In comparison to 3DS, PSP2's processing power is "comparable to the difference which exists between PSP and DS".
That's according to an Edge source with experience of working on Sony's supposedly soon-to-be-announced portable.
Edge's source corroborated the first claim, describing it as "a perfectly reasonable description of the hardware's capabilities".
According to unconfirmed reports, 3DS sports two 266MHz ARM11 CPUs, along with a 133MHz GPU, 4MBs of dedicated VRAM, 64MBs of RAM, and 1.5GBs of flash storage.
But that'd still put it behind the PSP2, if it is indeed carrying specs similar to that of Sony's home console.
We should find out more about both of the new portables and their capabilities over the next few weeks, with Nintendo holding 3DS press events in Amsterdam and New York on January 19, and Sony reportedly due to officially announce PSP2 eight days later in Japan.
Stay tuned.
Comments
55 comments so far...
FinalBillybong on 14 Jan '11 said:
True. The PSP was more powerful than the DS. Didn't really help it sell more units though, did it?
I think Nintendo have proved that it really does not matter what power you have in your machine, it's how the dev's use it.
It's all about software, don't you know..........?
gerfmurf on 14 Jan '11 said:
In comparison to 3DS, PSP2's processing power is "comparable to the difference which exists between PSP and DS".
...... and that did the psp a world of good on the sales front against the ds ........
Gambini on 14 Jan '11 said:
Listen guys, why are you so down on the PSP2? Or rather, why are you turning a positive about the power into a negative?
Yes, the PSP was more powerful than the DS but that isn't the deciding factor as to why it is deemed a "failure" compared to the DS (Infact, Sony could argue it is a Success in its own right) - it was purely down to the fact there was not enough Software support for it.
Sony also know there is no point going head to head with the 3DS and/or iOS devices as why would anyone buy a PSP2 JUST play Angry Birds when they already have it on their iPhone?
Sony are doing the right thing by making the PSP2 a more high-end portable gaming experience. I for one would LOVE to have the full Battelfield BC2 experience (for example) on the go.
It all comes down to whether Sony fully support the game lineup. Its pretty much confirmed that the PSP2 will have dual analogue sticks so that's the first major issue addressed. If they can crank out some AAA games, that's the second major issue addressed.
alph3 on 14 Jan '11 said:
IMHO I don't think Nintendos dominance in the hand held market has anything to do with their games, but rather more to do with their initial, and ongoing, advertising campaign which aimed dead centre for the non-gamer market and celebrity followers. It also road the wave of nostalgia that it kicked off with the core gamers. Everyone wanted a piece of Nintendo, it was the second (or third etc....) coming!.
This same marketing campaign was used to great effect for the Wii. Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's any good. People in general are bloody stupid, and will do what ever the hell an advertisement tells them to do!
unknownseven on 14 Jan '11 said:
Are people's memories really that bad?
The PSP has sold 60 million - more than the 360 or Ps3! In comparison to the DS, it is worse, obviously. But let's have some perspective and context here!
Sony is doing fine and doing the right thing going for power here - it sets is apart and appeals to a different demographic.
only_777 on 14 Jan '11 said:
Well said.
steoconnor on 14 Jan '11 said:
I'm split on this new PSP. I was an early adopter of the original PSP, importing it from Japan when it first came out. That was many moons ago and in all reality (at least for me) Sony let people down with the games. Same rings true for the PS3 for me. Being an avid Sony supporter back then, I bought the PS3 when it came out (on the promise of Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid alone I might add), but over time I was sorely disappointed by both machines due to Sony not delivering.
Thing is, regardless of sales here, Sony has let a lot of people down with the PSP, so of those same 60million who invested in PSP1/Slim/Go etc, and susequently felt let down by the software, how many will adopt again out of faith and live for the software... I hope lots, but currently I'm in serious doubt of that as I sold my PS3 and keep my PSP to watch movies mostly..
Besides that, it's down to 3rd party support IMO, and with what things are like these days (recession and all) devs may not want to develop for an expensive platform (read, a platform that takes a lot of resources to ensure the games look great as well as superbly playable)
So I'll sit back and atch on this one and see if Sony deliver those early triple A titles that Sony do so well, and how may 3rd party's sign up and produce (or port) excellent games...
I'm glad Sony are putting pressure on others to be competetive but I hope they don't cross the streams with their own products (phone, PSP2 etc) as they did somewhat with the PSP go IMO
Solm on 14 Jan '11 said:
I'm looking forward to the PSP2 than the 3DS. I think both handhelds will be good in their own way.
justforkicks101 on 14 Jan '11 said:
lacking 3d is so last year
monty_79 on 14 Jan '11 said:
Sorry but I disagree with you massively.
You are probably too young too remember the Gameboy, but that was graphically well inferior to the Gamegear by Sega, but it still absolutely wiped the floor with it, mainly due to anything the understanding that Nintendo has for handheld consoles.
They realise that it has to have fantastic software support, and that it is actually portable and that battery life is also important.
I really fear for the PSP2. Unless Sony has found a way to make it very cheap, I can see this falling on its arse as if it is as difficult to program for as the PS3, not many developers are going to want to make games for it. The PSP has sold 50ish million, but how many of them are chipped to play pirate copies? I'm willing to bet the vast majority of them.
only_777 on 14 Jan '11 said:
That is true, HW sales for PSP have always been good, but SW sales are poor.
infernoxXx on 14 Jan '11 said:
how many of them were to pirates/homebrew users? i dont exactly think sony made a huge amount of profit from the psp. most of the profit they make is through software not hardware.
the psp 2 will most likely use the nvidia tegra 2. the tegra 2 is a dual core 1ghz arm processor with a nvidia gpu built-in. if the psp 2 has a 1800mah battery, the tegra 2 could last for up to 8 hours at full load. in terms of graphical power, you can see the tegra 2 running unreal engine 3. infinity blade on the iphone 4 also used unreal engine 3 but it was a sort of gimped version. the tegra 2 can run the normal unreal 3 engine that consoles/pc's can. The iPhone 4's A4 SOC is about as powerful as a Samsung Hummingbird (very similar design). The Tegra 2's latest Quadrant scores are almost twice as high as the Sammy Hummingbird and Quadrant isn't optimized to accurately benchmark dual-core SOCs, so that number will go up quite a bit when Quadrant takes advantage of both cores. you have to remember that the psp 2 is rumoured to have a HD screen, so thats at least 720p ie the same res most console games run at. the tegra 2 has a gpu similar to the ps3 and 360 if not slightly faster but the cpu isn't as fast. game devs could get away with reducing the resolution so thats how it could reach 360/ps3 quality. that could also increase dev costs though, since i assume most wont want to post console games to a handheld.
i just saw that nintendo said that not all games will use 3d. that means the 3DS could get closer to the 360/ps3 since it doesnt have to render the same thing twice and therefore can achieve better graphics. if devs use 2d mode, i think it would be at least as good as xbox/wii graphics, close to early 360 games i think.
The_Jaster on 14 Jan '11 said:
Because so many are tired of the approach lets throw more power at it.
Yes, the psp was a success in its own right but a lot of the games just didn't suit portable gaming at all not to mention that if psp2 is as powerful as a ps3 (which I doubt) it will cost a small fortune.
Sony have totally convinced most of their fans that power & graphics are the be all & end all of everything which just makes me sick really, they have them all hook line & sinker because in Sony's mind if it looks great it will sell with no care actually put into the design of certain software.
More power just breeds more laziness from developers.
Athrun888 on 14 Jan '11 said:
Not looking forward to seeing the battery life of this thing (it'll probably make the 3ds look long lasting), but if it's region free like the original psp and uses a physical medium I'm probably sold, the combination of the ds for Nintendo games and the psp for everything else (including imports from the US) has kept me quite satisfied this portable gen, and if the next portable gen can hit a similar balance I'll be very pleased.
monty_79 on 14 Jan '11 said:
Because it is promoting everything that is unhealthy about gaming. Graphical prowess is not what makes a console (especially a handheld) successful.
I want the PSP2 to challange the 3DS as I don't like the fact that one company has dominated haldhelds. It is because the DS domination of the market that it has began to get stale towards its end, and the 3DS is coming along at just the right time.
Believe me, I want PSP2 to be successful but I already know its story:
Gets announced and has all the potential in the world
Sony announces the price for it, which puts the vast majority of potential buyers off as it is too expensive
Lack of sales and high development costs means only the major developers are releasing games for it
Security measured compromised, pirate games can be downloaded
PSP hardware sales experience increase, but new, quality software releases are few and far between
If Sony made sure it has a great launch line up and was a competitive price, ie, £200 at the very maximum, it would come out of the traps running and momentum would build. Nintendo will see PSP2 as a genuine threat, and as such lower its own hardware prices, making Sony respond in kind due to slower sales.
Competition is absolutely vital to the games business. I seriously hope the 3DS just doesn't walk all over the others.
shellster2 on 14 Jan '11 said:
well i just love new hardware coming out so i'm excited for 3DS and PSP2. I have to say my PSP is probably the most unused console I've ever owned, mainly down to the crap controls and p**s poor load times, so i might not get a PSP2. The thought of it being as powerful as a PS3 is pretty cool though.
aaaaah, new shiny hardware. bring it on.
ricflair on 14 Jan '11 said:
Sony over hyped the power of the PS2 and PS3 (as great as they are/were) so I would think that people are slightly sceptical. And yeah, battery life will also be a concern as Sony aren't going to have pulled some magical battery out of nowhere. If they have they'd probably make more money from that than any games console!
But there does seem to be some ill feeling overall towards a console that hasn't even been announced.
And as someone else said, Nintendo, historically, have been the handheld games industry. Look up the sales figures of their previous handhelds; I'm sure the Gameboy/Colour cleared 100m units and the Advance got pretty close.
dubplate240 on 14 Jan '11 said:
I definitely fall under the 'power whore' group of gamers. Don't get me wrong though, innovation and creativity in games is a must, but if they look eye-bleedingly gorgeous at the same time all the better.
IMO the 9 month difference from JP and EU launch dates hurt the PSP no end. Along with Sony's treatment of Liksang, happily imported my PSP from them before EU launch and probably convinced a fair few friends to invest in one too (purely down to the graphics and power) compared to the then current PS2.
If Sony can produce the specs that they are stating (and a decenet battery life too) then it's all bout the power for me and I'd happily get one.
Roll on 27th Jan.
boskersrevenge on 14 Jan '11 said:
Compared already?
Jesus Christ....
The_Jaster on 14 Jan '11 said:
@ricflair
I don't think the ill feeling is toward the console itself but mainly aimed at Sony themselves.....nice avatar BTW.
runadumb on 14 Jan '11 said:
@infernoxXx
You seem to be clued in but I really have to call reality on your Tegra 2 dreams.
1) Going Tegra 2 means no backwards compatibility with current PSP due to lack of MIPS on Tegra. I learned this while hoping for a tegra 2 powered PSPhone that we have since learned to be last years tech *sigh*
2)Tegra 2 is nowhere near as powerful as you make out. Sure it's a sweet piece of tech but falls way short of your PS3 quotes.
3)Tegra is going to be in phones this quarter, why use such old tech? If they were ever going to use tegra it would be for the phone not the console. This device will be designed to last 5 years plus and going with current phone tech would make it soooooooooo outdated very quickly. Nvidia have come out and said they will be iterating tegra every year so tegra 3 would be the choice...if the above wasn't relevant.
Anyway I really hope they put Android on it, not build it on Android but have it there in the XMB (is that right?) bar ready to load up. Using at least Honeycomb gives the device access to a bunch of Iphone like games, Browser with flash, Media players, emulators (killer feature right there) and a gazillion apps. This will allow it to compete with the Ipod touch and such while offering a much better gaming experience due to actual controls. Also people won't have to hack it to get indie stuff running, they can just build it in Android.
All in all I am actually surprisingly interested in a PSP2 but phone tech moves so fast that really may not be the case in 12 months.
Metagen on 14 Jan '11 said:
The wii begs to differ.
@monty_79 How is it promoting everything that's unhealthy about gaming? Because it's a powerful handheld? I think it's a bit early to judge it as it hasn't even had it's reveal yet so no-one knows that the line-up is like so I really don't know where all this negativity is coming from when nobody knows anything about it. I, for one, am always excited about a new console or handheld release and always hope the best for it, except the wii recenetly as I've lost a lot of respect for Nintendo and their lack of quality control. But that's besides the point, more power is always a plus but it's not what makes a console great. It's going to need a strong software line-up and hopefully not be a hackers haven to keep devs creating new and innovative games for it. Personally I can't wait to see what's in store although I have no doubt I'll still be content with my 3DS by the time this is released I hope Sony gives me a good reason to pick up a PSP2. The thing that would be a huge selling point for me is if it used Android, that would be suuuuuhweeet.
jacksaddiction on 14 Jan '11 said:
Am I the only one that believes a handheld can be too powerfull ?
The screens are far too small to give you the detail high powered consoles are capable of. I remember playing Burnout on the PSP and thinking that the small screen removes the ability to judge the traffic far ahead, and in turn removing a large part of the Burnout experience.
I have 20/20 vision and can play games for hours without any eye strain, but I already thought the 3DS was looking as powerfull as a handheld should be, maybe even too powerfull.
Ack well, could just be me......
lordirongut on 14 Jan '11 said:
My opinion on the current PSP subverts that of most people - I love it. It is my favourite handheld console. Period. I don't hack it or pirate it, either, I have a totally legitimate system running totally legitimate games. I honestly prefer it to the DS (although I adore both), and I think that up at the top end of it's games library is better than that of the DS's. I have about 15 PSP games, and I've never regretted buying any of them. It's great system for an RPG player - and, even better - there are still more games I have preordered.
I look forward to seeing Sony improve on the quirks of the PSP with it's successor, and I look forward to seeing what it can do.
voodoo341 on 14 Jan '11 said:
exactly.... they know nothing about the PSP2 yet other than rumours
sweatyBallacks on 14 Jan '11 said:
Yeah but to be honest someone needs to take that approach, otherwise we would end up with a next generation of consoles with minimal power improvements but cheap to produce. Following Wii's model.
That may be ok with you, but I speak as someone who is already sick with this generation, especially from a graphical point-of-view. Hardly anything has blown me away in terms of graphics this generation.
I want this gen to die so we can have cutting edge graphics again. Funny that Nvidia and ATi are releseasing these super-powerful graphics cards, but there are no games to make use of them. Unless you start hooking up multiple monitors.
MattyR95 on 14 Jan '11 said:
Too many damn ignorant people here! How the hell do any of you know if the games are going to be bad, how do you know that sony hasn't learnt from it's mistakes? You don't, so shut up with your crap, just buy the 3DS if you hate PSP's so much. DS's library wasn't any good either, too much riff-Raff, PSP didn't have the amount of games DS had but there were plenty of PSP games that were SO much better than than DS's best.
twyford on 14 Jan '11 said:
As has been said, the PSP is a lot more powerful than all the incarnations of the DS it went up against and yet month in, month out, it was getting nailed by the "inferior machine", but it's not what you've got but how you use it that matters and when it came to the handhelds Nintendo has always covered more of the gaming basis than the PSP did.
Sony and people "close to Sony", really do seem to like making all these comments lately, if they aren't attacking the 360 then it's the 3DS, it's almost like they are getting worried about their position outside of Japan these days.
TheBusterMan on 14 Jan '11 said:
If it's got,say a HD remix of the original GTA trilogy and maybe a version of GTA 4,Oblivion,or even the new Elder scrolls,a couple of FPS and Uncharted 2 or 3 and some decent JRPGs I'm in.Hey,a man can dream! Am I correct in assuming that the games will appear on a USB stick,as well as download?
PS3_fannyboy on 14 Jan '11 said:
The world is a strange place full of strange inhabitants...
The PS3, for example, has at various points in its lifetime actually been challenged by Microsoft's "inferior machine" despite the fact that it has the best exclusives, best hardware, and is undoubtedly the gentleman's choice.
The Bossman on 14 Jan '11 said:
I'm sure people will love playing the console for 10 minutes before charging it up for 3 hours, should go down a storm in Asia.
boskersrevenge on 14 Jan '11 said:
Are you new to the internet?
The_Jaster on 14 Jan '11 said:
TWEWY says hello as one of the best hand held games of recent times.
ste hicky on 14 Jan '11 said:
god damn f*cking tiresome watching the 3ds vs psp2 s**t kick off across cvg. ain't it about time you kids lost your virginity and chilled the f*ck out?
pay your money,make your choice,take your er,side,if that's how you see it and then simply shut the f*ck up.
please
some want 3d,it's a newer fad. some want some amazing looking titles and nintendo seem to have more core support there than on the wii,for example. cool. 3ds is for you.
personally,i want the n64 remakes. no problem admitting it. ocarina 3d!? (drools) also,if whispers are to be believed square are remaking FFVI for it with a 3d engine and by default that and ocarina's presence on the same format would make it one of the best machines of all time for me.
some want power,sony have finally learned how to play that game after having such weak hardware in the 32/128 bit era's,you'll be better served there. they'll do well for ports of games we've got on the hd formats along with the odd exclusive kingdom hearts,gow,etc... as well as games we don't know about,i'm sure sony fans would rather play there.
what the f*ck is the problem?
Balladeer on 14 Jan '11 said:
The problem is that it's the Internet and people can be as aggressive and short-sighted as they want if people can't see each other, amirite?
Anyway, power is good, as is innovation. In my opinion innovation is better, assuming that the games available use it in interesting ways, which they didn't always on the Wii and DS.
No, he's been around for a while. He's just a fanboy.
Metagen on 14 Jan '11 said:
Wow people are getting pretty defensive about 2 handhelds that aren't even out yet. Oh internet how you make me lol
Jon Ahmad on 14 Jan '11 said:
Power eh? Who gives a sh*t about power. Let's just see who gives us great games, innovation and an expansive choice. Chrissakes, I'm still playing a 1983 ZX Spectrum game by a company called PSS but just go and check it out on the World Of Spectrum website. Great graphics? Pah! Simply awesome two player gameplay? Oh yes indeedy - still to this day!
Jon Ahmad on 14 Jan '11 said:
...sorry, the game is called Light Cycles - too much wine tonight!
brendude13 on 14 Jan '11 said:
What's up with all the PSP hate? Now I am never one to take sides in a console war (unless its PS3 vs XBOX 360, I absolutely despise the XBOX 360 and everything it stands for). But both the PSP and the Nintendo DS were great handhelds, and I only have the highest hopes for both the PSP2 and the 3DS, the only loser around here will be my wallet. I used to have a DS but I sold it because I wasn't too keen on the games, I bought a PSP second hand for £60 and it was an absolute bargain, I was completely blown away by Crisis Core and Peace Walker, not to mention PS1 games on the go, and all the apps you can use if you hacked it. After a while though I began to miss the DS, I missed Pokemon and the Resident Evil 1 remake, not to mention all the party games like Warioware.
So far, I like the look of the 3DS but the hardware seems last gen, It just looks like a higher res PSP, and then I find out it is selling for £230 and it looks no better than my £60 PSP? Lets just hope it is jam packed with features and it gets a price drop or I might not buy it. PSP2 also looks promising, but lets hope SONY don't f*** the games launch line-up.
Jon Ahmad on 14 Jan '11 said:
Thank you, I appreciate your kind comments
liveswired on 14 Jan '11 said:
I'm sure Sony will be looking to create a more powerful handheld - but I'll reserve judgement until I see ACTUAL specs and games performance of both consoles (not rumours). With Resi 3DS at 20% complete and looking as good as the 360/PS3 versions so far and the stunning upgrades to Snake Eater I think the 3DS has alot more under the hood than people think.
Anyways if the PSP2 is the same power as ps3 and HD screen surely that will make it a £600 handheld?
Anyways OOT has sold it to me!
JuiKuen on 14 Jan '11 said:
Which is ironic since both the PS1 and PS2 were inferior to other hardware in their respective generations yet way ahead in sales. And now its Nintendo who have the least powerful tech and they're in the lead
Fr33Kye on 15 Jan '11 said:
The ps2 was amazing because of its library! So all sony need to do is lower the barrier of entry. Just because it has a lot of power, doesn't mean that every game will be a wanna-be Blockbuster. It just means that the psp2 will have as much power as a developer wants. With psn hopefully the library will have lots of titles with lower development costs that take a few more risks(Those titles need a retail presence as well, with a different price!). Calm down people! We know almost nothing, the psp2 just needs dual analogs and 3rd party support. A gyro sensor won't hurt either lol.
Imaduck on 15 Jan '11 said:
The same will probably be pretty much true of sales.
cdrepoman on 15 Jan '11 said:
With great power comes great responsibility. Let's see if the PSP2 puts out games that are actually worth playing.
Jon Ahmad on 15 Jan '11 said:
Well said. No doubt it probably will - or it should. However, as much as I love the PSP, especially the ultra cute Loco Roco, I fear that Nintendo again will somehow reap the profits with 3DS. Aggresive marketing, a strong female demographic and games such as Imagine 'Changing Babies Nappies' will no doubt seal the victory. I predict that round 2 has already been won, although I could be wrong. Here's hoping both machines do well. Now I wouldn't mind an Imagine Knitting game...
chronicwombat on 16 Jan '11 said:
over here you are much more likely to see someone playing the ds in public, but i was in singapore a couple years back and the streets there were full of school kids linked up to each other on their psp's - not a ds in sight.
very anecdotal i know, and i dont know what point im trying to make, if any. just thought id share my observation.
ps. i havent been a big fan of the psp. as has been said above the ds games seem to be 'made for portable' much more than psp games, which on the whole seem like poor relatives of the console games.
end of the day i hope the 3ds and psp2 both do well. the thing is we know that the 3ds will. jury's still out on the psp2 methinks...
matey on 25 Jan '11 said:
The 3ds displays ps3 graphics SSF4/MERCENARIES/SNAKE EATER/ect the wii has games tha are better looking than ps3 games in Last Story ect and lots of others SSBB/GALAXY 1/2/Darkside Chronicles ect
Balladeer on 25 Jan '11 said:
My eyes!
boskersrevenge on 25 Jan '11 said:
I suggest choosing a breakfast cereal which does not contain sugar.
The_Jaster on 25 Jan '11 said:
Hey, he sounds like wiigodboy101, though the lack of caps lock says other wise.
Mmmmgrolsch on 25 Jan '11 said:
Balladeer on 25 Jan '11 said:
Don't look at it for too long. It dissolves your eyes.
The_Jaster on 26 Jan '11 said:
*oh noes my eyes it burns it burns*
Now I can't playt he 3DS
your probably wondering how I typed this with no eyes right?
Balladeer on 26 Jan '11 said:
You're just that good at touch typing, obv.