one · · Score: 4, Informative

    * Quad Core A9 CPU

    * Quad Core PowerVR SGX543MP4+ GPU from Imagination Technologies. (They make the PoverVR 530 featured in Motorola Droids, PowerVR 535 in iPhone & iPad, and PowerVR 540 featured in Galaxy S devices, and playbook)

    * 5" Multi touch OLED display with 960 x 544 res.

    * Rear multi touch pad

    * Front and rear cameras

    * Three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, three-axis electronic compass

    * GPS

    * Dual Analogue sticks

    * Bluetooth, 3G and wifi connectivity

    1. Re:Some specs by MacGyver2210 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Dual Analogue sticks"

      About damn time!

      --
      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
  3. but will it sell? by redemtionboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's definitely less novel than the 3DS, and a lot more capable, but then again, if I'm going to drop ~$400* on something like that, I might as well buy an iPad or a fancy smart phone. I think by making this thing ultra feature-full, they're blurring the line between the things they're competing against a lot more, and I think that does carry some risk at backfiring. Would I rather have a fancy gaming/media device and a simple phone, or vice versa. It's asking a lot for people to purchase high end devices on both fronts, and so they're going to have to make a choice. I don't think that choice is going to be overwhelmingly in favor of Sony. *Yes I realize there has been no official price announced, but looking at the specs, the device has to cost sony around ~$450 to manufacture. I expect a ~$400 price point.

  4. Game quality by jones_supa · · Score: 3

    I hope we get some decent games too. There's way too much half-baked Disney-animation licensed crap on handhelds already.

    1. Re:Game quality by Jim+Hall · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Here's the thing - I own a PSP. Guess what kinds of games I play on it? Puzzle games, short-attention-span games, platformers. I've played the hell out of PixelJunk Monsters and Lumines. Daxter and Loco Roco were each a ton of fun, but honestly was probably the limit for what my attention could bring to a portable device.

      Basically, I play this thing when I ride the bus to work. Anything that can be done in short spurts works great.

      They're talking about putting some big titles on the "NGP" - Killzone, Resistance, Uncharted. Those are awesome PS3 titles, don't get me wrong. But I just don't know that I'd play them on a portable device. My tastes differ when I'm on the go. A lot of that power will be wasted on me.

      Hopefully, someone will come up with a witty game that really takes advantage of the "NGP" without aiming for a port from a PS3 franchise.

  5. Neo Geo Pocket by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 4, Informative

    Wasn't there already a portable with the initials NGP?

  6. As Powerful as the PS3? by SJ2000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...and Sony are claiming that it will be “as powerful” as a PlayStation 3.

    Sorry, but in no universe is the Cortex-A9 'as powerful' as a PlayStation 3's CBE.

  7. My favorite part of the reveal... by JustAnotherIdiot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...was showing that it won't be using the UMD, but what looked like an SD card of sorts. I'm excited about this mostly because the UMD is terribly annoying, it sounds like the PSP is snorting every time a game loads from it.

    --
    What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
  8. Re:Storage medium? by Verunks · · Score: 3, Informative

    it uses some sort of memory card http://www.kotaku.jp/assets_c/2011/01/110127ngp_media-23816.html