One thing that struck me at yesterday's Playstation Day event - other than Sony's increasingly justified optimism surrounding the PS3 - was how the PSP has suddenly become increasingly vital. Often overshadowed as a pure games machine by the innovation of the DS, Sony's handheld seems to have finally come of age. There was a stack of interesting stuff of PSP stuff on show. The gaming side was well catered for - the innovative Echocrome was a highlight - but it is in the wider entertainment area that the PSP really shines.
First up was confirmation of Go View, Sony's tie-up with Sky, which launches in the UK on June 30th. The service allows anyone in the UK - no Sky subscription necessary - to download films/sport/TV to their PC's before transferring over to the PSP to watch. Exact content and - crucially - pricing have yet to be finalised and obviously these will make or break the service. But keep it cheap, and flexible, and Go View could be huge.
Similarly interesting was PlayTV. Yes technically this is a bit of kit for the PS3 - it turns your console into a freeview PVR - but the apparent ease of exporting your saved TV to your PSP makes this just as much about the handheld. PlayTV will launch in September for 99 euros - which will probably be 99 quid the way exchange rates are going.
And there was Go Explore, the PSP's sat-nav system, which launches in June. A quick play on the show floor suggested this could be a viable - and potentially cheaper, though again prices remain unconfirmed - way to get satnav.
Finally the announcement that older PSP games will soon be available for download to memory stick will be welcomed by anyone who hates those UMD loading times. So there we go. Connectivity with the PS3 and a host of exciting software services - the PSP has suddenly become very interesting indeed. Sold? Or sticking with your DS?
