Sony's new PlayStation Portable is here, and it's sleeker and lighter than its predecessor. This gleaming gaming gadget weighs less by more than three ounces, and it cuts a slightly thinner profile than the original PSP.
The second-generation Sony PlayStation Portable (which Sony calls the "PSP 2000") is 19 percent slimmer than the original model.
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The backside is completely flat, which saves some depth versus the contoured curves of the earlier PSP. The Wi-Fi switch is now located on the top edge, between the USB port and the left shoulder button.
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The Memory Stick Duo slot is still on the right-hand side, but it's got a slightly different enclosure design.
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Instead of the spring-loaded, rail-guided UMD slot on the older PSP, you just use a fingernail to pop open the new UMD bay.
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Unlike the iPhone's recessed headphone jack, the new PSP will work with virtually any standard 3.5mm headphones. The slot to the right accepts new remote cables, as well as the proprietary video-output cables, which let the PSP connect to any TV.
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When viewed side-by-side with the original PSP (on the right), the slimmer profile of the new model is dramatically apparent.
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The only "accessories" included with the $170 PSP is the power adapter (shown here) and the battery. Unlike the older model, however, the new PSP can also be recharged via its USB port, albeit at a slower rate.
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Sony will sell AV cables for displaying the PSP video output on connected TVs for $20 apiece. The component model is shown here; S-Video and composite versions will also be available.
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Connect the AV cable to any compatible TV, and you can watch videos and play games on the big screen. The cables are 8 feet long.
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The new PSP will be available for sale in North America on September 10. The bare-bones black model will retail for $170, while the silver model (shown) will sell as part of the $200 Daxter Entertainment pack (including a 1GB Memory Stick Duo, the Daxter game, and a Family Guy UMD video). That will be followed up in October by a similarly stocked Star Wars PSP in white (with a black Darth Vader logo, naturally).
