Revamped Versions of the PlayStation Portable to Hit Japan

The PlayStation Portable is pretty big in Japan, having moved over 8.5 million units since its debut at the end of 2004. It fought a hard battle against the Nintendo DS but managed to hold its ground, being the handheld most oriented toward hardcore gamers, due to its big LCD screen and superior hardware. With those tricks up its sleeve, Sony managed to dent the supremacy of Nintendo's dual screen console, and with the newer versions available on the market, it earned quite a respectable profit.

Such was the case when they launched the PSP “Slim and Lite”, codenamed PSP-2000, a model which was a lot thinner and lighter than the original one and brought several improvements in comparison with the previous version. Those ranged from charging via USB, a composite TV output or a brighter LCD screen to doubling the onboard RAM to 64 MB from the old standard of 32.

But now, in Sony's opinion, a change is required, so here comes the PSP-3000 version. This one is based on the former “Slim and Lite” model with several new features added, like an improved LCD screen or a built-in microphone and is slated to hit Japan and other territories starting October this year. But that's not all, as with many other PSPs, special versions are set to be launched, bundled with various games, depending on the target of consumers. In Japan's case, Sony announced those bundles to be related to three games, Gundam vs. Gundam, Patapon 2 and Dissidia Final Fantasy and are set to be priced at 230 $, 220 $ and 240 $, respectively.

The first on which details have been added is the Gundam vs. Gundam and, to be honest, the design is a bit vague, the hardcore Gundam lovers will immediately recognize the big robots engaged in fierce battles, but I'm not so sure about the regular people who will just say that the PSP is full of scratches and that the owner hasn't been handling it very well. But one thing's for sure, it will sell a lot in Japan, where many hardcore gamers can hardly wait for this bundle to launch.