Sony PSP: North America gets GPS attachment by 2009, GPS-based games to follow

Sony exec John Koller announced during an interview that the PSP’s GPS receiver is expected to arrive in North America by next year. Koller further notes that Sony is also looking to create games built to work with the attachment’s functionality. Further details regarding this matter are available in the full article.

John Koller, SonyÂ’s senior marketing manager for the PSP, confirmed during an E3 interview that the handheld’s GPS attachment will be arriving in North America by next year. The accessory Koller discussed appears to be the same one Sony announced back in CES 2008, following their announcement of Skype support for the PSP

While a 2009 release does seem a long way off, Koller indicates it won’t be arriving alone. The Sony exec also stated that the company is already looking into ways to use the handheld’s GPS functionality for games.

Sony is currently looking towards other publishers who may be interested in implementing the technology for their titles. “It changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP because you can start integrating GPS into it,” Koller said.

On that note, some of the readers may recall Konami’s Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The game was made famous – among other things – for its use of the PSP’s GPS receiver to enable players to locate and recruit additional personnel. Aside from adding a new level of depth of to the game, it also made for a perfectly good reason for the player to step outside and get some fresh air.

Koller hasn’t announced exactly when North America’s GPS attachment will be arriving, though, so check back with us for any more details.