More PSP2 rumors: new PSP will have two SKUs to be unveiled at E3, won’t be called PSP2

Ready for more PSP2 rumors? Yes? No? Well, ready or not, here we go. This latest batch of rumorlicious rumors comes from 1Up, who apparently has some sources “directly involved with the new system”. Some of them we’ve heard about, some we haven’t., so I’ll just distill all the rumors into a list so it’ll be easier for you guys to wade through, okay? Okay.

Ready for more PSP2 rumors? Yes? No? Well, ready or not, here we go. This latest batch of rumorlicious rumors comes from 1Up, who apparently has some sources “directly involved with the new system”. Some of them we’ve heard about, some we haven’t., so I’ll just distill all the rumors into a list so it’ll be easier for you guys to wade through, okay? Okay.

• Sony will unveil the revamped PSP at E3 09.
• The new PSP won’t be called PSP2. Neither will it be the PSP-4000. 1Up believes it’ll be called the PSP Go! instead. Because of, you know, those Go! accessories Sony released in Europe. Maybe they’re also planning to bring them over to the US?
• The redesign will come in two SKUS: one with 8GB of built-in flash memory and another with 16GB.
• Japanese release date is September. The US will get it in late October or early November
• It won’t have a UMD drive, so Sony will have over 100 classic and new PSP titles available at launch.
• The PSP’s buttons will be hidden underneath a sliding screen (see the mockup above). No second analog stick, though.

1Up also speculates that Sony may borrow some design concepts from their Mylo 2 handheld device for a possible 800×480 pixel touch screen and a built-in camera. They contacted Sony about it too, but of course Sony just stuck to its “no comments on rumors and speculation” stance.

I’m still a bit concerned about the “no UMD” feature, though, since it’ll render all my UMDs unplayable with the new system. Even if Sony releases all of my current UMD games as launch downloads, can I stil get them for free? I sure hope so. Or maybe Sony could just release an official UMD ripper that re-encrypts the data so it’s playable only on the new PSP.

I don’t know. All these rumors are making my head spin, and I’m not even possessed. We’ll know who’s right and who’s wrong in the speculation arena when E3 rolls around.

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Via 1Up