Sony announces 'Next Generation Portable'

Register Hardware reports: [edited]

The successor to the PSP, or 'Next Generation Portable', has been revealed in Tokyo, and Sony claims it's as powerful as the PS3.

The NGP has a high-res OLED touchscreen as well as a touch-sensitive back panel. It features front- and rear-facing cameras, dual analog sticks and tilt-sensitive controls.

There is huge emphasis on network play and the device now packs a 3G connection, as well as WiFi. Every game will feature LiveArena, a communication system for chatting with other gamers through the Playstation Network.

It also features Near, a method for sharing game information between local users and offers an option for virtual link-up. The NGP has a proprietary Flash memory card system, which Sony claims will provide super high capacity game cards.


Third-party developers showed 'Yakuza 4' and 'Metal Gear Solid 4' on the system, while Activision announced a new 'Call of Duty'. The Playstation Suite platform, which will appear on mobiles as well as the NGP, is backwards compatible with PSP games and has support for PSone titles and Android-based games.
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