PSPgo – Your Questions Answered

Adam Grant, the European Product Manager for PSPgo, was kind enough to answer some questions over on the EU PlayStation.Blog that users had. The answers revealed some new information about the new PSP model, including built-in battery, no compatibility for existing PSP accessories and battery life. Although most questions were answered, a few importants ones were left out including a UK price, the ability to transfer existing UMD games to the PSP Go and the price difference between UMD and downloadable versions of games. Check out the answers and questions below.

xeeki: Are there any technological improvements over the PSP-3000? Like, the screen, or hardware-wise…

Xeeki has asked about detail on the technological improvements of PSPgo over other models. The 2 biggest differences are the removal of the UMD drive and the new design. PSPgo replaces the UMD drive with 16GB of flash memory and the stylish slide open design has made the PSPgo smaller and lighter than ever making it truly pocket-size.

We have also added 3 new features:

• Game sleep function: You will be able to operate the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) while suspending the gameplay temporarily.
• Bluetooth function: This is going to let you use your favourite wireless head phones to listen to music, play games and watch videos….
• Clock and calendar application: We have included a clock and calendar application which can be viewed both when the sliding panel is open and closed.

Nemhome: Will the PSPgo be delivered with a USB cable?

I am happy to say that the answer is yes. PSPgo will come bundled with everything you need for you to start enjoying all it has to offer. Included in the box along with the PSPgo will be a USB cable, AC adaptor and Media Go software.

PSPgo comes bundled with Media Go, which is an easy to use PC application that makes it simple for you to browse PlayStation Store, as well as organise and store all your favourite downloaded games, demos, music, movies and photos.

disc: What is the battery life like?

We have adopted an embedded battery to realise a smaller and lighter PSP system. The battery life is equivalent with the current models meaning approximately 3 to 6 hours for gameplays and approximately 3 to 5 hours for playing back videos. Hope that answers your question disc.

KSPRAYDAD has been asking about peripherals so here is an update:
The peripherals on offer at launch for PSPgo are USB cable, AC adaptor, Video-out cables (AV cable and component AV cable) and a Cradle. We are currently considering introducing other peripherals for PSPgo but can not provide details at this point.

Another big question was if the current peripherals can be used with PSPgo. We have reduced the size of the USB connector and introduced multi-function features which has allowed us to obtain a smaller and lighter PSP. As such the peripherals for the current PSP models do not currently work on PSPgo however we are considering introducing a special attachment that can connect current peripherals to PSPgo.

Can I download games on to a memory stick?

PSPgo is disc free with a 16GB of built-in memory for storing all your essential games, videos, photos and music. However if you do fill this up there are a couple of options to store and manage your games, music, videos and photos. You will be able to back up to a PC via Media Go or to the M2 Memory Stick to store more content for PSPgo.

Torence: Why have you changed the format of the removable memory?

Torence has asked the above question and it is a good one. PSPgo uses M2 memory sticks which are smaller and take up less room on the device. This meant that we saved space and could make the PSPgo pocket-sized. However, you will be able to transfer the data from your Memory Stick Duo to your PC via Media Go and then transfer it to the PSPgo or M2.

theTMO / pavianexodus: Will it be possible to transfer my UMD games to the new PSPgo?

We know that there are many of you excited about PSPgo but are hesitant at leaving your UMD games collection behind. We recognize this and as such we are planning a goodwill programme and will unveil more details soon.

We also know that there are many already released UMD games that you may not own but want to play in the future on your PSPgo. To make this happen we are considering every possibility to bring downloadable versions for the majority of past titles available only in UMD to the PlayStation Store along with all new releases. We will announce further details on this.

How much will PSPgo cost?

Many of you have asked about the price of PSPgo throughout Europe and the PAL territories and we announced at E3 that PSPgo will retail in Europe at 249 Euros. Many of you have asked more specifically what price this will mean in your local currency. Unfortunately at this stage we are unable to define prices in countries where the Euro is not present at this time but I can assure you that as soon as these prices have been agreed upon I will let you know.

Will the price differ between the UMD version and the downloadable version?

I know this is something that is a concern for you. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer for you on this at the moment. I can however assure you that I will share this information with you as soon as I get it.

I hope I have managed to answer some of the most burning questions! Feedback is always welcome and we do appreciate all the comments and questions. I will be posting regularly to update you on the latest information on PSPgo.