PSP2 is "iPhone on steroids" - report

By Robert Purchese Published 17 May, 2010

Has two cameras, touch screen.

Eurogamer has learned that the PSP2 can be compared to "iPhone on steroids".

Our informant corroborated what VG247 learned earlier today: that the PSP2 has a touch-screen and two cameras (one facing in, one out).

Eurogamer also understands that the likelihood of PSP2 being at E3 - on public display, at least - is slimmer than Cheryl Cole at an emotional low.

VG247 went on to claim that PSP2 games were in development in Britain right now and are being made with a 2011 release in mind. The PSP2, like the PSPgo, will probably drop physical media.

Digital Foundry revealed last July that the PSP2 will have a quad core PowerVR graphics chip.

Richard Leadbetter also put his knowledge of the PSP2 and DS2 together for a theoretical showdown.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (70) Latest comment 9 months ago

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

  • Mkwone #1 2 years ago

    I'm eagerly awaiting sony's pisstake of a RRP

  • altitude2k #2 2 years ago

    The term "on steroids" is being overused at the moment. And only a retard would use that as a positive considering the following possible meanings:

    "more likely to have erectile disfunction"
    "more likely to die early"
    "likely to be discovered using illegal narcotics and banned from any further participance"
    "likely do develop breasts (saggy man-breasts....not the good kind)"

  • Mkwone #3 2 years ago

    Or more powerful, stronger, more agressive. Manly Stuff. Grrr

  • davisorle #4 2 years ago

    And PSPGo turned out to be a PSP on expired Viagra's cause it came out too short. So till I hear official specs etc about it and form my own opinion I really don't care about them moving from hitting Nintendo's market of Wii with Move, to trying to get some of iPhone's with such an obvious first roumor ( Not everything is just leaked as you all know.. ).

    :) Lets just wait and see at E3.

  • telboy007 #5 2 years ago

    Looking forward to the battery life on that thing, will probably be similar to my gaming laptop on full tilt... under an hour. O_o

    lolz

  • Zapatero #6 2 years ago

    On steroids or not, if it doesn't allow me to phone or email I'm not interested. The days when I carry two devices onto the bus/train are long behind me.

  • ecureuil #7 2 years ago

    This machine will be amazing.

    Then Sony will ask £400 for it and it will flop completely.

  • alcides #8 2 years ago

    no physical media... because it worked so well first time round.


    edit: although it wouldn't feel as stupid as the Go, with the PSP-3000 doing the same things better and cheaper
    Edited by 1 at 17/05/10 @ 17:21

  • MiniAmin #9 2 years ago

    iPhone on steroids sounds lovely but foremost I hope it'll be an excellent gaming device.

  • Nuronv #10 2 years ago

    iPhone on Steroids - What does that mean exactly? So its a phone? It doesn't support flash?

  • alcides #11 2 years ago

    Sony can't do iPhone.

    Sony did MediaGo. Now that's some dropping.

  • super_monty #12 2 years ago

    "probably drop physical media" if true I have lost all interest in the the PSP2. Also I would like a 5 mp camera, a phone and physical media if so it's an instant buy.

  • carrotcake #13 2 years ago

    because both iPhone and psp2 use powerVR chips or something, but the psp2 is beefed up quad core, hence on steroids. also of note the new iPhone coming this year has front and back facing cameras

  • SpaceMonkey77 #14 2 years ago

    I'm sure its tech will be cool enough, but Sony will charge the earth and sky for it.

    I predict a stupid £300 price point, games on memory cards and/or downloadable, no UMD transfer support, DivX/MKV support, no trophies and unreasonable game and highly priced developer options.

    Sony, they'll still be third place, because they lack imagination or common sense. Come on, Sony, surprise me.

  • Deckard1 #15 2 years ago

    Its gonna have a bad temper and tiny balls?

  • INSOMANiAC #16 2 years ago

    No physical media = no sale

  • SlackMaster #17 2 years ago

    The biggest problem with the 'no physical media' route so far, is that Sony have currently done a piss poor job of supporting it. Less than a 1/6 of the PSP's catalogue is currently available (possibly even less) on PSN and apart from the odd sale is often overpriced for digital media.

    To add to this, they just aren't releasing enough PSP games on PSN atm and for anyone who brought a PSPGo this has been a major disappointment.

  • wez_316 #18 2 years ago

    If Sony announce downloadable PS2 games that work on PS3 and PSP2 then I will surely get both. This would be the best thing that Sony could ever do to make a boatload of cash. If they had this feature and the PSP2 did everything that the iPhone did then I would easily spend £500+ on the machine as well as hundreds of cash on the PS2 games.

    Maybe not everybody would... but that is the way they can get me to buy one anyway... and I'm a person who bought a PSP used for £50 and has never bought a single game for it.

  • Dolly #19 2 years ago

    This thing would actually need to have network-free phone capabilities if it wants to really go directly for the Apple pie. If it did that, as well as having traditional PS controls instead of touchscreen only, they could actually raise some interest.

  • Widge #20 2 years ago

    so, everyone loves umd now?

  • lockload #21 2 years ago

    to be clear to be an iphone on steriods it needs to be a phone aswell right?

  • Skurmedel #22 2 years ago

    The VG247 points to an admin interface... most interesting... I think you need to edit your article ASAP :)

    Also "admin" "1234" didn't work... some tough security this.
    Edited by 3 at 17/05/10 @ 17:39

  • Wyrm #23 2 years ago

    'iphone on steroids'

    That doesn't mean anything.

  • chessboxer #24 2 years ago

    I hope that it still has buttons and an analog stick (or 2). I like the iPod Touch but I cannot take it as a serious gaming platform without traditional button controls.

  • alcides #25 2 years ago

    If it has trophies and a nice social networking aspect to it, then I'm go!
    I truly don't care about no UMDs, it just has to be AFFORDABLE.

    Sony's effort with PSP essentials is encouraging. There's the example of Steam to! Going all digital and yet offering bargains all the time!

    I mean, the 3 UMDs I actually bought, I ripped on my MS.

  • BOFH_UK #26 2 years ago

    Oh boy... if they do go downloadable games only then Sony REALLY need to pay attention to the main lesson of the PSPGo: For such a plan to work your games must be CHEAP! If you're selling a customer something with zero resale value once they've bought it you can't expect them to pay £30+ for it. The iPhone has shown you can get good quality games out from major publishers at £10 or less and that's what people are going to be expecting (emphasis on 'less'). I also really hope they don't get distracted by the more power side of things... I'd rather have a small bump in graphics power and a major jump in battery life if that's all the same to Sony. And yes, it probably needs to be a multifunction device if it's going to cost anything like iPod money.

  • mumblyjoe #27 2 years ago

    I think that the no physical media approach is coming for all future handhelds, especially after the success of the app store.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #28 2 years ago

    @Widge

    No one liked UMDs really. Only true bonus of them is being region free ( I use mine for japanese games), but this could have been done on cards too. From the moment they conceived PSP, it should have been memory card based, but again, Sony lacked the vision and imagination. They clearly were more interested in pushing films on us too, and so stuck with UMD.

  • INSOMANiAC #29 2 years ago

    Indeed, noone likes UMDs but then they like paying extortionatly inflated prices on PSN even less, hence the abject failure that is the PSPGO.

    Id be incredibly surprised if it was download only, surely Sony cant afford to have another fail on their hands after such huge losses in their gaming section. If the PSP2 gets a bad rep for being a rip off from day1 it may never recover, people just dont want download only handheld games at 30 quid a pop. or at least, I dont.

  • SilentNinja92 #30 2 years ago

    Well its quite obviously going to me quite a bit more poweful than the iphone, so much so that it will still have better looking games than new iphones in the years to come becuase the psp's selling point has always been graphics, and the ability to play proper hardcore games.

    Plus after reading the showdown article on this site, I think its fair to say that the psp2 will be a pretty beastly machine. Im a nut for gadgets and nice graphics so this psp2 might win me over. As long as the games lineup is decent.

    EDIT: Also i think it might be a good idea if sony just used duo pro sticks for games. the ds uses sd cards and thats fine. Think about it, it means that theres a wide variety of sizes for developers, so space will never be an issue. Its also fairly small and very cheap to mass produce.
    Edited by 1 at 17/05/10 @ 18:06

  • Eraysor #31 2 years ago

    Two analog sticks please. PLEASE

  • AphoticCosmos #32 2 years ago

    Steroids only give the image of strength - steroid-induced muscle is pathetically weak. Good for showing off, not for anything practical.

    Nice analogy, Sony.

  • PBz0r #33 2 years ago

    I can do without UMD. Handhelds can't get by just being a gaming device anymore. A successor to the PSP would have to invest in more powerful hardware and since the advent of smartphones in general, it's a total waste for manufacturers not to let a machine have any more functions that can also use that same, expensive hardware. So handheld gaming platforms, or at least Sony's, will have to compete with and slowly turn into smartphones with first-party gaming support as a bonus primary buying incentive, and smartphones don't need to be able to read discs, so dropping UMD is just another step in this direction for Sony.

    And is it really such a bad thing? I've never heard anyone complain about the lack of physical media on an iPhone, before or after the PSPgo was announced and got all the flak from the gaming community. If one-dollar games like Doodle Jump are being released for the PSP2 then Sony will also have to keep their game pricing competitive, which didn't happen with the PSPgo but I doubt won't happen eventually. I would even say Nintendo is going to do the exact same thing with the 3DS but then again you never know with Nintendo.
    Edited by 1 at 17/05/10 @ 18:24

  • Widge #34 2 years ago

    I really hope it is small, like the Go and if that means ditching physical media, then so be it... it is the price I will have to pay. Considering I pretty much hold onto every game I buy and happily chuff down Steam games, its not a big deal.

    I'd like it to be a phone too, what kind of price does the iPhone go for SIM free as that is your ballpark figure. Would be steep but surely you'd enter via the contract deal route to keep costs down.

  • StooMonster #35 2 years ago

    App Store is the elephant in the room, similarly to some degree Xbox Live, it's not all about the hardware any more Sony.

  • StooMonster #36 2 years ago

    Also, isn't an iPad an "iPhone on steroids"?

    Edit: I thought it was funny, that an iPad is a "bulked up" iPhone, must only be me that thinks that. Ho hum.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 00:37

  • fknetwork #37 2 years ago

    Sony, just give it up already, your no longer any good as a hardware maker, the PSP is a joke, the PSP GO a bigger joke, the PSP has lost most of its marketshare to the DS and Iphone, developers hate the PSP due to the insanely high piracy on the system, then theres the PS3 which is trailing in 3rd place and is STILL 4.5 million away from outselling the 360, Sony isn't what it used to be all those years ago.

    On top of that Sony is STILL bleeding money, loss after loss after loss, it won't be long until they HAVE to close the Playstation brand to save the rest of the company, you can't lose over 800 million a quarter and think everything will be ok, the slim has come and gone, the ps move will fail because of Natal, Sony have nothing left.

    How the mighty fall.......

    Edited by 2 at 17/05/10 @ 18:48

  • rascoj64 #38 2 years ago

    I for one am not interested in any effort sony puts into hand helds! The last debacle had zero interest because sony refuses to commit to decent software to help sell the darn things!

  • Toothball #39 2 years ago

    The likelihood of a PSP2 without physical media was one of the reasons I went for a PSP Go. I figured it'd give me a head start on a digital game collection on the off chance they made it backwards compatible with PSP1 games, which isn't confirmed by any means but isn't a great stretch of the imagination. I guess we'll see eventually.

  • drxym #40 2 years ago

    I see no reason the PSP 2 can't do very well indeed.

    But it needs to offer functionality analogous to the iTouch, with the option for built-in phone functionality too and be a kickass games platform. A phone version would benefit from being subsidized by phone networks. If Sony were really smart they'd make the thing run android so gaining all that functionality for nothing while still allowing them to do their own thing - PSN, UI or whatever on top.

    Of course the PSP Go demonstrates Sony can really screw up when it suits them, so my confidence in their ability to deliver is pretty low. I own a PSP and as far as I can see there is no migration path for me to the PSP Go or any future device.

  • smelly #41 2 years ago

    >two cameras, touch screen.

    So like the DSi then?

    Let me guess, they've shoe-horned a 3d screen in at the last minute too?

  • CallousB #42 2 years ago

    The problem in regards to trying to create an " iPhone on steroids"..is that your average consumer won't care. They'd sooner buy a normal iPhone because of the brand name.

  • stevetuck #43 2 years ago

    Will it be $599? :D

  • Dewis789 #44 2 years ago

    Didn't Sony learn att a from the psp go ?!

  • el_pollo_diablo #45 2 years ago

    Call me an old romantic but as Sony are now very much in last place (and have been for the past 4 or so years), I'm actually now hoping that they get to have a bit of success.

    I can't help it, I just like the underdog.

  • FladgeMangle #46 2 years ago

    Just please let it have buttons. Proper gaming buttons, with a pair of analogs. Please?

  • andyconr #47 2 years ago

    Jeez what the hell is with the Sony bashing? The PlayStation 3 has been outselling the 360 monthly so don't start calling them unimaginative. The PSP has some great games as I'm sure the PSP2 will so if you're going to complain about price then just don't bother getting it. The PSP has always been about a premium portable gaming experience.

  • MaoZedong #48 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:40:08 17-12-2011

  • JohnnyWashnGo #49 2 years ago

    No physical media = no sale.

    PSN prices are shocking and I have no intention if paying thru the nose when I have gotten used to bagging bargains online.

    At least put games on mem stick or sd card.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 07:12

  • callum9999 #50 2 years ago

    Toothball - that was a bit silly. You could have just got a normal PSP and you would still have the same access to downloadable games as the PSP Go. (Unless you were going to buy it anyway).

  • rosshuts #51 2 years ago

    I will be really looking forward to the PSP2, but as many have reported, I will be fearing the over the top price for it!!! Love the Cheryl Cole comment though!

  • M_of_the_sys #52 2 years ago

    They really need to make the PSP2 pirate-proof so that developers bring games to the platform.

  • Whitster #53 2 years ago

    When will the big companys learn that digital distribution doesn't work for full price titles. No-one minds paying for Live Arcade/PSN/iPhone games as it's rarely more than a tenner, I for one don't want to pay £30+ for a non-tangible item.

  • Mkwone #54 2 years ago

    The PSP go failed because it was a relauch of a five year old platform which was over priced, offered a fraction of the handhelds gaming catalouge and effectivly alinated anyone with a UMD psp.

    Also the argument for none like Digital media is a bit silly. Look at steam. Digitial media can work. I see no reason why the PSP2 should not support it. More than anything though, it needs the lay controls as a standard dual shock controller, than way remote play will be more appealing.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 09:41

  • Toothball #55 2 years ago

    @MaoZedong

    I can imagine that publishing rights are a sticking point in getting many games onto PSN, but they don't seem to be really going out of their way to resolve any of that. It may be that publishers are reluctant to go digital, but we don't hear anything about that from Sony. It may not be their fault, but they're the face of the operation.

    @callum9999

    I still have a regular PSP, but I like keeping my handhelds up to date where possible. I never trade stuff in after I upgrade. The Go still a really nice device despite issues with the pricing and service.

  • rprince #56 2 years ago

    "participance"?

  • poopmonster #57 2 years ago

    Of course iPhones hardware gets a generation leap every 12 months, compared to every...how long has it been since PSP had a "real" generation-leap upgrade? Oh that's right, it never has had one.

    All this does is reaffirm how afraid of iPhones Sony are.

  • Les #58 2 years ago

    Don't see dropping UMD for a v2 as a huge deal. Sure it sucks that there won't be backwards compatibility but it makes more sense on a new system than it did on the PSPgo. To ask consumers to buy the exact same games twice for the exact same platform is ridiculous.

    With the touch screen it will hopefully allow for innovative handheld specific games instead of the home console ports that dominated the PSP catalogue. Regardless the platform has provided me with a couple of gems like Monster Hunter, FF Tactics, LocoRoco and Killzone Liberation.

    edit: Shame on me: forgot to mention the fabulous Patapon!
    Edited by 2 at 18/05/10 @ 11:21

  • bigbadbeasty #59 2 years ago

    I am thinking they must mean iPod Touch on steroids, but that's fine, but somewhat meaningless. After all there will be a new iPhone out in a month or two, will it be the 'steriod' version of that?

    I will be interested to see what happens and what it does, and importantly for how much.

    I remember when the PSP and DS launched, I really thought Sony had Nintendo over a barrel, ofc history tells a different story. You never know with these devices, but I will be surprised if it does indeed challenge Nintendo and Apple's products.

  • DB2k #60 2 years ago

    the PSP as it stands imo is quite decent hardware, but 98% of the games I have tried on it as just so uncompelling it makes a mockery of calling it a games machine.

    it needs to be about the content as well as the hardware, else it wil lfail again.
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 12:47

  • Rubarack #61 2 years ago

    Download only is fine, done well it's great for a handheld since the portability drops a fair bit by having to drag round boxes of discs or carts. If it doesn't mean cheaper games with fair restrictions though I can imagine this tanking hard.

  • Jackface #62 2 years ago

    iPhone on steroids suggests it's got permanent online access and a phone built in. And a rock-solid OS with regular maintenance in the form of free updates from Sony. And a choice of hundreds of games.

    Methinks it's going to be far more like a DS "on steroids" but they wouldn't want to associate themselves with a fellow also-ran in the handheld stakes, would they? ;)
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 13:22

  • Pastici #63 2 years ago

    Sounds like souped up N-Gage...Oh.

  • old_skool #64 2 years ago

    If this is true, that it's some hybrid phone/game device, it would probably make sense to offer it through the cell phone carriers as a subsidised device on a contract, that would make financial sense, otherwise it'll probaby flop in the long run because of a high price tag.

  • Dizzy #65 2 years ago

    Does it have an active marketplace? Can I port my game to it? Is it a phone? Does the battery last longer than 3 hours? If not, no steroids.

  • old_skool #66 2 years ago

    From an engineering perspective, having a touch screen would make it actually fairly simple to offer a hybrid device. The game controls could be ala PSPGo, sliding out from below, while the touchscreen could provide the interface for voice dialing, messaging and whatever features modern phones offer.

  • smelly #67 2 years ago

    Quote : "The PlayStation 3 has been outselling the 360 monthly so don't start calling them unimaginative. "


    Im sorry - i fail to see the connection?

    Why would a console selling well or not selling well make the company selling it more or less imaginative?


    Is this some sort of strange fanboy logic?
    Edited by 1 at 18/05/10 @ 20:14

  • dahsif #68 2 years ago

    I'm commenting on this story from the Eurogamer app on the iPhone. Why the fvck would I want a new me-too device, which has no phone capabilities, unless it's cheap (and we're talking long cross-to-Peter-crouch cheap here ) then no but thanks no.

  • o_ci2007 #69 2 years ago

    Sony just made half a billion loss and they mentioned the psp go as not having contributed as much as expected and they respond by investing in another psp. wtf dont they ever learn. Right now the ps3 is doing well and that is where their efforts should be directed.

  • StanSmith2002 #70 9 months ago

    I think PSP2 will keep the UMD because Sony has tried having no disc format with PSPgo and the sale figures have dropped 65%. Sony will keep putting games up for download even for its iPhone on <a rel="follow" href="h ttp://www.steroidsources.com/anabolic-steroids.php" >anabolic steroids</a>, the PSP2 because it will be the way off the future. If PSP2 will come without any disc format I'll say it would do better then PSPgo and a complete marketing failure.