We all know that the Sony PSP has long been the target of a redesign rumor, but somehow Sony managed to stave off those rumors until recently. SCE U.K. Managing Director Ray Maguire spilled the beans that the PSP will soon receive a hardware refresh, much to the delight of millions of PSP owners around the world. What is arguably the greatest strength of the PSP - it’s lovely display, will be retained, while the rest of the body will undergo a slimming process to introduce a smaller and lighter system to the masses.

Unfortunately, Ray Maguire did not mention when the redesign will be released, nor its recommended retail price. A quick check with some gamers reveal that they want the hardware refresh to fix the current analog stick that doesn’t really work that well, while others prefer two analog sticks to play FPS games.

I must say that this is pretty interesting news, and a hardware refresh could probably give the PSP a hand in propping up the weekly hardware sales against the mighty Nintendo DS Lite. While it would not overtake the DS Lite’s sales figures, at least it will bump up the numbers by a respectable amount. One thing though - Sony had better drop the price to a more affordable level as $250 for a portable console is way too expensive, especially when you consider the Nintendo Wii shares the same MSRP. Do you think those who are about to purchase a Sony PSP will now hold back their wallets for the new model to arrive, or will they still purchase the PSP despite knowledge of an impending model?

Source: GamesIndustryBiz

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