Sony Computer Entertainment America is poised to release new firmware versions for both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable later this month, augmenting the experience that users get from the two gaming consoles.

The PSP will receive the 5.00 update, which will also be out on October 16, in Japan, and is supposed to allow those using the gaming handheld to connect directly to the PlayStation Store, where they will be able to purchase and download games and videos without having to first stream their content through a PlayStation 3 or a PC.

As the firmware update draws closer, the PlayStation Store has been receiving more and more PSP games which can be accessed and Sony is saying that more titles will be available in the near future. It's interesting to see that the abundant offer also means that the available titles have had their prices increased by as much as 10 dollars.

It seems that Sony Japan is seriously thinking of releasing all new titles, beginning with Destroy All Heroes 2, which will be launched on October 15, on both UMDs and on the PlayStation Store. This means that the handheld is quickly moving to an all digital distribution model for videogames delivery.

The upcoming 5.00 firmware update will also add support for new features like an on screen QWERTY keyboard that can be used for browsing the Internet, a programmable sleep timer that can be used to shut down the PSP during music playback and support for video out enhancements that are supposed to allow older games for the platform to be played on television sets.

Sony is not saying exactly when the firmware update arrives or whether the new PSP-3000 hardware platform will have the update integrated at launch.