The handheld on everyone's mind these days is the 3DS, but it may be time to switch gears from Nintendo and shift to speculation on Sony's long rumored PSP2. VG247 posted some pictures yesterday of what they claim are leaked photos of a PSP2 dev kit. The photos, while quite blurry, still give a great look at what we can expect from the PSP2.
The photos are pretty low quality and look like they were taken during a covert ops mission, but they are interesting to see none the less. The overall look of the device is nearly identical to that of the PSP Go, plus a few huge additions. The front of the PSP2 has a microphone, two analog sticks, and a front-facing camera, while the back of the PSP2 comes equipped with a back-facing camera and the long rumored track pad.
VG247 reports that this is an older model of the PSP2 dev kit, and that it, "isn't the console's final form factor." The form that the PSP2 is in in the included images has apparently since been altered in order to resolve a heating issue that the system has been suffering from. The new form is similar to that of the PSP-3000, a solid brick rather than a sliding two-piece unit, so even though the pictures of the PSP2 dev kit show off the device's new features it's in no way the final design of the heavily rumored PSP2.
Some may question the authenticity of the pictures, but VG247 isn't the only site that's adamant about the legitimacy of the pics. IGN has now stepped up and announced that: "... a development source confirmed to IGN these photos are legitimate."
When Sony was contacted to confirm the authenticity of the pictures, they sent back the standard reply: "... does not comment on rumors or speculation." At least Sony doesn't deny the legitimacy of the photos, but it certainly doesn't help us get any closer to the truth. The photos appear to be legitimate and if rumors are to be believed then the PSP2 may hit retailers in the Fall of next year, but odds are that Sony won't show anything off until early next year at the very latest.
What do you think about these pics of the PSP2? Are you going to pick this one up next year?