August 20 - 11:45am EDT   (Updated with US info) Sony today used the Leipzig Games Convention as the venue for revealing its third revision of the PlayStation Portable. Known internally as the PSP 3000, the gaming handheld now has a built-in mic for VoIP calls (eliminating the need for the Skype PSP headset) as well as in-game chat and any other software that needs voice recording. A new LCD is also present and improves both the color range as well as the contrast over the original version of the 4.3-inch display. [full story]

August 14 - 1:00pm EDT   Sony's rumored third-generation PSP may be real, new filings suggest. A new version of Sony's gaming handheld has appeared at the FCC, where it has undergone testing for its wireless components. All new wireless products in the US must undergo safety and interference testing at the FCC, even if they are only minor revisions of an existing device. The PSP uses 802.11b Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet or a PS3. [full story]

August 12 - 4:05pm EDT   As promised, Sony on Tuesday announced the availability of its newest entertainment pack, which includes a special edition PSP gaming console. The limited edition bundle combines a metallic blue PSP portable gaming console with the newly released Madden NFL 09 game and other accessories. The Madden NFL 09 Limited Edition Bundle also include the NFL's In Just One Play UMD movie, a 1GB Memory Stick Duo and a voucher that will allow buyers to download the Beats game from the PlayStation Network for free, saving users roughly $10. [full story]

July 22 - 7:55am EDT   Sony is allegedly readying a third iteration of the PlayStation Portable that would reflect changes to the PSP itself as well as its relationship with the PlayStation 3, if a set of leaked shots from China prove accurate. The device known so far as the PSP-3000 would incorporate a built-in microphone below the screen that would make it more immediately useful for Skype calls as well as in-game chat; it would also have redesigned buttons, including a home button relabeled with the PS logo to bring it into line with the PS3. [full story]

July 15 - 3:50pm EDT   Sony on Tuesday announced that it would launch a lower-cost PlayStation 3 with an 80GB hard drive. The new version will have the $399 price and "same functionality" as the 40GB model but hold twice the storage, leaving more room for movies from the company's new PlayStation video service as well as more downloadable game content and personal media. Sony doesn't say whether the functionality will include software emulation of PS2 titles or whether the system will ship standard with a Dual Shock 3 gamepad. [full story]

July 15 - 3:35pm EDT   Sony at its E3 press gathering this afternoon formally introduced a Video section to the console side of the PlayStation Store. Users of the PlayStation 3 will be able to buy or rent content from most major studios, including not just its own Sony Pictures but also Disney, Fox, NGM, Paramount, Warner, and other smaller studios. The company is uniquely one of the first to allow TV show purchases in HD as well as in standard definition, and prices them at $2 each; movies can be rented in either resolution for typical prices of $3 to $4, with permanent movie downloads selling for $10 to $20. [full story]

July 15 - 7:45am EDT   Logitech is expanding its game controller lineup for E3 with new PlayStation 3 and Wii peripherals. The Driving Force Wireless wheel is Logitech's first to go without a direct connection to the Sony console and uses a custom 2.4GHz adapter and transmitter that are said to be lag-free. The device is built to never need an elaborate setup to be comfortable for driving; a built-in rest lets the new wheel sit on a lap, armrest, or most other common gaming spots without having to construct a special driving environment. [full story]

July 14 - 4:20pm EDT   About two weeks later than originally promised, Sony and Sky have today launched the Go!View video-on-demand service for the PlayStation Portable gaming system. The Go!View service will allow users to transfer content downloaded via PC TV to their PSPs. Subscribers will be able to download TV shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Top Gear, among others, as well as FA Premier League soccer and full-length movies. [full story]

June 30 - 3:15pm EDT   Sony is exploring the development of a likely game-oriented touchscreen device that may also be a communicator, according to a newly published US patent filing. A patent shows a handheld touch device that would allow both direct and gesture-based input and which would also provide force feedback across the entire display through a system known as "tactile pixels;" a grid of small bumps would lift to reach the screen and help simulate physical button presses or other effects based on touch input. [full story]

June 27 - 9:30am EDT   Sony's PlayStation 3 video service (now part of Life on PlayStation) may not have extra support from other studios and will rely tightly on integration with Sony's own formats, according to sources speaking to Variety editor Ben Fritz. The console maker has allegedly talked to major studios about offering their movies through the PS3 and PlayStation Network but so far hasn't negotiated any deals, leaving the current offering only to Sony Pictures titles. [full story]

June 26 - 10:15am EDT   Sony will expand its PlayStation 3 system with a video download service in the summer, the company has confirmed both through an official document on its company strategy as well as statements made by Sony Computer Enteraintment chief Kaz Hirai. The electronics giant's PlayStation Network will be one of its first services to start offering downloadable video and should start with a US-based service for the PS3 in the summer; the PSP will also have access to a service available later this year. [full story]

June 25 - 4:05pm EDT   Sony is reviving talk of a PlayStation-branded gaming phone that may also mark a split between itself and Ericsson for at least one model, according to multiple sources speaking to Marketing Week. Separate contacts in Sony's native Japan as well as Korea tell the magazine that the phone would include elements of the PSP gaming handheld and that the process would be relatively simple, as components such as Wi-Fi are already well-suited to the device. [full story]

May 30 - 9:00pm EDT   Rock fans and would-be rock stars can now show their pride with their iPods and other handheld devices. GHskinz.com has released guitar-themed skins that can add some rock-and-roll flavor to the iPod touch and the iPhone as well as the Nintendo DS Lite and the Sony PSP video game systems. The company was built around designing skins for the games "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band," allowing players to make the game's guitar-shaped controllers sport more than 20 different stylized designs, some inspired by Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zack Wylde. [full story]

May 21 - 3:30pm EDT   Sony today gave the PSP a seasonal update with the introduction of the Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack. The special-run version of the handheld console gives the PSP a metallic blue tint and ships the system with enough to get the user started on the game: in addition to the new Madden sequel, the Sony bundle comes with a 1GB Memory Stick to save games and an UMD video disc of the NFL's In One Play. A coupon also comes in the box good for a download of the game Beats that can be sideloaded to the PSP from a host PC. [full story]

May 8 - 7:50pm EDT   Resellers in the US today began stocking the PSP Headset Kit for Skype, the earpiece and remote combo designed to take advantage of the VoIP service on the handheld console. Sony's American release follows just days after the Japanese launch and mirrors its functionality, with both street-style earphones, an adjustable boom mic, and a remote control for managing volume without reaching for the PSP itself. [full story]