Our first look at the Next Generation Portable
January 27, 2011 / 03:18 AM EDT / (@salromano)

Our first look aside from the concluded press event announcement, that is. Currently codenamed NGP (Next Generation Portable), the PSP successor looks nothing below astonishing. SCEA President and CEO, Jack Tretton, posted a message on the PlayStation.Blog tonight, detailing the portable, and expressing his excitement.

“Designed to blur the lines between interactive entertainment and reality, the NGP will offer Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity,” Tretton wrote on the blog. “The 5-inch OLED front multi-touch display will bring brilliant images to life and the multi-touch pad on the rear will allow users to engage with the game and characters with a simple movement of their fingertips. Additionally, services created specifically for NGP will be available on PlayStation Network. These services are designed help users take their gameplay, as well as interaction with other gamers, to new levels.”

He added: “I think you will agree that the incredible momentum behind PlayStation continues to grow with each passing year. While 2010 was record breaking thanks to an unsurpassed line-up of award winning AAA software, the introduction of 3D entertainment into millions of homes and the launch of our incredibly successful PlayStation Move motion controller, 2011 is already shaping up to be one of our biggest years yet.”

That, it is, Jack. That, it is.

Fourteen images of the Next Generation Portable, in all of its high-resolution glory, can be found at the gallery. The system’s full spec sheet is below.

CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU: SGX543MP4+
External Dimensions: Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Rear touch pad: Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras: Front camera, Rear camera
Sound: Built-in stereo speakers; Built-in microphone
Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer); Three-axis electronic compass
Location: Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi location service support
Keys / Switches: PS button, Power button, Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Shoulder buttons (Right/Left), Right stick, Left stick, START button, SELECT button, Volume buttons (+/-)
Wireless Communications: Mobile network connectivity (3G), IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode), Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR （A2DP/AVRCP/HSP)

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  • http://www.youtube.com/tezchi TezChi

    This looks brilliant. I’m not too fussed about this Android business, but things like the touchpads, media format and of course the games/power of thing look extremely promising. I just hope it isn’t overly expensive!

  • whiteferrero

    i hope it’s priced lower than the 3DS. that would give nintendo a run for its money. :D

    • http://www.youtube.com/tezchi TezChi

      Somehow I doubt it will be cheaper; but it would be great if it was! Unfortunately, it looks pretty expensive from what we’ve seen. I hope Sony don’t go overboard.

  • Adam Meadows

    With such specs, I’m worried about battery life — very worried.

  • Kobracon

    Looking good. With Nintendo’s 3DS and now Sony stepping up the game with the NGP, I wonder if Microsoft will feel like joining the handheld market?

  • FinalFantasy_fangirl

    Incredible machine but I’ll wait til there is a must have title.

  • incredibilistic

    Show me games and how this back touch screen will work and maybe, MAYBE I’ll get interested.

    Had a PSP for years and got bored with it after the first 6 months. Eventually sold it because it just wasn’t worth it to me anymore. Now that I have an iPhone my gaming on the go fix is pretty much resolved. Not to mention that this’ll be yet another bill with a 3G contract.

    And with whom will this contract be with? Will you be able to pick up an NGP/PSP2 in your local Sprint/AT&T/Verizon store?

    Still, looks pretty impressive but I’m far from sold. Content, content, content. Now, if they manage to get Uncharted 2 on or God of War III on there (and make them look as good as the console versions) I might take the plunge just to have that kind of power in my pocket. iPhone certainly can’t handle that.

    • Hypno Physics

      I think they did show Uncharted gameplay for it, I could be wrong.

    • gold163

      The whole problem with “content, content, content” is that there isn’t going to be a whole lot of it at launch, regardless of who you are or who’s supporting you. Looking back at the launches of the original DS and PSP and a number of consoles this generation, I’d recommend to never get a new gaming console at launch. Especially not portable consoles, which more often than not undergo multiple iterations as the technology is streamlined and improved upon. If you don’t have the patience to wait for content you want to come out beforehand, then you should expect and accept the possible consequence of disappointment. Obviously it’s up to the developers to consistently bring good content to platforms, but while you can make the argument that YOU got bored of the PSP, you can’t make the argument that people stopped releasing high-quality, critically acclaimed games for the system.

  • rockman29

    I think the data on the front touch pad is missing.

    The resolution (960×544) is missing as well.

    “And with whom will this contract be with? Will you be able to pick up an NGP/PSP2 in your local Sprint/AT&T/Verizon store?”

    You won’t have to get it in just a phone provider’s store. And I think it was already said that Sony plans to partner with AT&T.

    The thing will still be sold in game stores. If the 3G requires a subscription to a provider, I doubt Sony will force people to sign up with someone before you can play games on the device.