Those rumors about a PSP redesign turned out to be true--sorta. Demoed onstage at the Santa Monica E3 show by Sony's Kaz Hirai, the new PSP doesn't look all that different on the outside, but it's said to be 33 percent lighter, 19 percent slimmer, offer better battery life, faster game load times, and video output to TVs.
Separately, the company will also bow PSPs in two new colors: "ice silver" and a Star Wars-themed white PSP emblazoned with Darth Vader's visage. Both the colored PSPs will be available in "Entertainment Pack" versions for $200 each--the silver model will include
And...that's it. Looks like anyone waiting for a more robust PSP upgrade (with oft-requested additions such as onboard flash storage, a second analog stick, or a touch screen, for instance) will have to wait until 2008 or beyond. That said--the promise of faster load times and video output may mean a lot of older PSPs may soon be finding their way to eBay.