Thanks to the latest announcements of the Next Generation Portable and Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, interest in the PlayStation brand is stronger than ever. With PlayStation Suite essentially bringing the PlayStation Store to certified Android devices, it is clear that the PlayStation brand is expanding into new frontiers for the platform. But with the future of PlayStation so bright, what does that mean for the ageing PlayStation Portable?
While many are still skeptical about the idea of the NGP and Xperia Play existing alongside one another and possibly competing against each other, the original PSP is at a far greater risk of becoming obsolete. However, according to the President of Sony Computer Entertainment, Kaz Hirai, the PSP is not going anywhere just yet. After all, the PlayStation 2 is still a player in the console market despite it being three years into the PS3’s life.
The NGP features everything Sony can and wants to do today. It’s a platform looking forward with great ambition. It can’t replace a platform that has already been on sale for seven years now. In terms of pricing, we can’t sell the NGP for the same price as a PSP. The PSP has become very affordable and popular, especially with younger generations. I think the NGP needs time to mature and get adopted by users. So, for the time being, both platforms will coexist.
The future of the original PSP will be focused on casual entertainment in a more affordable marketplace while the upcoming NGP will take the reins to a more hardcore, tech-centric audience until it can drop in price and gain a larger library.
Once the NGP releases will you still play on your PSP? Let us know in the comments below.
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