This September, Sony will be unleashing the first ever revision of the PlayStation Portable. Codenamed PSP-2000, the system sports a new slimmer design, and the ability to display content on a television. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the new system -- but tonight, we're going to clear things up. We asked the readers of PSP Fanboy to submit their questions and received about a hundred responses. That's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to spend the next few days answering as many as we can. Let's begin.

The PSP-1000's volume wasn't that loud. Did they increase the volume?

 

 

As you can see, the speakers on the new PSP (right) are not louder than the old PSP (left). With headphones on, the volume output is identical as well.

What firmware is shipped with the PSP?
Submitted by: mike
The system includes firmware 3.60. Some new features of the firmware include: USB Charge, new background colors (27 in all!), and Connected Display Settings (for TV output).

What video sizes does it play? Hopefully 640x480.
Submitted by: Surtur

Nope. PSP 3.60 still does not support 640x480 video, which means many iPod-compatible video podcasts still don't work on the PSP.

Is the system quieter when loading data from the UMD?

 

 

In some ways. The PSP will still make that scratching noise when loading data from a UMD. However, it does seem to happen slightly less often. Listen to the video, though. You'll notice that both systems will make the same disc loading noise.

Do files open faster on XMB?
Submitted by: TheHood

We loaded up our 4GB Memory Stick Duo with tons of 1080p images and had the PSP generate thumbnails. In our test, we noticed one thing: the two systems performed identically.

Is ghosting still noticeable?
Submitted by: Saigon
Yes, ghosting is still noticeable on the screen, particularly in scenes involving bright whites. The screen isn't bad -- let's not forget that the original PSP screen still produces fantastic video.

Does the web browser take advantage of the added memory? For instance, can web sites that cause the old PSP's memory to run out work on the Slim?
Submitted by: J@F
We were trying to read our favorite gaming blog when this error message struck. Seemingly, the browser is another thing that hasn't been improved in the new PSP.

What happens if you press the screen button long enough to start video out if it isn't plugged in?
Submitted by: Don
The screen simply turns off, just as it did before. This will help you conserve battery.

Is it possible to play music while viewing a slideshow on the PSP with this new release?
Submitted by: Sai
No. When you enter a different part of the XMB, your music will stop just like before.

How is the Wi-Fi connection? Can you test the range?
Submitted by: Makiyura

The range for both PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 seem nearly identical. For us, the system lost a signal once more than 30 feet away from our wireless router. In terms of download speeds, we saw that the PSP-2000 had only a marginal advantage, one that could have been caused by random network speeds, rather than an inherent system design. Regardless, PSP-2000 constantly outperformed the original PSP in our RSS download tests.

Do the buttons actually have a better response/feel to them?
Submitted by: Dennis
Yes. The buttons have slightly more resistance, which makes it much better to the touch.

I heard that when you output games to your HDTV (through component), the picture is framed. Is it true?

Yes it is true. On our 61" TV, the image produced by the PSP was 42" on our TV. That means, in diagonal terms, less than 70% of your screen will be devoted to the game. The XMB, however, will appear in full screen, as will movies and everything else accessed from there:

The image quality of games is particularly impressive. Ignoring the somewhat significant borders, the games we played looked like they were being output by a PS2. Movies, on the other hand, fared worse. Our Spider-man 2 UMD looked good, but didn't match the quality of a properly upscaled DVD running on the PS3.

Do games load noticeably faster?

 

 

This took a lot of effort to piece together. It seems that games do load faster, although not as significantly as we would hope. In the above side-by-side video of the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront, you can see that although the games were launched at the same time, the PSP-2000 (the silver one) loads slightly faster than the original. It loads the level slightly faster as well. However, going through our games collection resulted in varying results -- some games didn't change at all, while games like Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow actually took longer on PSP-2000! It appears that games with significantly long load times are the ones to benefit the most.

 

 

Is the video out cable included in any of the bundles?
Submitted by: mike
No. The video out cables must be purchased separately. See what they look like here.

What is the cost of both the PSP-2000? Does it cost the same as the current model? Are there any other special packs out there?
Submitted by: Sai
The PSP will cost $169.99, the same price as the current model. There are special bundles you can try and purchase: one includes Daxter, the other includes Star Wars Battlefront. Read more here.

How does the weight of the PSP Slim feel?
Submitted by: Makiyura
It might not look drastically different, but it certainly feels a lot better. The reduced weight is clearly noticeable and one of the system's greatest improvements.

Can you compare the size to the DS Lites? How bigger/thicker/wider is it?
Submitted by: Kahonee

The PSP-2000 is about the size of a DS Phat's bottom half. When stacked next to a DS Lite, it is marginally thinner. However, the system is still the same width as the original, making it much wider than the DS Lite.

Do the batteries from the old PSP work in the new one?
Submitted by: Jay

Yes, the old batteries will work, but they will protrude outward. You will need a new battery cover in order to use the longer-life old batteries in the new system.

Joystiq is not quite yet finished with the PSP Slim review yet put I will keep you guys updated.

Part 1:http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/30/joystiq-and-pspfb-hands-on-with-psp-2000-part-1/

Part 2:http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/31/joystiq-and-pspfb-hands-on-with-psp-2000-part-2/

Nice. Thanks for posting this. FW 3.6, eh? I'll wait until someone hacks it with Pandora, then I'll consider upgrading.

Hey, I can't live without my emulators.

That you can hook it to your TV is really cool. I wish they had some way to let you use a wireless controller with it. If they did it might be worth upgrading for that feature.

Dolla Dolla said: Nice. Thanks for posting this. FW 3.6, eh? I'll wait until someone hacks it with Pandora, then I'll consider upgrading. Hey, I can't live without my emulators.

 lol..yeah someone will...someone already hacked the iPhone!! LOL

As I see, it is looking like the slim psp is slightly faster in loading as stated above, but may have lower volume(I dont care really I use head phones). I am suprised that it is thinner than the ds lite though. I noticed the anolog stick is slightly placed up from the surface of the psp, maybe it will move smoother.

Still, for the same price as the old one its a steal.

smallflyingtaco said: That you can hook it to your TV is really cool. I wish they had some way to let you use a wireless controller with it. If they did it might be worth upgrading for that feature.

 A wireless controller you say. Well describe how that would work with the PSP?

Takashii said: smallflyingtaco said: That you can hook it to your TV is really cool. I wish they had some way to let you use a wireless controller with it. If they did it might be worth upgrading for that feature. A wireless controller you say. Well describe how that would work with the PSP?

 They don't mention it and I doubt they ever would make something like it but I am just saying it would be nice for using your PSP at home with your TV.  What I would like is some sort of little attachement that you could attache to the usb attachement on the top of your PSP that would work as a receiver transmitter for a controller.  It would be ideal if it worked with their standard PS3 controller just to make it easy to get a controller and keep cost for the unit down.  I am not sure of the tech specs on the PSP so this may not even be possible.

I know this is gonna get me all sorts of "your a troll" comments, but this is a really disappointing reinvention of the PSP. Sony had the chance to fix some of the bigger problems with the system, and they just make it thinner/lighter and add video out along with other minor fixes.

You would think they could have atleast reworked the form factor so the shoulder buttons aren't a killer and the analog nub is in a more comfortable position. Furthermore, IMHO the bigges problem with the PSP was how long it was, not the thickness - so of course they make it thinner.

The sad part is, the battery life isn't any better.

Yeah I'm not happy with this at all. The load times fixed turned out to be a load of BS, there is still only a single analog, it's lighter but hardly smaller, the cord isn't even packed in, the video output looks worse than a DVD, and the battery life isn't even longer unless I want a giant lump sticking out the back of it like a hideous tumor. There isn't a chance in hell of me upgrading my current PSP for this.

I'm a little confused. Will the old battery stay in place without the cover? Does it lock into place?