Okay Geek Farm
PSP2 Rumors and Leaked info on upcoming PS3 firmware
Ricardo Trejo
Rumors and leaks, the sustaining life force of the blogging world; First off, today’s rumors regard Sony’s follow up act to their somewhat successful, somewhat mediocre, Playstation Portable handheld, the PSP2. And in the leaks category, the PS3 is no stranger to firmware updates, but a couple of new upgrades coming later this year might just change the stigma we’ve grown accustomed to - especially when it comes to that nasty UI the PS3 has.
With all eyes and ears on Nintendo and their much anticipated 3DS system, it’d only be a matter of time until Sony got a bit of the spotlight with new info about the PSP2. from someone close to a dev kit of the system. VG247, perhaps the best place for up to the minute gaming news, recently caught wind of some pretty interesting and revealing news about the new Sony handheld:
- Non-disclosure agreements have been made with a number of studios working on the PSP2
- Touch screen enabled
- Will have physical Playstation buttons
- The handheld will offer a front facing camera, and one in the back
- Has a chance that it will be UMD-less, and may even offer a 3G service
- Is based around a four core Cell CPU (PS3 has an eight core)
- Will likely not be shown at E3, but perhaps mentioned.
- Expect a 2011 release
In the world of Playstation 3, however, there’s been talk of not just one firmware update, but two. The first isn’t anything real special; Apparently, an early leak of next month’s Official Playstation Magazine spilled the beans that there’ll be a new update in June that’ll make the system capable of supporting 3D gaming. Yeah, big whoop. However, there’s been a rumor goin’ round, originally started by Cheapy D., of CheapAssGamer fame, that he knows “for a fact” that Sony will be announcing a new update that will completely throw out the old XMB, and replace it with something built from the ground up:
“I’ve heard that the Sony PS3 is getting a completely redesigned XrossMediaBar. Like totally new, not just like new columns and stuff like – totally redone.”
I can only liken this to how Microsoft handled the NXE (New Xbox Experience) back when they added the channel system, and if Sony does this right it could breathe new life into the PS3, which for the most part, has already been revitalized this year with hit title after hit title.
