Turn PSP (PlayStation®Portable) into a Personal GPS Navigation System with Go!Explore

[wraggster]

Heres a new press release:

In early Spring 2008, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) owners need never get lost again – thanks to a new addition to the Go! range called Go!Explore which puts 3D city mapping in users’ hands by turning PSP into a state-of-the-art Personal GPS Navigation System system. Just enter your destination and Go!Explore will do the rest for you.

The Go!Explore setup consists of an attachable GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver and a UMD disc of the user’s chosen maps. At the touch of a button, users will be able to find their position on a map and work out the direction they need to take. Go!Explore works both on foot and in the car and – as most of the hardware is in the PSP attachment – it offers a top-notch Personal GPS Navigation System system at a fraction of the cost of other systems on the market.

On foot, you’ll be able to plot your way through cities in 3D thanks to the fully modelled city maps contained on the UMD discs. Simply load the UDM disc, select your destination, and watch as the city’s landmarks and points of interest appear on-screen in 3D. You can download new maps and upgrades from PLAYSTATION®Network (PSN) – a resource that guarantees you’ll find those special locations – wherever you’re travelling.

When you’re in the car, you’ll benefit from different display modes for day and night, meaning that you’ll always get the clearest view of where you’re going. And don’t worry about your battery life or where to put your PSP while driving – we’ve got Car Adaptor and Car Mount accessories on the way too – bundled together in one package.

And don’t worry about the credentials of the product – as well as the awesome hardware of PSP, Go!Explore uses the technology of two other market leaders: map data industry leader TeleAtlas and navigation software legends NavNGo.

“Go!Explore is a stunning addition to the Go! range,” said Stephane Hareau, PSP Senior Brand Manager at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “Who would have previously thought that PSP owners would be able to use PSP to navigate their way around an unfamiliar city? It’s an awesome product and another testament to the unrivalled potential of PSP.”

The three ways to buy Go!Explore for PSP:

* GPS receiver and UMD (including maps of the relevant country): RRP €119
* GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP €149
* PSP, GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP €299

Hmm a tad expensive eh

[No_one_in_particular]

Looks cool, but I'm not prepared to pay £90 for it.

[Safari Al]

i wouldnt even dare go over $90 for it at all. I dont think anyone would fall for this (besides noobs)

[Nicko01]

I bet most people are going to either get the japanese version of the gps and pirate the software, or they will get the jap version and get the homebrew version.

[Buddy4point0]

AH!
$175 for the cheapest unit!

I really want this but im not sure if im prepaired to pay that.
Mabey i will though, along with the car mount beause that is, It's still cheaper than a standard gps and this seams like a nice one.

conversion rate 1 Euro = 1.4739 U.S. dollars

* GPS receiver and UMD (including maps of the relevant country): RRP $175.20
* GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP $219.37
* PSP, GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP $440.22

[Fanjita]

It'd be nicer if they let you buy just the software, and let you interface it to your own (decent) GPS unit.

The sony GPS is crappy, it seems a waste to have to spend money on it just to throw it away...

[daveyrj]

It is a crazy price for an add on when you can buy a whole unit now for less. Sony surely have not done their homework. Why waste resources developing such a good tool for the PSP without considering if they have a market for it. Stand alone GPS units may have been expensive a while back and perhaps they did not foresee how short a time it would take for them to drop. They will never recoup money spent in development if they maintain this sell price. I want one for sure but looks like I will be waiting a while for the inevitable price crash. 50% off and they will grasp everyones attention.

[geise69]

Yeah!....GPS! That's what I bought my psp for.

[Baboon]

it offers a top-notch Personal GPS Navigation System system at a fraction of the cost of other systems on the market.

er? It doesn't seem very cheap to me?



I own the Jap PSP290 GPS so I really hope the UK software will work with it?

As Fanjita said the official jap gps is crap though... it takes forever to lock on to a sat and when its really bad weather (like it is here most of the time in the UK) the gps tends to quite often disconnect from any satillites.

To be honest I've since bought a real Satnav for my car. lol ...I still want to test this new official software out though.

[Axelius]

Well, to my mind the price sounds okay. But only if the gps receiver is of a good quality.

I thought about making my own one, but there is no guarantee some self-made gps receiver works.

With this price you can at least expect that it works well.

Edit: I hope this is for the Phat PSP!

Edit: when exactly is this released in Europe?