Drafting The Dream PSP 2

We’ve taken the Internet and shoved it in our pocket. We’ve started controlling our characters by touching them on the screen. We’ve crammed 3D into a portable presentation that doesn’t require glasses. What could possibly be next for portable gaming?

One thing is for sure, if Sony wants to stay competitive in the handheld market then it needs to get inventive with the next iteration of the PSP. Rumors have started circulating about how Sony’s next PSP could be a phone that runs a modified version of Google’s Android OS, but let’s look at some approaches Sony could take to dominate the handheld market.

Stick It To Us

This is a bit of a no-brainer. Ever since the original PSP was first announced in 2003, all anyone could talk about was how much better the system would be if it had a second analog stick. We say, don’t just add an extra stick, but add two extra shoulder buttons as well. This would effectively give this PSP the equivalent layout of a standard console controller. Not only would this make FPS titles on the system better, it would allow Sony to more easily port old PSone and PS2 titles to the new handheld. We’d happily buy Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy X, or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City again for our next road trip.

Also…

The Droid allows users to issue vocal commands; we want that.

Hard Drivin’

If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that the downloadable market isn’t going away. For the new PSP we’d like to see a good mix of $1, $5, and even meaty $20 titles. Of course, this means that the new PSP will need a decent hard drive. We don’t think we need to say goodbye to games you can buy off a shelf, however, but let’s get rid of the UMD – it’s expensive and bulky. Instead, we hope that Sony follows Nintendo’s lead and puts retail titles on small flash drives.

Ride The Wireless Waves

Our cell phones have spoiled us; whenever we leave our house we expect to stay connected to the rest of the world. We want Sony’s new PSP to not only make use of WiFi hotspots, but utilize some kind of 4G-like service that will allow us to play online games, download software, and stay connected to our friends wherever we are. Using other wireless tools, it would be great if we could sync this new PSP system to our PS3. This would allow us to use the system as a controller or possibly even play games on our home TV (something that requires a special cable now). We’re sure Sony can figure out some way to expand on its current Remote Play feature, allowing players to watch DVDs or play PS2 titles that are in their PS3 consoles while at work, school, or their grandparents’ house. Who needs to go home?

Also…

While we’re at it, why not throw GPS in the system? We’re sure some creative game designer will find some cool new location based game or social media functionality – like Foursquare – that utilizes GPS.

The Big Screen Experience On The Small Screen

The original PSP had a screen resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. By contrast, Apple’s iPhone 4 has a resolution of 960 x 640, and it makes a monumental difference. If Sony wants to keep selling us movies and TV shows to watch on planes, then we want an HD-like experience. Throw a kickstand on the back of the unit (similar to the new HTC Evo) and allow us to sync the system with PS3 (or PS4) controllers so we can have the complete home gaming experience. Then we might not want to get off the plane when it lands.

Also…

Touch screen is a touchy subject. Sure it’s cool, but it also ends up coating your screen with an unattractive layer of smudge. Is that price worth the gain? Maybe. We’ll leave the final decision up to Sony.

Build A Better Battery

We know it’s not the sexiest topic, but a handheld device needs a good battery. As luck would have it, Sony has already started working on new battery technology – an advanced lithium-ion battery that would last almost four times as long as the current standard. This future battery is also rumored to charge to full capacity in under 30 minutes. Alternatively, Nokia has been working on a power cell capable of charging without wires. The company’s experimental phone harvests radio waves from the air and coverts that energy into power. We don’t know if this technology produces enough juice to power a gaming device, but – like a hybrid car – it might be a good complement to a more traditional battery. Who needs sex appeal? We’ve never gotten so excited talking about batteries before.

Also…

Motion sensing and rumble add little benefit given the power drain they require; we say scrap them in favor of battery life.

The Apps Have It

One of the best features of Apple’s iPhone is its App Store. Sony needs something equivalent. We understand that Sony’s PSN service functions in many of the same ways, but Sony will need to ramp up its game for the next installment of the PSP. We want to see more games, more demos, and maybe some non-game related software on the new PSP. Also, this store needs to be easy to browse and easy to buy stuff from, so that means no tricky point systems, Sony. Of course, given all the new software we’ll be downloading, we need an OS that allows us to customize our browsing experience by sorting apps into folders.

Also…

What the system will really need is a giant list of triple-A titles people want to play. Whatever technology Sony crams into our pocket, it better get designers excited enough to make some great games.

We’ll have to wait until Sony’s ready to talk about its next handheld, but we hope at least a few of our ideas make it into the final design. What did we miss? What would it take to make you buy a Sony handheld?