According to AV Watch, Sony has announced that it’s ending sales of its PSP Go portable gaming console. Sony let the wraps off of the PSP Go in June 2009, and while it is both smaller and lighter than the PSP, that comes at the cost of a UMD gaming cartridge slot. The requirement to side-load games or purchase them over the air no doubt played a role in Sony’s poor hardware and software sales in Japan. While the Japanese firm will no longer produce the PSP Go, it will continue to offer device support for repairs and updates. Sony said it will focus its efforts on the PSP-3000 and its successor, currently codenamed “NGP.”

[Via Engadget]

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Just a few days before Sony’s upcoming E3 press conference, the company’s next generation handheld gaming device, the PSP Go, has been given some unofficial specifications, starred in a hands-on preview video courtesy of Qore and previewed in some leaked press photos. The upcoming PSP Go will be a UMD-less slider that features the following specs:

• 3.8-inch display of unknown resolution
• 43 percent lighter than the current PSP-3000
• 16GB of flash memory
• Integrated Bluetooth with mobile phone tethering and BT headset support
• Memory Stick Micro slot
• New Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet and Metal Gear Solid games
• Full PlayStation Network support (TV and movie rentals/purchases) and integration with the PlayStation 3

The PSP Go is expected to be available this fall and will be sold alongside the current PSP-3000. Hit the jump for some more close-ups of this Mylo 2 look alike along with the Qore video.

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We’ve heard some rumors about an upcoming PSP refresh in the past — ok, a whole lot of rumors — but new information is casting doubt upon the details of previous information. 1UP is reporting that the new PSP will be christened the PSP Go! and will finally do away with that awful UMD system while taking on a slider form. In place of UMDs, it is said the PSP Go! will come in 8GB and 16GB models meaning a green light for game downloads. As for games, Sony is reportedly planning to have around 100 old and new games ready for launch time. Sadly those of you who were looking for a bit of dual-joystick action will be disappointed to note that according to this new rumor, a second analog stick will not be added to the right-hand side. Such is life, we suppose. Word is Sony will make the PSP Go! official at E3 next month and have it hit the streets in Japan in September with a US launch in either late October or early November — ensuring its inclusion in plenty of letters to Santa. And yes, the image above is a mock up.

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