INFO When will the PSP be released? Japan: December 12 2004. USA AND CANADA: March 24 2005 Europe: Q1 2005. KOREA: Unannounced 2005. Source: PSPInsider. How many units will be shipped? Launch day in Japan: 200,000. Before the end of the year in Japan: 300,000. Between January and March in Japan: 500,000. North America: 1 million units during the 2005 fiscal year. Europe: 1 million units during the 2005 fiscal year. Source: Gamespot How much will the PSP cost in Japan? Observe: The JPY->USD conversion was made on 1/11/2004, it might have changed when you're reading this, check the source for how much it currently costs. Value Pack (PSP, Battery, A/C Adapter, 32MB memory stick, headphones with remote, Soft Case & Hand Strap with colth and free spider-man 2 umd movie with first one million psp shipped 26,040 yen (approx. $299 CAD). Source 1: IGN. Source 2: Currency Converter. What's the price of the accessories (including taxes) in Japan? Battery: 5040 yen (approx. $45). 32MB Memory: 2940 yen (approx. $26). AC Adapter: 3675 yen (approx. $33). Headphones With Remote Control: 2940 yen (approx. $26). Soft Case & Hand Strap: 2100 yen (approx. $19). Source: IGN. Do you know what the accessories will cost in North America/Europe/Korea? No, this has not been announced yet. Where can I import a PSP from? I recommend buying it at Liksang, they're very reliable. Will the PSP come in more then one color? Most likely. Although it will only come in black when it is first released. When Japanese people were allowed to vote for their favorite color besides black, they chose red, so it's possible that red will be the next color. "At the start of sales, black will be the only colour but, after that, we will keep that (colour variations) under consideration." Source 1: IGN. Source 2: Techjapan. Is there an official price of how much the PSP will cost in North America/Europa/Korea, or what the releasedate (specific date) is for those regions? No. They've said that they will reveal the price/launch date etc for America after the PSP has started being sold in Japan. However, consoles and games have always been more expensive in Japan compared to USA (excluding Nintendo DS), so it might end up at a lower price (probably $179.99). Europeans can expect a price around £150. Source: Game Informer. What Memory Stick does the PSP accept? Memory Stick PRO DUO (with Magic Gate) is recommended. However, if you're only going to save games then only Memory Stick DUO is needed (no magic gate protection). Source: Techjapan. What is Magic Gate? A way to ensure copy protection. Sony will allow stuff to be bought from the Sony Connect store, and since they don't want you to give the stuff to other people then they need some way to be sure that you can't. Magic Gate protects against such actions. However, if you own movies yourself you can just convert them to the PSP's movie format with Sonys software. Source: Engadget. Where can I buy cheap Memory Sticks for my PSP? Sandisk are probably your cheapest and most reliable brand. 64MB (~$29). 128MB (~$32). 256MB (~$44). 512MB (~$74). How much will the games cost? Games are priced between 3,990 - 5,040 yen in Japan including taxes. If you do a simple currency conversion between yen and dollar, then 5,040 yen equals ~$47. However, it is highly unlikely that PSP games will cost that much in USA seeing as DS games are 4,800 yen in Japan (~$45) when they at the same time sell for $29.99 in USA. Based on that, it's likely that PSP games will cost between $24.99 and $34.99 in USA. Source 1 (PSP games): IGN. Source 2 (DS games): IGN. What games are being developed for PSP? Lots. For a full list, click Here. Which games will be available at launch (Japanese, North American, European, Korean)? For a list of what games have been announced as launch titles so far, clickHere. Are most of the PSP games ports from PS2? No. There are some games that people could see as "ports" (GT4, Tony Hawks Underground 2 and Hot Shots Golf for example), but the amount of games like that are very few compared to all the brand new games being developed for the PSP. Those "ports" all feature new content aswell. GT4 features wireless play (aswell as online), THUG2 features 4 new levels and more players to choose from aswell as wireless multiplayer, Hot Shots Gold features 4 new maps, 10 new playable characters and wireless multiplayer. Need For Speed Underground Rivals features brand new levels and wireless multiplayer specifically made for the PSP. Every game features new gamemodes aswell. Sony have actually said that they don't allow games to be ported without new content/features. Source: IGN. Where can I find screenshots of games? Here Can I play my PS1 or PS2 games on PSP? No, the hardware is not the same, it is not backwards compatible and it does not have built in PS1/PS2 emulation. What will the battery time be? 4-5 hours for Video watching through UMD. 4-6 hours average for gameplay through UMD. 4 hours = with headphones and 50% volume, no WIFI and lowest screen brightness (80 cd/m2). 6 = with headphones and 50% volume, no WIFI and highest screen brightness (180 cd/m2). Basicly, if you use all features (highest volume on speakers, highest brightness setting, WIFI and a badly coded (in terms of saving power) high graphics game then you will up with 3 hours. If you play a puzzle game on low brightness, no audio and no WIFI then you will get 8 hours. Batteries are $45 (in Japan) if you want more battery time. Source: IGN. How many mAH does the official PSP battery have? 1800mAH. Source: Sonys official specifications for the PSP. How do i know how much of the battery is left? The PSP have a battery meter with three notches. 3 notches lit = 100% battery. 2 notches lit= 66% battery. 1 notch lit = 33% battery. Source: IGN. Can you change the brightness level on the PSP? Yes. There are three different ones availible. 180 cd/m2 (brighest), 130 cd/m2 /(medium) or 80cd/m2 (lowest). When being plugged in to your AC Adapter you get 200 cd/m2. Source: Techjapan. Can the battery be switched while the PSP is running? Yes. But just like laptops you might have to put the game in "stand-by mode" before switching. How long will it take to load the battery? "I can't give you an exact answer yet but it's not like it will take many hours. You can charge the battery pretty quickly. Recently, mobile phones can be charged pretty quickly, right? Well, (the charging time will be) in that region. (Editor: About 1-2 hours?)" Source: Techjapan. Will the PSP's screen be protected? Yes, it is covered by hard coating. Apperantly, this is basicly indestructible. Journalists tried to scratch it with keys, steel wool and permanent marker pens. Nothing made a scratch, and the journalist could just wipe off the permanent marker pen without any problems. It took a hard ram with a knife to scratch it. Source 1: Techjapan. Source 2: PSPInsider How powerful is the PSP? In the words of EA's developers; "Although the PSP CPU power is less than the current generation living room console, we are able to achieve visuals that are on par with second or third generation PS2 titles." Earlier, Sony have also announced that it's comparable with the PS2. Source: EA. Is there a problem with the PSP getting overheated? No. Source: Techjapan. Will there be region coding? On games, No. On movies, Yes. Source 1: Techjapan. Source 2: IGN. Can I play European UMD movies on my Japanese PSP? If (big IF) they use the standard DVD region settings, then it will work (seeing as both Europe and Japan are region 2 when it comes to DVD's), but they might make it different for UMD's. However, UMD movies are not coming out that soon after launch according to Sony. Source: Hometheaterinfo. What kind of multiplayer will PSP offer? Wireless and Online play. Online will be similar to xboxlive, except free of charge (content downloading such as new maps etc will be charged though). Max amount of players for Wireless: 16 Max amount of players for online play: Unlimited (there's actually a MMORPG being developed which will hold thousand of players) Source 1: IGN. Source 2: Gamespot. Source 3: Sonys official online plans for PSP. What kind of wireless standard is the PSP using? It's using 802.11B, and therefor it will use regular 802.11B limitations. Indoors: 30 meters at 11Mbps, 91 meters at 1Mbps Outdoors: 120 meters (393ft) at 11Mbps, 460 meters (1508ft) at 1Mbps This is under extremely perfect conditions, you will most likely not get range like this. Source for PSP's network avalabilities: Techjapan. Will you be able to play against other players through the internet with your wireless router/hotspot? Yes, although it has not been specified when this will be possible. Source: Techjapan. Will it be possible to buy games/download demos from the internet and then save on your memory stick? Yes, however, Sony want to show off the UMD capabilities at first so it might not be possible to buy games online and put on memory sticks untill 2005. Source: Techjapan. Can I play multiplayer games with people (online and local wireless) that have games from USA if I have the same game, but from Japan? No, games are not cross region compatible. If you want to play against someone that has a English version of Ridge Racers then you need a English version aswell. Source: IGN. Will it be possible to play online by using your cell phone incase you arnt near a wireless router? Possibly, the PSP has a built in IR-port which could be used to communicate with cell phones (with built in modem and IR connectivity). Source: Official PSP specifications. Can the PSP read DVD-discs? No, it reads UMD's. How much data can fit on a UMD? 1.8 Gigabytes on dual layer UMD's and 900 Megabytes on single layer UMD's. Source: Official PSP specifications How much does it cost to produce a UMD? Single layer: ~$2.30 (250 Yen) Dual layer: ~$2.80 (300 Yen) Source 1: PGNx Source 2: The Magic Box What does UMD stand for? Universal Media Disc. Can I play UMD's in any other devices? So far, no. What kind of quality can i expect from UMD Movies? UMD Movies are using H.264/AVC (MPEG-4 Part 10) which is higher quality then DVD movies. H.264/AVC will be used on HD-DVD aswell. Source: IGN. Are UMD's rewritable or can i burn my own UMD's? No, the UMD's are being created as a "read-only" format. Source: Techjapan. How long does a game running from UMD take to start up? About as long as it takes for a PS2 game to start. Source: Techjapan. Why doesnt the PSP have a harddrive? It would compromise price, internal space, power consumption and heat. Source: IGN. Can I plug in a USB memory/USB harddrive to my PSP? None of this has been asked by journalists and Sony havnt mentioned it so it's fairly sure to say "no" to this one. Making it impossible makes sure that people buy more Memory Sticks. Can the PSP connect with the PS2/PSX/PS3? Yes, this has been confirmed to be true, but it has not been confirmed what it will be used for. Source 1: Digital Lifestyles. Source 2: PS3Land. Source 3: Techjapan. What does the PSP's analog controller feel like? Like the PS2's analog controller. It has the same sensitivity (resolution). "The PSP feels comfortable in the hand, with all the buttons, and the analogue thumb pad, falling right into place. We actually found the analogue thumb pad to be perfectly situated for making our pointer fingers fall onto the shoulder buttons" Source 1: Techjapan. Source 2: IGN. Why is there not a second analog controller? "If you wanted to include two, it wouldn't be impossible. However, it would be troubling if the face was littered with buttons and users did not know which one to press." Source: Techjapan. Can the PSP handle sudden shocks? Yes. "Internally, there is a mechanism to cache a certain amount of data while reading. It is similar to the anti-skip mechanisms that aleady exist in current products. While playing a game, the UMD is not always spinning; it can be controlled by software so there will be continuous read/pause operations." Source: Techjapan. Can the PSP's software be upgraded? Yes, Sony will release firmware updates for the PSP which you will be able to download. These upgrades will fix bugs with the systems software (if there are any) and allow upgrades on the software to be made. Source: Techjapan. Can I watch/listen to my current movies/CD's on my PSP? Yes, as long as you have a memory stick. But you are going to have to convert the CD's to the MP3 format yourself. You are also going to have to convert your movies to the PSP format (MPEG-4 Part 10). Source: Official PSP specifications. How do you transfer files to the PSP? You can either use a memory card reader for the memory stick or just connect your PSP to your computer with the USB cable that comes with it. After you have plugged in the PSP, it will come up inside "My Computer" and you can just move files back and forth. Source: Techjapan. What formats can the PSP handle? These have been confirmed so far: UMD Audio (codecs: ATRAC3plus, PCM, ) UMD Video (codecs: MPEG4 AVC, ATRAC3plus, PNG subtitles) Memory Stick: Audio: Atrac and MP3 Memory Stick: Video: H.264/AVC MP Level 3 Memory Stick: Pictures: JPEG Source 1: Techjapan. Source 2: Official PSP specifications. What are journalists saying about the PSP? "The PSP feels comfortable in the hand, with all the buttons, and the analogue thumb pad, falling right into place. We actually found the analogue thumb pad to be perfectly situated for making our pointer fingers fall onto the shoulder buttons" "The system is certainly much cooler than our cell phones get when we play even simple 2D games. Amazingly, the system is very quiet -- there doesn't seem to be anything moving around to cool it off inside." "Having played cartridge-based portable games for over a decade, the jump to UMD-based games is like jumping from cartridges to CDs as far as sound is concerned." The PSP also won Gamecritics Awards during E3 2004. Source: IGN. Source: Game Critics Awards. How big is the PSP, and how much does it weigh? Approximately 170 x 23 x 74mm (width × height × depth) and it weigh approximately 280 grams (battery included). Source: Official PSP specifications. How big is the screen? 4.3" (Widescreen). Source: Official PSP specifications. What's the specifications of the PSP? PSP CPU Core PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1~333MHz) 32MB Main Memory 4MD Embedded DRAM Media UMD Drive (Playback only) Region Code Parental Control Format PSP Game UMD Audio UMD Video Input/Output IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi) USB 2.0 (Target) Memory Stick PRO Duo IrDA IR Remote (SIRCS) 5V DC OUT Terminals for charging built-in battery Headphone/Microphone/Control connector Control: Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left) Analog pad Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square) Left, Right keys (shoulder buttons) START, SELECT, HOME POWER On/Hold/Off switch Brightness control, Sound Mode, Volume +/- Wireless LAN On/Off switch UMD Eject Size Details Dimensions: Approxately 170mm (L) x 74mm (W) x 23mm (D) Weight: Approximately 280g (including battery) Other Specifications Screen: 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD 480 x 272 pixel (16.77 million colors) Max. 200 cd/m2 (with brightness control) Built-in stereo speakers Built-in lithium-ion battery AC adaptor 128 bit AES encryption Individual ID for each PSP hardware unit Accessories Stand Headphone with remote commander Headphone with remote commander and microphone External battery pack Case Strap USB Camera for PSP (E3 Prototype only) USB GPS for PSP (E3 Prototype only) USB Keyboard for PSP (E3 Prototype only) Source 1: IGN (changed weight to 280grams since that's what Sonys document states). Source 2: Official PSP specifications. MORE INFO, E-MAIL AT thepspman@yahoo.ca