SONYs New Handheld Successor: The NGP or PSP2

The NGP or Next Generation Portable will be the successor to Sonys PSP. NGP is not the final name nor has a release date been set but is said to be late 2011.  The device will have Wi-Fi capability and/or 3G depending on which version you buy. This way gamers can access the PlayStation Store among many other things from their device.  A network carrier has not been chosen yet, but deals are in the works.

Hideo Kojima (director of Kojima Productions) claims that you can “enjoy the same quality as PlayStation 3” on the handheld.  The battery will last 4-5 hours which is comparable to the NDS which lasts 3-4 hours depending on the settings.  The NGP looks like the PSP and a smart phone combined and is pretty slick looking.

The NGP will come with:

• A 5 inch OLED screen
• Two micro-analog sticks
• Front and rear facing cameras
• Touch-pad in the back (this was shown in the new Uncharted game where Drake was controlled with the touch-screen in the back but your view isn’t obstructed by your finger) Games can also be motion controlled.
• Touch-screen in the front
• Built in Stereo Speakers and Microphone
• Built in GPS, Wi-Fi Location Service Support

LiveArea is the devices online service and  you’ll be able to see what your friends are playing, buy content, comment on your friends’ progress in games. Location-based features were also shown, allowing for social gaming based on geographic location. Oli Welsh said “In essence, it’s Xbox Live and Facebook features embedded in the handheld’s front end.”

Hideo Kojima  also has dreams for the future where you can play your game on the PS3, continue that same game on the NGP then go back to your PS3 on your living room television. “This dream is going to come true in the near future. And right now, I’m working on this project of the dream. I’m sorry, I can’t reveal this now. But we’d like to present what we’re doing at E3.”

A price has not been announced yet. Analyst guess the NGP to sell for $299 or higher.