E3: "PSPgo" priced and dated

By Tom Bramwell Published 2 June, 2009

250 Euro, October, more details.

Sony has officially announced the PSP Go - or "PSPgo" according to subsequent press material - during its E3 conference and said it will cost EUR 249 / USD 249 when it comes out in Europe and North America on 1st October.

It will then follow in Japan on 1st November for 26,800 yen.

"We actually have a couple of names for this beautiful little device. First we call it The Worst-Kept Secret of E3. And we call it the PSPgo," said Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai, before going on to confirm the details leaked this weekend.

It's a slidey-screen affair, 50 per cent smaller than the original PSP, and has 16GB of internal flash memory, Bluetooth support and a Memory Stick micro media (M2) port for future expansion. Otherwise it uses the same operating system and Wi-Fi features you're used to from the PSP-3000.

Hirai went on to add that all PSP titles from now on would be distributed digitally as well as on UMD, reiterating that the PSP-3000 would not be abandoned when the new handheld - which looked very small and portable in his hand - launches in a few months' time.

He also announced that Media Go (or probably Mediago at this rate) would replace the Media Manager PC software soon, allowing you to manage content across PC and PSP more easily, while something called Sense Me (out this autumn) will create music playlists based on mood and occasion from your existing digital music collection.

Finally, the video store announced for PS3 last year is also joining the PSP feature-set, and there are new deals there for Showtime, G4, E, HD Nett, Magnoila films, Manga and more - although presumably this is US-only for now.

Oh, and if you've forgotten what the PSPgo looks like, check out our high-resolution PSPgo photo gallery from the weekend. SCEA boss Jack Tretton had joked that Sony sees itself as a market leader, and wasn't about to be outdone by E3 leaks. Respect.

Update: Thanks to post-conference press releases, we now also know that PSPgo will be available in Piano Black and Pearl White, and that Media Go will be bundled with PSPgo. Oh, and it is "Media Go" rather than "Mediago", but it's also "SensMe", with mood categories such as "Relax", "Dance" and "Typo". Video output cables and battery cradles will be sold separately. Furthermore, as Tretton's demo illustrated, it can display a clock or calendar when the lid's closed.

Oh, and here's a horribly formatted specification list from Sony's press site:

  • PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) go (PSP-N1000)
  • Product Name
  • PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) go
  • External dimensions
  • Approx. 128 x 16.5 x 69 mm (width x height x depth) (excludes largest projection)
  • Weight
  • Approx. 158g / 5.6 oz (including internal battery)
  • CPU
  • PSP® CPU(System clock frequency 1-333 MHz, Main memory 64MB)
  • Display
  • 3.8 inches (16:9) full-transparent type, TFT drive,
  • 480 x 272 pixel, Approx. 16,770,000 colors displayed
  • Sound
  • Built-in stereo speakers
  • Built-in microphone
  • Main input/output
  • Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) (Wi-Fi)
  • Bluetooth®2.0 (EDR)
  • High Speed USB (USB2.0)
  • Memory Stick Micro™(M2™)
  • Analog Video Out
  • Microphone
  • Main connectors
  • Multi use connector
  • (DC IN / OUT, USB, Video Output / Input, Sound Input / Output)
  • Headset / Microphone connector
  • Memory Stick Micro™(M2™) slot
  • Key / Switches
  • Directional buttons (up/down/right/left), analog stick,
  • Action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square), L/R buttons
  • START button, SELECT button, PS button
  • POWER/HOLD switch, WLAN switch
  • display button, sound button, volume (+/-) buttons
  • Power sources
  • Lithium-Ion rechargeable internal battery pack
  • AC adaptor
  • USB power supply
  • Internal memory
  • 16GB (Flash Memory)
  • Supported profile
  • PSP® Game
  • Access Control
  • Region code, parental control
  • Wireless communications
  • Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) (Wi-Fi)
  • (Infrastructure mode / Ad hoc mode (connect up to 16 consoles))
  • Bluetooth®2.0 (EDR)
  • Supplied accessories
  • AC adaptor
  • USB cable
  • CD-ROM(Media Go)
  • *Design and specifications are subejt to change without notice.
  • 5-5-5-5 PSP® go, PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE) EVOLVES TO MATCH THE DIGITAL LIFESTYLE
  • Supported coded (in Memory Srick Micro (M2™) / Internal memory)
  • Video
  • l Memory Stick Video Format
  • à MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC)
  • à H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC)
  • l MPEG-4
  • à MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC)
  • à H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (CABAC) (AAC)
  • Baseline Profile (AAC)
  • l AVI
  • à Motion JPEG (Linear PCM)
  • à Motion JPEG (µ-Law)
  • Music
  • l Memory Stick Audio Format
  • à ATRAC3™*8
  • à ATRAC3plus™*8
  • à MP3
  • l MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3)
  • l MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC)
  • l WAVE (Linear PCM)
  • l WMA (Windows Media® Audio 9 Standard only)*9
  • Photo
  • l JPEG (DCF2.0/Exif2.21 compliant)
  • l TIFF
  • l BMP
  • l GIF
  • l PNG
  • *8 Content protected by Open MG can be played back only when it is stored in M2.
  • *9 WMA Playback feature needs to be enabled.
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • paul_haine #1 3 years ago

    249 Euros is about 215 pounds, right? Hell, think I'll buy two.

  • CaptianScarlet #2 3 years ago

    is it a blu-ray player as well?

    lol :)

  • moggsy #3 3 years ago

    Good luck with that then Sony. Have you not learnt anything from Nintendo?

  • TCJames #4 3 years ago

    Certainly seems expensive when compared to the psp-3000. And you actually lose features because it can't play UMDs.

  • callum9999 #5 3 years ago

    I had sense-me on an old Sony Ericsson. Never really worked properly.

    Anyway, the high price point now means I will definately not be getting this (not that the design itself impresses me in the slightest anyway).

  • coderkind #6 3 years ago

    249 Euros?!? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha-haha-ha-ha-hah-ahaha-ha-ah-HA!

    Seriously, 249 Euros?

  • MonkeyMagik #7 3 years ago

    how much - youre having a laugh mr sony.

  • moggsy #8 3 years ago

    How can they justify such a high price for an effectively defeatured device? Smaller screen and no UMD drive and it's more expensive?

    The stupidity at Sony really does know no bounds.

    The 16GB iPod Touch is much better value for the same price.
    Edited by 1 at 02/06/09 @ 20:57

  • Lawlost #9 3 years ago

    Love it 249 euros. Sony, the UK or treasure island as you know it is in one of the deepest recessions since the second world war so it you think this redesign will sell the PSP you are soooooooo wrong.

  • DFawkes #10 3 years ago

    I really did want one too. Enough to even pay up to the £150-ish mark. But I honestly can't see a PSP with a smaller screen, no UMD drive and not being able to use my old Memory Stick selling well. It's a downgraded model for more price, just because it slides?

    Still, at least I can just buy an old, seeming superior (though I'm sure there'll be other good reasons it's better) machine, cheaper and available now.

  • dominalien #11 3 years ago

    The price is stupid.

    I'll be holding on to my 1st gen PSP, thank you. It works very well. Not that I was planning on getting the new one anyway.

  • Lucien21 #12 3 years ago

    I'm goning to be in Florida when it lauches. $249 =£150. If it was region free I might think about it.

  • des #13 3 years ago

    Sony is insane...flop

  • Shane86 #14 3 years ago

    far too expensive, I was expecting €150

  • FladgeMangle #15 3 years ago

    No touchscreen or camera? So it really is just a bog standard PSP in a Milo 2 chassis. Worst case scenario boo hiss.

    Too much money for a just bit of recycled old rope. Silly Sony. Opportunity knocked but you didn't answer.

  • greekgoddj #16 3 years ago

    "IEEE 802.11b" !!!!!!!!!!!!! STILL!??? That makes Remote Play useless!

  • bdaggers #17 3 years ago

    Surprised that Sony want to rape your ass with pricing ? Where have you been the last few years of PS3 dominance. Oh, right.

  • Linkified #18 3 years ago

    £100 may of been a deal since I already own a PSP 2000 and what with the financial recession although its smoothing of some and the fact theres other games coming out. Fuck you Sony :)

  • TheBrotha #19 3 years ago

    It's a bit of a shame really. The cost is the only thing that's wrong with it. Like someone said earlier, £150 is fair, it'd provide healthy competition for the DSi. At this pricepoint, you'd expect tilt and phone functionality like Apple's iPhone.

    A shame. I'm not a big fan of handheld gaming but it would have been a nice impulse buy. At least they were sublime with the PS3 presentation. Nothing's perfect.

  • JetSetWilly #20 3 years ago

    No sale at that price. Are they fucking mental?

  • cawley1 #21 3 years ago

    What an absolute joke! Even in non-recession times this pricing news would be crazy!

    With the refusal to drop the price of PS3, and effectively a price increase for PSP, Sony are going to damage their videogame brand more and more.

    I have a PSP 2000 and a US launch 1000, mainly used for emulators, so was not planning to buy anyway, but anyone in their right mind will surely buy an iPod Touch now (not forgetting that games on the PSN will cost loads as well!)

    At that sort of money they should have just moved onto PSP2, why would anone in their right mind get one of these when they can buy a 3000 for £120 odd quid, or a second hand older one for around £60 that does the same think (and more if you install CFW?)

    Seriously, they have lost the plot, greedy fuckers!

    Edited by 1 at 03/06/09 @ 08:31

  • BOFH_UK #22 3 years ago

    Yep, far too expensive for what is basically identical hardware with 16Gb of Flash Ram attached. As someone said, that's the same price as the iPod Touch 16Gb which is going to be replaced with the next version (and probably 32Gb) by the time the PSP Go is released.

    Honestly, I see nothing compelling about this at all. Smaller screen, can't use your existing memory sticks (BOOOO!), can't use your existing games (and no mention of a way to get 'em across either), no word on price of these downloadable games, still the same hardware including the rubbish network card and the PSP will do all the new stuff thanks to software upgrades anyway. I really think they should have taken the opportunity to launch some changes to the hardware at the very least, touch screen, second analogue stick, SOMETHING to make it stand out. As the games are downloadable it wouldn't have been difficult to manage and ensure that you didn't have the option to buy those games if browsing from an older PSP that wouldn't support them. As it is, major flop imo.

  • SYS64738 #23 3 years ago

    Even though I'm very happy with my PSP-2000, I would have bought a PSP Go

    DESPITE
    - no touchscreen
    - seemingly no exchangeable battery
    - smaller screen size
    - different memory sticks (doesn't bother me only because i already have a few M2's lying around)
    - price skimming due to download only distribution (some might even call it a monopoly.......)
    - second nub (only a minor gripe for me to be honest - not sure how comfy it would be using 2 nubs on a handheld and also having to press other buttons AND holding the handheld itself)
    - I'm one of those few sad ppl who buy the occasional UMD movie (impulse purchases at airport stores) - good quality image paired with SUPER low price but now would need to waste memory stick space for these

    BUT I *really* can't justify it now because of
    - price (oh dear oh dear - what the others already said - it's just not good value for money)
    - potentially region locked gaming (even within Europe the PSN stores' content varies)
    - I can't play/transfer my close to 30 UMD's - and I don't want to bring two handhelds around when on the move

    I really liked the presentation and the recent surge of love the PSP gets gaming wise, but god did they f*ck it up in style with that price announcement. So, despite the long list of issues that I already had with moving from PSP-2000 to PSP Go, they added even MORE issues to that list. Poor & disappointing - I seriously was hoping Sony would come to their senses. Silly me.

  • Toothball #24 3 years ago

    Ah, I'm glad to hear that it'll have a memory card slot of some sort. I was afraid we'd be stuck with whatever came on board, and would be left seething when they released one with a larger capacity later.

  • elephant_stone #25 3 years ago

    So dear!

    All I want to know if that....now I know it has the same "wifi functionality" as the PSP-3000.....but I only have a 2000.....WILL THIS SUPPORT WPA2 ENCRYPTION!?!?!!!!!!

  • elephant_stone #26 3 years ago

    oh yeah....also...how am I supposed to use my GoExplore with the PSPgo? Buy the map pack (disc) off the PSN store for like, another £20? ahahahahahahhahahahaha....................

    No!

    Sony really frustrate me at times like this.

  • Beano #27 3 years ago

    What's the current suggested retail price of the PSP 3000?

  • speedjack #28 3 years ago

    249 Euros ?!!!

    Will they never learn.

  • belziah #29 3 years ago

    Piss taking rentboys

  • jim_bob #30 3 years ago

    It does look good, pretty expensive, but like the DSi the prices will come down after release.
    PSP Go

  • Whatsfor #31 3 years ago

    Christ, I bought two PS3's at £425 each and even I wouldn't pay £250 for one of these. I like you Sony, but even I won't pay that! I'll perhaps upgrade to a PSP-3000.

  • Bifferboy #32 3 years ago

    I can't believe they're taking psp go preorders already when they don't have a firm UK price yet. I hope the price goes below £200, because at £70 more than the psp 3000, £229 is taking the pee.

  • susieb382 #33 3 years ago

    I think the PSP Go is well priced, you will always get people saying 'they should look at nintendo's pricing', but when it comes down to it they are both going for different markets.

    If they were going for the same market then wouldn't Sony begin making the console more non-gamer friendly?

    It's only £229.99 at amazon - Buy PSP Go

    PSP Go


    Edited by 1 at 14/06/09 @ 15:11

  • susieb382 #34 3 years ago

    The PSP Go looks awesome!

    Buy PSP Go

  • FladgeMangle #35 2 years ago

    I know this is a dead thread post, but I just wanted to vent.

    Been saving up Game vouchers for ages (birthday then Christmas) to contribute towards a PSP go because I'm actually not an idiot and £225 was a stupid price. Anyway, finally got one - cost me £40 of my own money.

    The truth is I absolutely love it - really nice system to hold and use, d-pad to nub spacing actually better for Monster Hunter than the old version in my view (but I was never a "claw" player). Open and close mechanism is really swishy and a lovely clock too LOL. Shame there's no alarm function. Anyway...

    25 days later and it's busted. Screen has developed "weird horizontal line" syndrome. Gutted. I haven't dropped it, it just went and scribbled on my lovely old forest Nargacuga as I was playing on the train. Anyone else had similar problems? Anyone else even bought one?

    Please, no "serves you right" post :o)