Sony said on Tuesday it will launch a new model of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld machine on October 16 in Japan, its latest bid to challenge Nintendo's market-leading DS.
The PSP-3000, unveiled in August, comes with a built-in microphone and advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) panel that is better suited for use outdoors and offers a shorter response time than the existing machine.
A quicker response makes moving pictures look seamless and natural, while the process of making phone calls on the PSP becomes easier with the built-in microphone. The PSP already supports a Skype Web phone function.
The new machine will sell for 19,800 yen ($182), the same price as the current PSP model and compared with 16,800 yen for the DS.
Sony sold 3.72 million units of the PSP in April-June worldwide, while Nintendo's DS sold 6.94 million units.
|
PSP -2000 |
PSP-3000 |
| Screen size |
4.3 type |
| Resolution |
480×272 |
| NTSC |
53% |
85% |
| Contrast |
400:1 |
2,000:1 |
| Response time |
30ms |
8ms |
| Screen reflection technology |
no |
yes |