Sony NGP: New handheld videogame system loaded with gadgets
The portable gaming wars are about to heat up with the 3DS, Nintendo’s next-generation portable due to its no-glasses 3D graphics, and it’s set to release on March 27.
Sony is NOT about to be outdone.
On Wednesday night in Tokyo, the company announced its own next-generation portable, codenamed the “NGP.”
Rumors of the console had swirled for months, so Sony’s announcement only confirms what fans expected.
The NGP is expected to release late this year (an official realease TBD) and while it’s not going to incorporate 3D technology, Sony is promising “visually striking graphics never seen before on a portable entertainment system.”
Additionally, the system will aim to revolutionize the way users interact with portable games.
The NGP addresses one of the main criticisms of the original PSP by including two thumbsticks. Its OLED screen is touch-sensitive, and the back of the NGP is perhaps even more interesting, incorporating rear touch controls. Motion-sensing gyroscopes, front- and rear-facing cameras and an electronic compass are also built in.
“NGP offers new game play allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion,” the release says, “through ‘touch, grab, trace, push and pull’ moves of the fingers.”
The NGP will have Wifi and 3G capabilities and, in a move that may expand the console’s user base, Sony promises that its portable will be compatible with many games created for Google’s Android operating system.
“The newly developed and released game content for Android- based portable devices can also be enjoyed on NGP,” the release says. “As a result, users will have access to not only the most leading-edge content, but also some of the more casual experiences that typify the mobile market place.”
Pricing and official release date details have yet to be announced.
