Sony Boosts PSP Networking Capabilities

[wraggster]

PSP will be seeing some major updates to its networking capabilities later this year. Sony Japan offered preliminary details today on what players can expect from future firmware updates.

This Fall, PSP will gain direct access to the PlayStation Store. This long promised feature will allow for PSP users to download demos and more directly to the portable without having to go through the PS3 or PC.

In Japan, Sony will commemorate the new PS Store-friendly PSP with the release of Mainichi Issyo Portable. The PS3 version of the Japan-only title is available as a free download, with Sony charging for items and gameplay modes that are added every month.

Perhaps more significant than both these developments, Sony will be offering PSP players some new connectivity options thanks to a new service that further ties the portable with the PS3. This Fall, select PSP titles will allow players to go through the PS3 to take their ad-hoc multiplayer modes online. When playing in this fashion, the PS3 can be used for text and chat messaging and also for matching.

Currently, Sony has confirmed that Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G will be compatible with this new service. In Japan, this is big news, as that title has sold over 2.4 million units.

Other titles, as well as further details on the service, will be announced in the near future.

Both these features will be compatible with all models of the PSP, from the original up to the new PSP-3000.

http://uk.psp.ign.com/articles/906/906955p1.html

[mike_jmg]

Online for Tekken, Power Stone, Yu-gi-oh, Disgaea and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 PLEASE!!!

[Stone Temple Pilots]

Tekken Dark Resurrection Online would be sick as hell.

[ICE]

Can we at least have a web browser that isnt complete crap?

[Buddy4point0]

Awesome.
I can't wait to see these updates.

[crazyhare]

So they ought to, seeing as the wifi performance on my fat could have been described as crap at best...

[pibs]

Can we at least have a web browser that isnt complete crap?

I second that decision.

[Tets]

I'm glad to see Sony isn't abandoning its original Fat model user base just yet.

And I agree, a new web browser would be the business. I can just imagine Opera Mini for PSP. I don't see it happening though, as the radio player is tied pretty heavily into the NetFront browser's inner workings.

[b8a]

I can just imagine Opera Mini for PSP. I don't see it happening though, as the radio player is tied pretty heavily into the NetFront browser's inner workings.

It is tied into the NetFront browser, but that dependency (and any of the other PSP OS's browser related dependencies) could easily be changed to work with any other browser that Sony might choose to implement without so much of a hickup. It's just a matter of hooking a new browser into the API calls that are obviously already there.

Sony's dogged insistence on using this crippled browser has got to be due to some other factor. My bet is that they have a mutual back-scratching deal with NetFront. But it's also possible that they just find all of the other alternatives unacceptable. NetFront is very capable for a "mobile" browser, and the PSP-1000 series' limited memory almost certainly prevents them from attempting to implement any of the better, "full" browsers.

[Saracchini]

It is tied into the NetFront browser, but that dependency (and any of the other PSP OS's browser related dependencies) could easily be changed to work with any other browser that Sony might choose to implement without so much of a hickup. It's just a matter of hooking a new browser into the API calls that are obviously already there.

Sony's dogged insistence on using this crippled browser has got to be due to some other factor. My bet is that they have a mutual back-scratching deal with NetFront. But it's also possible that they just find all of the other alternatives unacceptable. NetFront is very capable for a "mobile" browser, and the PSP-1000 series' limited memory almost certainly prevents them from attempting to implement any of the better, "full" browsers.

Well, i was very used with the Opera Mini for my old Nokia 6600 which had only 8 MB of RAM, and it was far better in many aspects than the crap PSP Browser. I think that a good browser can implemented to PSP with Flash capabilities and good compatibility... but sadly Sony dont appears much concerned with that.

[Tets]

To look at the performance issue from another perspective, take into account how the Java-based Opera Mini runs perfectly well under PSPKVM on a Fat PSP. Memory really isn't an issue.

I'm curious now, though, does the PS3 also use the NetFront browser?

[Mr-S]

I second that decision.

i third it :D

[acn010]

hmm, interesting, online download service, I did that before qgebdoqbloadubg a demo.. but full games hmm interesting.. and online gaming, now that's interesting

[masterchief929]

I'm hoping to get a PSP sometime in the future, but i'm not sure i want to spend that much money. This might be the decisive matter depending on how good the networking really gets.