Manufacturer. Sony. Product family. Play. Station. Type. Handheld game console. Generation. Seventh generation. Release date. JP December 1. NA March 2. 4, 2. BR March 2. 4, 2. INA March 2. 4, 2. EU September 1, 2. Asia September 1, 2. Africa September 1, 2. AU September 1, 2. Discontinued. NA January 2. JP June 2. 01. 4PAL December 2. Units sold. Worldwide 8. November 2. 01. 3123Media. UMD, digital distribution. Operating system. Play. Station Portable system software. CPU3. 33 MHz MIPSR4. Memory. 32 MBPSP 1. MB 2. 00. 0, 3. 00. Go, E1. 00. 0Storage. Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo. PSP Go Memory Stick Micro M2Display. TFT LCDPSP Go 3. Sound. Stereo speakers, Mono speaker PSP E1. PSP 3. 00. 0, PSP Go, 3. Connectivity. Wi Fi 8. PSP E1. 00. 0,4Ir. DAPSP 1. 00. 0, USB, BluetoothPSP GoOnline services. Play. Station Network. Dimensions. PSP1. PSP2. 00. 03. 00. PSP GO 6. 9 mm 2. PSP E1. 00. 0 7. Weight. PSP1. 00. PSP2. 00. PSP GO 1. 58 grams 5. PSP E1. 00. 0 2. Best selling game. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd 4. May 6, 2. 01. 15Backwardcompatibility. PSonedownload onlyPredecessor. Pocket. Station. Successor. Play. Station Vita. The Play. Station Portable PSP is a handheld game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the handheld was announced during E3 2. May 1. 1, 2. 00. 4, at a Sony press conference before E3 2. The system was released in Japan on December 1. North America on March 2. PAL region on September 1, 2. It primarily competed with the Nintendo DS, as part of the seventh generation of video games consoles. The Play. Station Portable became the most powerful portable system when launched, just after the Nintendo DS in 2. It was the first real competitor to Nintendos handheld domination, where many challengers, such as SNKs Neo Geo Pocket and Nokias N Gage, failed. Its GPU encompassed high end graphics on a handheld, while its 4. TV tuner, made the Play. Station Portable a major mobile entertainment device at the time. It also features connectivity with the Play. Station 3, other PSPs and the Internet. It is the only handheld console to use an optical disc format, Universal Media Disc UMD, as its primary storage medium. The original PSP model PSP 1. PSP 2. 00. 0Slim Lite in 2. Another remodeling followed in 2. PSP 3. 00. 0, which included a new screen and an inbuilt microphone. A complete redesign, PSP Go, came in 2. PSP E1. 00. 0, in 2. The PSP line was succeeded by the Play. Station Vita, released in December 2. Japan, and in February 2. The Play. Station Vita features backward compatibility with many Play. Station Portable games digitally released on the Play. Station Network, via Play. Station Store. As of 2. Play. Station Portable games digitally because Sony shut down direct access to the Play. Station Store via PSP on March 3. Shipments of Play. Station Portable hardware ended throughout 2. Worldwide production of software UMDs ended when the last Japanese factory closed by the end of 2. HistoryeditSony first announced development of the Play. Station Portable at a press conference before E3 2. Although mock ups of the system were not present at the press conference or E3,2. Sony did release extensive technical details regarding the new system. Then CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Jose Villeta called the device the Walkman of the 2. Century in a reference to the consoles multimedia capabilities. Several gaming websites were impressed by the handhelds computing capabilities and looked forward to the systems potential as a gaming platform. Nintendo had been dominating the handheld market since launching its Game Boy in 1. Segas Game Gear 1. Bandais Wonder. Swan 1. Japan. 2. 8 Later offerings from both SNK and Nokia also failed to cut into Nintendos share. The PSP was called the first legitimate competitor to Nintendos dominance in the handheld market by an IDC analyst in 2. The first concept images of the PSP appeared in November 2. Sony Corporate Strategy Meeting and showed a PSP with flat buttons and no analog stick. Although some expressed concern over the lack of an analog joystick,3. PSP was officially unveiled at the Sony press conference during E3 2. In addition to announcing more details about the system and its accessories,3. Sony also released a list of 9. Several PSP game demos, such as Konamis Metal Gear Acid and SCE Studio Liverpools Wipeout Pure were also shown at the conference. On October 1. 7, 2. Sony announced that the PSP would launch in Japan on December 1. US1. 81 in 2. 00. US2. 26 in 2. 00. Value System. 3. 6 The consoles launch was a success with over 2. Different color variations were also sold in bundle packs, which cost more than usual, around 2. Sony announced on February 3, 2. PSP would go on sale in North America on March 2. MSRP of US2. 49CA2. Some expressed concern over the high price,3. US2. 0 higher than the systems price in Japan and more than 1. Nintendo DS. 4. 0 Despite the concerns, the PSPs North American launch was a success,4. Sonys claim that 5. The PSP was originally to have a simultaneous PAL region and North American launch,3. March 1. 5, 2. 00. Sony announced that the PAL region launch would be delayed because of high demand for the console in Japan and North America. A month later, on April 2. Sony announced that the PSP would launch in the PAL region on September 1, 2. Sony defended the high price, which was nearly US1. North America, by pointing out that North American consumers had to pay local sales taxes and that the VAT sales tax was higher in the UK than the US. Despite the high price, the consoles PAL region launch was a resounding success, selling more than 1. UK alone, selling out of all stock nationwide in the UK within three hours of launch, more than doubling the previous first day sales record of 8. Nintendo DS. The system also enjoyed great success in other areas of the PAL region with more than 2. Australia4. 8 and nearly one million units sold across Europe in the first week. Technical specificationseditThe following Technical Specifications apply to all PSPs unless noted for a specific PSP series 5. The main CPU, PSP Media Engine and the NAND flash for the System Software TA 0. The Wi Fi Module with the Serial and Headphone Jack TA 0. General Dimensions. Widescreen. TFT LCD. Data communication. AV out. Flash Storage. Memory Stick PRO Duo Expansion Slot Memory Stick Micro M2 Expansion Slot Internal Flash Storagecitation neededInternal NAND flash used by System Software is partitioned into 4 sectors. MB PSP 1. 00. 0flash. MB PSP 1. 00. 0flash. B PSP 1. 00. 0flash. B PSP 1. 00. 0PSP N1. GB total, 1. 4. 7. GB usable. Part of the internal storage is shared with System Software. PSP 1. 00. 0 3. MB total, all of it used by the System Software. PSP 2. 00. 03. 00. MB total, 3. 2MB used for system, another 3. UMD cache, available memory not changed for compatibility with 1. Internal flash uses the FAT3. Memory Stick media is compatible with both FAT and FAT3. GB or more must use the FAT3. Audio UMD Universal Media Disc 6. Disc Diameter. 66. Laser Diode. Dual Layer Storage Capacity of up to 1. GBTransfer Rate of up to 1. Mbits 1. 3. 75 MBsRead Only. Shock Resistant. Secure ROM by AESRSA Crypto System. Unique Disc IDs. Distribute System Software Updates. Power Allegrex CPU Sony CXD2. GG CPUMIPS3. 2R2 based 3. Semiconductor. CMOS Process. MHz set at 2. 22 MHz by default 1. V1. 6 k. B Instruction Cache 1. B Data Cache, no hardware MMUSi. P. 3. 2 MB e. DRAM 2. Gbits. Embedded Vector. FPU 3. 2 GFLOPSEmbedded Graphics Core 1 5. MHz set at 1. 11 MHz by default 1. V2. 56 bit Bus at 2. Gbits. 3D Curved Surface and 3. D Polygon. Compressed Textures.