Sony's PSP owners have finally been offered an update proving once more that owning a PSP pays. Firmware 3.50 first of all adds Remote Play functionality, allowing PSP users to access their PS3 console remotely from any available wireless connection, in order to stream music, photos, and videos. But there is something else that this firmware does for the PSP. Something that you didn't even imagine...

In order to prolong gameplay hours, Sony has capped the PSP's processor speed at 222 MHz (two thirds of its normal 333 Mhz), as MegaGames reports. Sony of course wasn't kind enough to say why, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Still waiting for the answer. I just gave it to you a few rows above: gameplay time.

OK, currently, the PSP's average battery life is of around 5 hours of non-stop gameplay. However, had the PSP been designed to run at its full 333MHz speed, gameplay hours would have been severely reduced to 3 hours or so. Totally unacceptable, even if the machine does display some amazing graphics (for a handheld) on its huge screen. But then, why would Sony release firmware 3.50 also divulging the PSP's processing speed? The site mentioned above tried to provide an explanation. An analysts if you will.

Posted by MegaGames.com: "Having PSP CPU speed finally unlocked may be part of Sony's plan to launch its redesigned PSP during this year's E3. "The focal point of the new design is a new screen that allows PSP to be much slimmer and battery life to quadruple". This means around 20 hours of gameplay at the current 222 MHz speed, or 14 hours at the full 333 MHz speed. Even if the "quadruple" news was an exaggeration, just doubling battery life and then running at 333 MHz would mean 7 hours of gameplay, more than current (capped) PSP's."

It has been known for quite some time now that Sony intends to come up with a slimmer PSP and also that gameplay hours will be drastically prolonged up to four times compared to the previous gameplay time. All this is just because of a LED super-slim screen that they're promising to implement within the new model, said to use very little of the battery's juice. I'd say the theory is correct, but now it seems that the good news concerns the new PSP.