TVG.com

Sony and the Imagination Technologies Group may be working together on a second generation PSP or "PSP2", according to some fairly unsubstantiated rumour that's been floating around the net today.

Of course, Sony has been quick to dismiss the rumour as just that: "rumour and speculation". Given the source of the news (an article that uses phrases such as "word on the street"), we can hardly blame the electronics giant for such a defence.

The source in question, EETimes, also refers to the Sony and Imagination Technologies' project as "an upgrade to the PSP2", suggesting that this "PSP2" is already in a final stage of development and Imagination Technologies' involvement will merely improve the product.

This speculation follows a press release from Imagination Technologies earlier this week, which reveals little more than the fact that the company:  "has signed a license agreement with a new partner, a major international consumer electronics company, for a high-performance forthcoming member of Imagination's POWERVR SGX graphics processor family."

Currently, Imagination Technologies' SGX range of graphics chipsets can be found in electronic products such as palmtops and ultra-mobile PCs. An as yet unreleased open source computer and gaming system called Pandora, which its manufacturers claim is "by far the most powerful handheld in the world", is among the systems using Imagination Technologies' SGX range.

However, the manufacturers of Pandora also boast that the computer can handle Quake 3 with ease, which certainly doesn't sound like it's beyond the capabilities of the current PSP.

In other words, given the graphical capabilities of existing products using these SGX chipsets, it's hard to see how incorporating them into a second generation PSP would actually push the boundaries of what Sony already offers with its mass marketed PSP.

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Interesting to say the least.

Is there any reason why they wouldn't be?

No doubt about it, PSP is a hit.

PSP2, for sure. They just have to reduce piracy and make sure it doesn't burn any kids!

"an upgrade to the PSP2"

This part seems odd though...........have they already completed it?

Of course they are. But what's up with that picyure? What's that supposed to be?

No doubt Sony is developing the PSP2 as we speak. The main thing I would love for Sony to focus on besides fighting piracy would be longer battery life as I'm pretty confident everything else will be pretty good.

How about fixing the horrible design? That would be my no. 1 wish. It's like Sony looked at the terrible GBA and said perfect! A portable that really isn't that portable. Way to go, dummies.

We had a thread about this yeasterday and I made a quick respons to it, but now I have a little more time.

If Sony is indeed in the later stages of a newer PSP that is not leaps and bounds above the current system then here are my bolt points.

-The new system has to support all current PSP software code.
-The system must drop the UMD format for a HDD (10GB) or SDD (8GB) system.
-The system must be a 3G device.
-The system must have a touch screen.
-The system must keep the same screen size as the current PSP.
-System battery life must be at least doubled.
-The system must have Blue-Tooth.

I am ready for a new PSP if it will offer me a ton of things the PSP just can't do because of hardware. However if Sony is going to bring out a device that don't support 3G and call it PSP2 I will just stick to my PSP. The PSP right now has a lot of room to grow, but I think moving to a more secure system would be a good move on Sony's part. It would make developers and publishers more comfoatable and in turn give us better games.

Ah, the good old days, back when gaming devices were about games ... those were the days.

I think sony has learned from its mistake, they're gonna try to release their console before the other (nintendo)... Concerning the umd system, if they drop it, it will be impossible to play psp games on the psp2 (and I'm not gonna pay 5 or 10 bucks to rebuy a game that I already own on psstore !!!).

Maybe more info on E3 for a release next winter in japan!