Rumor: Sony Downgrades NGP Hardware, 2011 Release Still Possible

Sony has reportedly made some changes to the hardware specifications of its Next Generation Portable console, in order to lower its manufacturing costs, and is still aiming for a release this year.

Sony, in between fighting the hacker attacks that have plagued everything from its PlayStation Network to Online Entertainment services or its various websites, is still working on getting the Next Generation Portable ready for its release.

The company is expect to present the handheld console once more next month, during its special E3 press conference, after the official unveil that took place at the beginning of the year.

However, it seems that the NGP is going to see its hardware specifications be lowered dramatically, so that Sony can launch the device sooner and at a more attractive price point, possibly matching the current tag of the Nintendo 3DS, the closest rival for the new Sony handheld.

According to a report from French website 01.net, via 1Up, the Japanese company wants to release the NGP later this year with a price of around $249.99, at least for the basic, non-3G version.

In order to do this, Sony took the axe to the hardware configuration of the NGP, cutting the amount of RAM and VRAM in half, to 256MB and 128MB, respectively, reduced the size of the operating system and scrapped plans to include 16GB of internal flash memory.

Instead, the Next Generation Portable will see the use of special memory cards, possibly custom designed for it, which are going to be used for save game storage and plenty of other things.

The website also mentions that, in order to make up for the decrease in specs, 26MB of RAM is going to be available to games and applications for special "quick access" functions.

While these are just rumors, the company has reportedly revealed during a recent investors call that the NGP's release is still scheduled for the end of this year.

"Regarding NGP, we're progressing with preparations towards a release at the end of the year," a Sony spokesperson told investors.

Expect some official details about release or the new hardware specifications at the beginning of next month when the E3 conference starts.