Sony Updates PSP for TV and the Web
More non-game stuff to keep you busy, but there are some new features to keep your playing time busy too.
It must have come as a rude awakening for Sony that UMD sales are plunging but the company is holding on to its strategy of pushing the PSP as more that just a gaming device. A new update, released this week, takes those functions even further.
The version 2.7 firmware for the PSP opens multimedia doors. Browser updates let you work with RSS feeds, subscribe to and download podcasts and play Flash content while Location-free TV preps your PSP for watching television on the go.
Once updated, your PSP will also be able to play games downloaded to your PC. Japanese PSP owners can already sample the delights of action game LocoRoco.
There's another reason for the update too. Sony has been racing the homebrew community, which has been successful in running all sorts of non-Sony games and programs. Sony has foiled their efforts with past updates or tried to lure them into updating by including mandatory updates on game discs.
The evolution of the PSP will, however, continue. The handheld is suspected to play a big part in Sony's plans for the next generation. We'll get a glimpse of those at the company's pre-show briefing at E3 next month.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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