PSP hard drives "increasingly likely"

By Kristan Reed Published 17 July, 2008

Tretton feels movie content pressure.

Sony has once again left the door open for including hard drive storage in future revisions of the PlayStation Portable.

"I think we definitely thought about it," said Tretton during a round-table interview at E3 yesterday, Kotaku reports. "I think that's the trend moving forward."

His comments echo what Sony Europe boss David Reeves told us last year.

With digital distribution of movie content now firmly part of Sony's PS3 and PSP plans, Tretton teased that a PSP featuring internal storage was "increasingly likely".

Sony now faces the question of what internal storage it opts for: cheap and spacey hard disks or efficient but pricey solid-state drives.

Tretton also touched on the UMD format, and said describing it as a struggle was "an understatement" and blasted film studios for expecting you to part with USD 20 or USD 30 for "crappy movies with less content".

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (22) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • johnnybrn #1 4 years ago

    Tretton also touched on the UMD format, and said describing it as a struggle was "and understatement" and blasted film studios for expecting you to part with USD 20 or USD 30 for "crappy movies with less content".

    The UMD format is dead in the eyes of everyone except Sony.

  • Widge #2 4 years ago

    Who would pay more for solid state? I think I would, battery and space saving I'd say, less vibration and moving parts too.

  • louyfitz #3 4 years ago

    Unless they want to do an MS and flood themselves with broken hardware it will have to be SSD.

    HDDs are too easily corrupted by erratic movements.

  • Dizzy #4 4 years ago

    Isn't Sony a movie (UMD) studio??? How much was Spiderman UMD again?

  • Widge #5 4 years ago

    Big question is, would it just be a new addition to the current line-up, or will a newly designed model be on the cards.
    As much as I would love a slightly beefier PSP with TWO analogues on it, I can see them attempting to continue with this model on the back of hoping the Monster Hunter success spurs a few devs into action to make some new games for it.
    A new PSP powerful enough to handle direct PS2 ports would be an absolute genius machine in my mind. Esp with the video out ability.

  • Ryze #6 4 years ago

    Idiots. So yes - this is another movie selling trojan horse.

    I'm glad UMD movies failed - and why? No TV out in the original PSP model, no special features or surround sound with the movies.

    Fools.

    How about the other misisng PSP features? If there's going to be an HDD, why can't we optionally install games from the UMD yet? 360 managed it.

    Also:

    Right analogue stick?

    Remember those things called... games? Gameplay? FOOLS!

  • Widge #7 4 years ago

    Run by different people with different financial objectives wouldn't you say? I've worked in a few places where different arms of the same company are more than happy NOT to give favours because they see themselves as a separate identity with separate objectives.

  • Widge #8 4 years ago

    "How about the other misisng PSP features? If there's going to be an HDD, why can't we optionally install games from the UMD yet? 360 managed it. "

    You can't complain about a missing feature for something thats not even come into fruition.

  • Ryze #9 4 years ago

    Still no friends list for the PSP, no messaging, no game invites, no in game online voice chat.

    No decent web browser... It beggars belief and just shows how out of touch Sony are with gaming.

    Ridiculous.

  • Ryze #10 4 years ago

    @Widge

    I was talking about optional UMD game installs to the mem stick (with occasional regular authentication) over 6 months ago.

    In addition - Sony's firmware updates allowed game designers to include the functionality, and Monster Hunter 2 uses it.

    When I can be arsed I'll look for a link for you. M$ beat them to it.

    Sony are failing.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 12:08

  • bad09 #11 4 years ago

    Ryze you have been able to save your games to mem stick for a long while now, it's called custom firmware. Don't wait for Sony to do something you want they never will or will take forever it they do, that's becoming increasingly apparent this gen.....

  • berelain #12 4 years ago

    "I think we definately thought about it"

    Say what?

  • Moribundman #13 4 years ago

    Well I was about to spend £99 on a 16GB Memory Stick Duo since all I seem to use the PSP for now is as a movie player when I'm travelling (and occasionally to play GTA, Lego and a couple of other games I still have on UMD).

    Why not revamp the PSP and stick in a high capacity HDD (or solid state), ditch the UMD altogether and make back catalogue PSP plus PS2 titles available online whilst improving the media player interface again and adding a second analogue? THAT would be a great portable gaming experience with a high quality movie player, as originally intended.

    [Oh yes, and it amused me on replacing my screen to discover that Sony's much vaunted bright and crisp screen is actually a Sharp manufactured part!]

  • BlueDot #14 4 years ago

    How about not charging +50% more for MS than SD ? twit.

  • Goffee #15 4 years ago

    The premium being charged for SSD drives would add a fair whack to the price of the PSP, I think HDD is more likely.

    Sony will also have to hack out the UMD drive to fit in, so that'd be the death of UMDs unless the PSP2 looks radically different in styling, we await the many fake renders before next years TGS with vague interest.

  • peterfll #16 4 years ago

    "HDDs are too easily corrupted by erratic movements."

    Eh? My 80gb iPod seems to mange just fine.

  • SeesThroughAll #17 4 years ago

    Tretton also touched on the UMD format, and said describing it as a struggle was "an understatement" and blasted film studios for expecting you to part with USD 20 or USD 30 for "crappy movies with less content".

    Thank you for your honesty, Tretton.
    May I please ask you to take a good look at the prices of UMD movies from Sony Pictures? Thank you for understanding.

  • SeesThroughAll #18 4 years ago

    Remember those things called... games? Gameplay? FOOLS!

    You must live in an alternate reality, I'm pretty sure.

  • Ryze #19 4 years ago

    @bad09

    I KNOW!!!! I'm just trying to be good :'(

  • yagisencho #20 4 years ago

    Solid state is the only way to go for a handheld game system. And yes, that includes the game media (UMD was pure chutzpah on Sony's part).

  • convercide #21 4 years ago

    @peterfll

    "Eh? My 80gb iPod seems to mange just fine."

    Its hair is falling out due to a parasitic infestation?

    :p

  • David_Snakes #22 4 years ago

    I pity the fool who wasted a cent on a UMD movie.