You're probably thinking what could Sony possibly do to improve the Sony PSP?

The previous version, the PSP slim (PSP-2000) was a big improvement over its predecessor. It was a lighter and thinner handheld machine that enabled us to watch higher quality UMD video and view pictures and movies straight off a memory stick duo. With the new version it was also possible to charge the battery from a USB connection. There are fewer changes this time with the PSP 3000, but the enhanced screen is a major improvement and for PSP1000 owners the PSP3000 will be a major step up.

The new LCD screen has 5x the contrast ratio of the old model and is far brighter and less reflective than the screen on the PSP-2000. This is especially useful when using the PSP-3000 outdoors where a dull screen and screen reflection can make Gameplay difficult. The new screen also features a wider range of colours which will make new PSP games more life like. Sony have addressed the ghosting and blurring issues that you sometimes saw with the old PSP and have fixed this. Sony have now doubled the refresh rate on the new screen, which will really help when playing fast paced games. Although they have sorted the screen issues it has been noticed by some people that there are scan lines present in some games but most people can hardly notice this issue.

Another new feature is a built in microphone that will enable you to chat with other players when playing online. The new mic support third party communications software like Skype.

TV output is now supported via a composite cable. We're not sure how good the PSP-3000 graphics are going to look on a big plasma though. It's probably best to stick to playing on the crisp new screen.

Product Name

* PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)

External dimensions

* Approx. 169.4 x 18.6 71.4 mm / 6¾ x ¾ x 2¾ in (width x height x depth) (excludes largest projection)

Weight

* Approx. 189g / 6.7oz (including battery pack)

CPU

* PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1-333MHz)

Main Memory


* 64MB internal memory

Display

* 4.3 inches (16:9) full-transparent type, TFT drive, 480x272 pixel, Approximately 16,770,000 colors displayed

Sound

* Built-in stereo speakers

Main input/output

* Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b) (Wi-Fi)
* High Speed USB (USB2.0) (mini-B)
* Memory Stick PRO Duo™
* Analog Video Out
* Microphone

Main connectors

* DC IN 5V connector
* DC OUT connector
* Video out/headset connector
* USB connector
* Memory Stick Duo™ slot

Key/Switches

* Directional buttons (up/down/right/left), Analog stick
* Action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square)
* START button, SELECT button, PS button
* POWER/HOLD switch, WLAN switch
* Display button, Sound button, Volume (+/-) buttons

Power sources

* Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery pack
* AC adaptor
* USB power supply

Internal disc drive

* Read-only UMD™ drive

Supported profile

* PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Game UMD™ Video

Access control

* Region code, parental control

Wireless communications

* Infrastructure mode
* Ad hoc mode (connects up to 16 consoles)

Supplied accessories

* AC adaptor
* Battery pack (1200mAh)