Here's the way it is. On 23 July, Sony told us there was no imminent PSP-3000 - y'know, the one with the microphone for Skype? Yet, on 20 August, it tells us to start saving for the ... PSP-3000, which has, er, a microphone for Skype. What's going on here?
Sure, companies need to protect their interests, particularly when there's stock to shift, but the new PlayStation Portable surely isn't that big of a deal – if someone wanted a PSP back in July, they'd have bought the older model and been happy with it even now, right?
Better screen
Anyway, the 3000 model does indeed feature that Skype-tastic microphone, as well as an improved LCD screen. Sony says it has, "the highest-level contrast ratio, response time, and widest colour gamut possible on a portable LCD screen."
Apart from that, the only other change is a tweak to the video-out port that means gamers can hook their new PSPs up to older televisions that don't support progressive scan. Do Piano Black, Pearl White and Mystic Silver really count as new colours?
European pricing when the PSP-3000 arrives on 15 October will be €199 (£158), which includes a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo.
