Sony to release touch screen PSP?

Rumors have been popping up that Sony may be jumping into the touch screen market, as soon as next year. Eurogamer reported yesterday that three separate developers had confirmed that they had received the prototype touchscreen PSP. According to these sources, the touch screen is located on the back face of the device, allowing users to use touch controls without obstructing view of the screen. So far, publishers are the only ones to have seen the device, and estimate that it may hit markets as soon as 2011. However, much that is “known” about the future console is speculation or rumor, and nothing about the device has been officially confirmed by Sony.

Although the device has yet to be seen by anyone other than developers, the news of a “touch-sensitive area on the back of the unit” calls forth memories of a viral video from almost exactly three years ago, which featured a device called LucidTouch. The semi-transparent mobile device, which has yet to see a mainstream release, is touch-sensitive on both the front and back faces, and is likely a good approximation of what the new Sony console will look like.

However, it seems that Sony has entered the fray quite late into the game; Nintendo, the major competitor in the gaming market, released their widely-popular Nintendo DS, a console famously features a touch screen, almost six whole years ago. Nintendo’s DS went on to become the best-selling handheld console of all time. On the other hand, sales of Sony’s PSP have lagged behind those of its competitor. Will Sony’s foray into the touch screen industry be enough to resurrect the PSP as a serious handheld gaming console, or are they joining the party a little too late to still be considered fashionable?

(via Eurogamer)

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Tagged as: PSP, rumor, Sony, touch screen