Sony PSP Go preview

The PSP Go may have been the worst-kept secret of this year's E3 show, but Sony's press conference supplied the official details. The Go is smaller than the PSP 3000, has a slide-up screen and doesn't have a UMD (Universal Media Disc) drive. Nor does it have any game-changing upgrades, such as a touchscreen or second analogue stick. The Go will be available in the UK on 2 October for £250 -- a shocking hike on the US price of $250 (£150).

Here's a roundup of the Go's features and specs, as we understand them so far.

Form factor
The Go has a 97mm (3.8-inch) screen, compared to a 109mm screen on all previous PSP models. It's said to be 43 per cent lighter than the 3000, which means it would weigh in at about 110g. The Go's design is very reminiscent of that of the Sony mylo, with the screen sliding up to reveal the controls.

The d-pad and buttons are now positioned directly below the screen instead of on either side of it

Storage
The Go will offer 16GB of built-in flash memory, expandable via a Memory Stick Micro (M2) slot. There's no UMD drive on the Go. While that no doubt allows for the smaller size (and, we hope, the potential for better battery life), it also means there's no way to play existing PSP software you might own.

Controls
While the layout may be different, the control scheme on the Go is little changed from earlier PSP models: a four-way d-pad on the left, the standard quartet of geometrically coded Sony controls (circle, square, cross and triangle) on the right, select/start buttons in the middle, and the PlayStation home button to the left of the screen.

With the screen slid down, the controls are hidden

A second analogue control is always at or near the top of wish lists for PSP redesigns, so its absence is a disappointment. At the same time, sticking with the same control scheme means game compatibility between the Go and older PSPs is assured. It remains to be seen whether the single stick's placement -- closer to the centre of the control deck, rather than the outside right, where it sits on earlier PSPs -- will be problematic for seasoned PSP gamers. That said, the Go's control layout is more closely aligned to that of a traditional full-size PlayStation controller.

Wireless
In addition to Wi-Fi support, the Go adds Bluetooth capability to the Sony handheld platform for the first time. That should allow standard Bluetooth headsets (and, presumably, A2DP headphones and speakers) to pair with the Go.