Europe gets all the fun stuff! Watch David Reeve's PlayStation Day presentation about the PSP, which talks about two key PSP products available across the Atlantic: PlayTV and Go!Explore. PlayTV gives PSP owners access to DVR content, through connectivity with PS3. Go!Explore is an affordable GPS utility, which adds yet another fancy tool to PSP's ever-expanding features list. C'mon, SCEA! Give us GPS ... now!

A supposedly leaked PowerPoint presentation revealed some potentially new accessories from Sony. If this information turns out to be true, PSP owners can anticipate a new traveler case and Media Manager software this coming April/May. Both will retail for $20. More exciting, however, is the potential for a Skype Headset Kit. Currently, PSP owners must purchase two separate accessories in order for Skype to work. Providing one easy to purchase solution is far more ideal.

The same PowerPoint presentation also mentions that SCEA is planning to release the GPS peripheral in America for under $150. Unfortunately, when asked for comment, a SCEA rep informed us that "any information is speculation and rumor."

We know GPS is coming to PSP some time this year (in fact, we predicted it). So, when we see the peripheral being touted at GDC at Sony's booth on the show floor, our interest gets piqued. Considering the booth was underground, the device apparently had trouble figuring out a precise location. Oh well.

Let's hope for more news on an official release soon.

[Via Engadget]

Go!Explore is the European branding of PSP's GPS system. And, now it has a price. There will be three ways to purchase the system, depending on what accessories you'd like with it:

• GPS receiver and UMD (including maps of the relevant country): RRP €119
• GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP €149
• PSP, GPS receiver, UMD (including maps), Car Adaptor and Car Mount: RRP €299

The following territories will be initially available: UK/Ireland, France, Germany / Austria / Switzerland, Spain / Portugal, Italy. When you travel on foot, you'll be able to see cities in full 3D. You can select a destination, and watch landmarks and other POIs appear on the screen. You can also download new maps and upgrades from the PS Store.

The system's release has been set for Spring of this year.

The Consumer Electronics Show has been big for the PSP. Sony officially revealed plans for Skype on the PSP. Now, they've shown off GPS navigation for use with the PSP. The peripheral has been readily available in Japan for quite some time now, but this is the first official sign that the US will also receive the device.

The Sony CES website reveals that the peripheral will work with navigation software, provided on UMD. "Your PSP will provide 2D/3D locations, driving directions, POI's, and even downloadable city guides. With an easy search feature feature and customizable settings, GPS on PSP is the easiest way to navigate new areas and new cities."

An official release date and price have yet to be revealed, but we're glad to see it's finally coming. Hey, didn't we predict GPS coming out this year?

[Thanks, kspraydad!]

Tired of waiting for SCEA to bring the official GPS peripheral to the States? A cable manufacturer is trying to ease the pain by allowing you to connect standard third party GPS devices to the PSP. Obviously, it'll require a bit of tricky "haxz0rzing," but there's plenty of documentation on how to make your PSP an affordable GPS device. With a new upcoming cable, it'll even work on the new PSP-2000 systems.

[Via Engadget]

At Leipzig today, Sony unveiled Go!Explore, the European version of the PSP GPS accessory. In collaboration with TeleAtlas and NavNGo, the satellite navigation package will be available next year. Key features include being able to use 3D city maps and even see 3D landmarks "in certain key areas."

There will be seven geographic versions, each focusing on a different territory: UK/Ireland, Iberia, France, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Italy, Benelux, and Scandinavia. Each UMD will feature 11 unique audio languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish. Go!Explore will also be upgradeable through the PlayStation Network, and will be able to access new maps, points of interest, and other upgrades.

See the full press release, after the break.

Sorry, Colin! The headline simply can't reveal how many small details were revealed in Stephen Totilo's incredibly extensive interview John Koller for MTV News. In the interview Koller revealed that all upcoming PSP games developed by Sony will take advantage of the system's full 333MHz speed, with no negative impact to battery life. Other accessories for the US include the upcoming GPS peripheral, which is currently being "tweaked" with an expected release in the next 10-12 months. The PSP camera "may get a spec change" before coming to America -- but the TV tuner will never make its way to the US.

Bringing downloadable games to PSP is one of the next things to tackle for Sony. echochrome was originally meant to be a downloadable PSN game for PSP, but it became much larger than anticipated. "It was initially going to be a download-service-only game," Koller said. "We changed it to a UMD because it's a very rich game. That's where their mind is. They're developing that kind of game." Thankfully, other downloadable PSP games are in the works. When can we expect them? In the next six to eight months.

In regard to the homebrew scene, Koller says that there were no talks between Sony and Dark_Alex, saying that "I think he's taking a hiatus." For even more, please visit MTV News for more.

Watch out Nintendo, you're not the only one catering to the mom crowd. Sony's GPS-enhanced Minna no Golf series allows golfers to get data on real-world courses in Japan. A new lengthy ad in Japan highlights the PSP's GPS capabilities, and is targeted solely at the adult crowd. Is Sony trying to broaden their appeal? Certainly. However, will someone that picks up a PSP for the sole purpose of GPS pick up any other game on the system? Most likely not. Thankfully, Sony's going to release a handful of different UMDs with different golf courses to explore. That should make their golf-targeted endeavor more than profitable. Check out the ad, after the cut.

While the rest of the world watches, GPS continues to gain support and popularity in Japan. The latest commercial for Minna no Golf showcases a happy woman playing golf. Then, she uses the GPS device on her PSP to get details on the course she's actually playing on. Yatta!

It's interesting to see SCEJ promote the GPS peripheral so strongly in Japan. Certainly, the diminutive device deserves to get all the attention it can get. When will the rest of the world be able to join in?

[Update: IGN has revealed more details about the GPS support of Minna no Golf Ba. The game spans two UMDs due to the incredible size of these maps. "The first disk will include sixteen courses from southern Chiba along with one special course. The second disk will include fifteen courses from northern Chiba." Additional volumes are planned to be released later on, featuring even more golf courses throughout Japan.]

The GPS accessory for PSP isn't even announced for US release, but that hasn't stopped it from picking up some serious accolades. Our sister site, Engadget, proudly nominated the GPS device, most likely due to its innovative integration with games, truly compact size, and generally affordable price point. The PSP GPS must compete against other devices, such as Garmin nüvi 660, Mio c710, Pharos iGPS-500, and TomTom GO 910. When we last checked, Sony's peripheral wasn't doing too poorly, grabbing more than 20% of the vote. Not bad for a device with such a limited availability, no?

If you own the GPS accessory for your handheld and want to rock the vote, visit Engadget now.

"We want to get kids off the couch," Rahul Sood, chief technology officer of HP's gaming division, said during a presentation on their new Mscape technology. Their handheld technology takes advantage of GPS navigation and accelerometers, similar to the ones found in Nintendo Wii. The basic premise is to allow players to actively play in real environments, such as a park. CNET's Tom Krazit explains: "The early concept involves a handheld and a series of small sensors that a game organizer could lay out around a city or park. Those sensors would trigger certain events in the game, like a bonus level or an attack by the bad guys, based on a small demonstration of the concept here."

While HP will most likely avoid actually manufacturing a console to compete against Sony and Nintendo, the technology is certainly intriguing. Will Sony or Nintendo's next portable feature this inspiring Mscape tech? Or will a new portable from Microsoft or Dell take advantage of it?

While the rest of the world has been denied access to PSP's GPS accessory, Sony is releasing a more advanced version of Minna no Chizu, the GPS software, in Japan. The new software, which must be purchased in stores, includes some new features:

• Petamap: a database of user-submitted points of interest.
• PlaceEngine: software that determines your location based on nearby wi-fi points
• Pedestrian navigation routes, which include shortcuts through parks, tunnels, etc.
• Disaster relief centers: just in case.

Many Americans have been wondering when the GPS accessory will ever be made available for use here. Unfortunately, Sony hasn't been too keen on releasing details. (Maybe when, or if, they release new colors?) Interested individuals can import the title, but note that US support will require the use of homebrew. Or play lots of Metal Gear Solid.

[Via PSP-Vault]

GameBrink has a review up of the PSP's GPS for the curious. While the GPS seems to be a great add-on for Japaneses PSP owners, it isn't nearly as useful for those outside of Japan. While homebrew GPS software does exist for the device, it can't compare to the official software or other GPS devices on the market. So maybe PSP owners should get their GPS fix in a different manner, unless it gets released around here that is.

To read the full review, check out GameBrink.

[Via Evil Avatar]

Do you have the official PSP GPS accessory? Wish it would ... well, work outside of Japan? No worries. Deniska has updated the popular homebrew GPS application, MAP THIS! to now include support for the official GPS accessory. You'll need open-edition firmware 3.03 OE-B to run this beta application.

While the homebrew community is making incredible strides with projects like this, and support for full-frame video, we at PSP Fanboy are scratching our heads, wondering when Sony will ever "officially" catch up. Certainly, Sony Computer Entertainment of America wouldn't want to snub American PSP owners ... or do they? (Look at the lack of other colors, for starters.) For those that can run homebrew, now's the best time to pick up a GPS device from Play-Asia.

[Via DCEmu]