Well its almost here, the most exciting time in a gamers year and what make it all the more exciting, is when a new piece of hardware is showcased.
During E3 this year, Sony will be showcasing their recently announced Next Generation Portable(NGP), which has recently been rumoured to be called PS Vita, if you wish you can vote on weather you like the name or not here NGP > PS Vita ?.
Here are the specifications of the NGP, note that some of these on the final E3 product, may have changed since the console first revealed:
CPU:
ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU:
200 MHz SGX543MP4+
133 MPolygon/s
4 GPixel/s fill rate
Memory:
512MB, rumoured to have been halved already.
Storage:
16GB internal storage, rumoured to have been removed.
Media:
NVG Card – a small flash memory based card, dedicated for NGP software titles. Taking advantage of the flash memory feature, this innovative card can store the full software titles plus add-on game content or the game save data directly on to the card. By adopting flash memory based card, SCE will be able to provide game cards with higher capacity in the future, allowing developers to store more game data to deliver rich and immersive games.
NVG game cards will be available in 2 GB and 4 GB sizes.
Display:
5-inch OLED capacitive touch screen.
24-bit colour.
960 × 544 pixels @ 220 ppi.
Input:
Touch screen.
Rear touch pad.
Six-axis motion sensing.
Three-axis electronic compass.
D-pad.
12 × Buttons
(Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square, L, R, Start, Select, Home, Volume ±, Power).
2 × Analog sticks.
Camera:
Front camera.
Rear camera.
Both cameras feature face detection, head detection, and head tracking capabilities.
Connectivity:
IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
3G
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
As you will notice from the above specs, the NGP will have a new game medium, which is dubbed an NVG Card, so UMD is gone, which unfortunately means for all of you with UMD’s, wont be able to play them on the NGP, that is not the only thing that is gone, the famed XMB is gone and has been replaced with LiveArea, here is a quote about it from one of the sources:
Every game title for NGP will be provided with a space called “LiveArea™” where users can share the fun and excitement with other players. Users will have access to the latest information of games provided from SCE and 3rd party developers and publishers through PlayStation®Network. Additionally, NGP users will be able to view an “Activity” log that is constantly updated with accomplishments from users who are playing the same game, which in turn can trigger active real-time communication among users.
Rumours suggest that the NGP will come in two versions, one with 3G and one without, here are a recent list of games in development posted on Sony’s EU Blog:
Uncharted: Golden Abyss:
Nathan Drake’s first portable adventure is developed by Bend Studio, the team behind the acclaimed Resistance Retribution on PSP. It promises to retain the crucial elements of the Uncharted titles – adventure, thrilling action and top-notch storytelling – and the familiar control scheme, while also introducing innovative options such as touch and tilt controls. Check out my interview with John Garvin, Creative Director at Bend Studio.
WipEout 2084:
Taking one of the most celebrated PlayStation series in a new prologue, WipEout 2048 is set during the birth of anti-grav racing and features a greater near-future environments than we have become used to since the original soared onto PlayStation in 1995. Perhaps the most exciting feature is the ability to play against PS3 racers on WipEout HD Fury via cross-play with PlayStation 3. Check out my interview with Graeme Ankers, Game Director at Studio Liverpool.
Little Deviants:
Little Deviants is a series of madcap adventures that will showcase the multitude of features and functions your NGP possesses, including rear touch pad, touch screen, the motion sensor, front and rear cameras, augmented reality and microphone. Check out my interview with Richard Ogden, Game Design Director at Bigbig Studios.
Reality Fighters:
Previously unannounced, Reality fighters is an augmented reality fighting game in which you can capture yourself using the NGP camera and duke it out against other fighters around the world, in the world as you see it through the NGP camera.
Super Stardust Delta:
The mesmerising PlayStation Network shooter comes to NGP using the dual analog sticks to control the action the familiar way, plus touch screen and motion sensing controls to add something new.
Sound Shapes:
Play, compose and share on NGP in a unique take on the side-scrolling platformer, where you create music with your actions using the touch screen and share them with the PlayStation Network community.
Hustle Kings:
The king of pool games rolls onto NGP, bringing stunning graphics and a stylish art style and adding precision controls via the touch screen and rear touch pad.
Everybody’s Golf:
Tee off with the latest iteration of everybody’s favourite golf series from ClapHanz. You can shoot for a birdie using traditional, touch and tilt controls and take on the world in effortless online multiplayer.
Resistance Retribution:
You will be able to play your PSP games from the PlayStation Store on NGP. Resistance Retribution is just one example, and you’ll be able to revisit James Grayson’s voyage across Europe using NGP’s dual analog sticks.
Now for some images and video’s:
PS Vita ?
The last two video’s thanks to KingKush.
06-05-2011
04:21 PM
I was thinking of going to E3 its only 30min from where I live but I've been so busy building my media company ohh well. The NGP does look dope but I have so many games as it is and no time to play them lol
06-05-2011
04:26 PM
wow im really getting sick of these colorful "innovative menus" its such bs. I hate the windows phone interface and the new windows 8 menu and now sony might go in this direction to.....
06-05-2011
04:27 PM
Awesome, i have free accommodation now, thanks
Also thanks for the last two video's
And anyone who criticizes this news article in anyway, will be in trouble, it took me over an hour and quite simply, if you don't like the fact i have posted it, just ignore the thread altogether.
06-05-2011
04:27 PM
I hope it isn't too pricy, but judging by those specs, it's probably going to be the most expensive gaming handheld ever released (literally).
As for the games.. I'm not even thinking about those. I just want it hacked so I can use homebrew and maximize it's potential with CFW plugins and such.
06-05-2011
04:43 PM
any news on price ???
06-05-2011
04:56 PM
I'm torn on the game cards idea, basics sound good - game on card, addons saved to card, saves for game on card. See thats a blinding idea and I'm shoc..wait a minute 2gb and 4gb? Thats a rigid amount of data for something that can easily be hugely flexible, surely?
Rather than improve security theyre just removing all the good and useful parts, or it seems so too me.
I think its time to build the ultimate car that can never be stolen, I simply remove all doors, windows, seals, engine and wheels. Drive around on a block of steel, nice.
See this is a prime example of why I dont post when tired :D
06-05-2011
05:45 PM
lookiing at the spec it will be really powerfulle but by the time it relesed most smartphone and tablet will have this or more power but is a didicated gaming machin and it will rock lets hope they relese it soon maybe fall or december
06-05-2011
05:59 PM
Great article for the rest Greg
Very nice device also sony, but removing the memory slot and half the mem is a big stap backwards....
(to quote a member here: You're doing it wrong !!)
06-05-2011
07:14 PM
Just let us know when it gets hacked and then I'll buy it :P
06-05-2011
07:29 PM
06-05-2011
08:10 PM
I'd say ditch the 3G. It's expensive and non sense in this console IMO. Besides, if you already own a cellphone that's already 3G, why not just tether it or tether-compatible with NGP. It's way cheaper that way. I don't get it why they're having 3G versions. LOL! Unless of course this can act as a cellphone GSM or something, then why not. haha.
06-05-2011
08:16 PM
This will have alot of potential once it's been hacked to run unsigned code.
06-05-2011
08:41 PM
^^ Agreed the psp homebrew/apps/plugins are all really good want to see more of that on the NGP as well. But also I gotta play Uncharted!
06-06-2011
12:07 AM
^^^Agreed to
Maybe someone will make a custom xmb or something instead of this new ugly crap
06-06-2011
12:39 AM
looks awesome dont like the name reminds me of vista and all the terrible times we had. but hard sounds rad hope the price isnt to steep.
06-06-2011
03:35 AM
06-06-2011
04:41 AM
it looks cool and with a card for games haha
it'll be hacked in no time
06-06-2011
08:58 AM
Maybe not, if that card is proprietary and patented. I think $ony is learning. Without internal storage and if they have a patent on that card it would be very difficult to get a widely accessible way to load an alternate firmware. The focus would have to be first on hacking that card to overwrite what is on it and then get that delivered onto the device somehow. I guess it all depends on that patent. Any company that might try to market a hack card would be sued right out of existence by $ony if they tried to market their card.
06-06-2011
09:36 AM
Dont get your hopes up on an Easy hack with this console.
The ARM chip will be armed with APX and XN....
The games will be on a card that will be hard to clone and sell...
Also, with all the experience they have learned from psp and PS3(? lol?)...
This is going to be a 'fun' one to hack.
I wont be buying one anyway, hacked or unhacked.
I simply wont buy another Sony product again, unless they start being more customer focused, instead of shareholder focused.
06-06-2011
09:58 AM
DLC and Game Saves will be stored on the same cards as the games i think.
06-06-2011
03:46 PM
Call of duty on the go with 3g would be sick!
06-08-2011
07:52 AM
Memory:
512MB, rumoured to have been halved already.
Storage:
16GB internal storage, rumoured to have been removed.
Media:
NVG Card a small flash memory based card, dedicated for NGP software titles.
so less memory, no more internal storage and an "all new"" memory card solution (which will probably cost hell of a lot when they most likely could have utulised the memory stich duo into this)
seems like sony are up to their tricks again, fleece the customer.
As for me I will give this a miss, by the time it is released it probably wont even have a screen left on it.
06-08-2011
03:38 PM
In their defense limiting certain parts is the only way that they can stay competitively priced without losing money hand over fist. They don't want want to be losing as much as they did with the initial ps3, or the fail that was the PSPGo.
06-11-2011
04:07 PM
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06-11-2011
05:00 PM
I preordered mine today. It'll be hacked at some point, hopefully early. I'll just sit on the early release firmware, which is my standard routine for Sony products. hehe
06-11-2011
05:12 PM
I will buy one used... So Sony does not get my money!
Although I feel so ashamed 'wanting' a Sony product...
But I'll tell you one thing I probably will not do; Accept any sort of TOS from them....It most likely will infringe on my 'RIGHTS'