Hardware announcements and price cuts are big news in this business, but when E3 2008 revealed that both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were simply getting larger hard drives, some were understandably disappointed. Today, at the Leipzig Games Convention, Sony unveiled considerably more; but once again, you’d be ill-advised to expect more than a hardware refresh.
PlayStation 3:
Particularly uninspiring, but still welcome, was the introduction of the new 160GB PlayStation 3, available this November as part of the $499 Limited-Edition Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune PlayStation 3 Bundle visible immediately above. But while the device has double the storage of prior 80GB models, it’s important to note that this storage comes, once again, at the expense of backwards compatibility.
GameCyte maintains that the loss of backwards compatibility is unacceptable in trade for simple DIY storage, as it both invalidates prior company promises and provides less value to the consumer. We have enough PAIN as it is.
PlayStation Portable:
Rumors have been flying about a new PSP since March at the very least, but even though dreams of dual analog control and WWAN internet gave way to cosmetic improvement and built-in microphone, it turns out Sony did have something special in store: a new LCD screen. Though “the form factor and overal functionality…will remain the same” as the PSP-2000, the PSP’s already slick LCD screen will reportedly gain a wider color gamut, higher contrast ratio, and “anti-reflection technology” for outdoor viewing.
These improvements come at the cost of any sort of price cut (bundles will still retail for $200, the system alone for $170), but they will arrive sooner than you might think — the Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters bundle previously announced at E3 will actually include the new device when it launches October 14th.
Wireless Keypad:
Now we’re talking. This holiday season, PS3 owners will be able to buy a sleek new wireless keypad to affix directly to their SIXAXIS and DualShock 3 controllers. And while we’re not really digging the device’s placement (unlike with the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit below, it appears you’ll need to radically shift your grip to type) this gizmo’s featureset looks to blow the competition out of the water. Running on a 610mAh lithium-ion battery, the device is fully removable for use with Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and portable computers, and boasts a (capacitive?) touch surface a la computer trackpads to allow you to use the tip of your finger as a mouse. PS3 web browsing should be a piece of cake with this thing.
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