Sony's next generation portable entertainment system, codename for NGP.
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. on Thursday announced details on the latest version of its portable entertainment system, which the company said delivers an unparalleled portable gaming experience.
The device is known as NGP, Next Generation Portable, and is set to make its formal debut toward the end of 2011.
NGP encompasses an interactive gaming experience powered by a ARM® Cortex™-A9 core CPU giving it the power to provide Wi-Fi, 3G network and Bluetooth connectivity.
In a statement, the Sony Computer Entertainment said the NGP is designed to offer the best experience in interactive entertainment that is only available through the PlayStation system. The new portable system offers a new combination of high-quality gaming and social networking capabilities in a real-time context that is all made possible by using SCE’s knowledge from developing the portable PSP system and its PlayStation 3 system.
“It is Sony’s first cross-platform endeavor,” said Kazuo Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony’s game arm. “The possibilities to produce new kinds of entertainment are endless.”
The NGP includes two cameras, front and back, 5-inch multi-touch display screen with vivid graphics for both gaming and networking. Unlike other portable gaming devices, this one features two analog sticks, enabling a larger variety of games to be played. The device also includes a second touch pad on the back that add new dimension to gaming by allowing players to make a wider variety of movements.
“Times have changed, from an era where you had to carry around a dedicated gaming device like the PlayStation Portable to play games on the go,” Hirai said. “Now you can enjoy casual games on cell phones, smartphones, tablet PCs and many other multifunctional portable devices, and these casual gamers are growing rapidly in number. Sony cannot ignore this growing market.”
He added, “On the other hand, I feel it is Sony’s mission to pursue and expand the market for the kind of gaming that PlayStation has long built up.”