More details on the US release of the PSP GPS and keyboard

by Andrew Yoon { May 22nd 2008 at 10:30AM }

It's taking long enough. GPS for PSP is available in many territories around the world, but the US has been trailing behind. Still scheduled for within the next twelve months, the American version of the GPS peripheral will have a few enhancements over its earlier incarnations. The navigation software, created by Tele Atlas, will run entirely in 3D. The software will be available on UMD, and as a downloadable to store directly on Memory Stick. It will be priced between $100 and $200, and will include a carmount. According to Gizmodo, the GPS experience may be enhanced in the US: "Sony is thinking about treasure hunts, friend locaters and other geo-coolness."

In addition, more details about the mysterious PSP keyboard have been unearthed: the keyboard will plug into the AV/headphone port at the bottom, and will flip over to cover the PSP screen when not in use. Other than that new tidbit, the keyboard remains an elusive mystery. Hopefully, we'll learn more during E3.

Tags: gps, keyboard

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nate @ May 22nd 2008 10:46AM

This can't come out soon enough. They should really try to make it closer to $100 then $200, since the low-end standalone GPS units start coming in at $200 and don't require the purchase of a $180 PSP.

LM2007 @ May 22nd 2008 11:05AM

This will only works with the slim version?

Don @ May 22nd 2008 11:37AM

If the keyboard only plugs into the a/v headphone port at the bottom, then yeah. Since the PSP Slim has a different a/v plug than the fat.

Dr. Strangepork @ May 22nd 2008 11:54AM

Did you mean will the GPS work with fat PSP? I was wondering that too.

willxcore @ May 22nd 2008 12:08PM

This would be cool, but would the PSP have to be connected to wifi for the GPS to work or would it receive the signal on its own? I assume the latter because you obviously can't stay connected to a single wifi source for the duration of a car ride. Honestly I would probably rather go with a touch screen gps for the car that would also play mp3s and sync with my phone via bluetooth.

reson8er @ May 22nd 2008 12:42PM

See my answer to this same question above.

Frankie @ May 22nd 2008 11:34AM

do u have to be by a Wifi signal in order for it to work? or can u travel with it without a wifi signal?

reson8er @ May 22nd 2008 11:49AM

GPS is satellite based, so no wi-fi connection is needed.

Lovely @ May 22nd 2008 11:58AM

I just want to stop getting lost everywhere I go ;_; ....

Jacksons @ May 22nd 2008 12:05PM

$100-200? That's the price of a standalone model with full touchscreen controls and an onscreen keyboard. I must be missing something.

pixelator @ May 22nd 2008 3:12PM

You can thank Bush, Greenspan and Bernanke for the US dollar being in the toilet. Things from overseas are costing us double what they used to (gas included).

nomad @ May 22nd 2008 12:58PM

lol here we go waiting another 2yrs. waiting for a 200 dollar gps when eu is paying 55 or 65 bucks. way to rip us off sony. if it came out when it was supose to 2 yrs ago it would be cheaper. sonys sales management are a buch of cave men the way they practice running a company. they are losers,lol. for 250 you can get a way better gps. man i waited these 2yrs now another yr or two for a 200 dollar gps. forget it sony it is to late. i think i will go buy a real gps now that you let me waist my time waiting for this,lol. sony belly up in 2 yrs,maybe one i hope. lol.

Alien @ May 22nd 2008 1:03PM

Keyboard ? Is this a real news ? * has an instant orgasm * Thanks god , Ive been waiting for this for sooooo long :D

bryansurvive @ May 22nd 2008 1:37PM

dont give me 3d, dont give me teasurehunts, dont offer to locate friends! just give me a gps slap a reasonable price and watch the money flow. Carmount should have been a giveaway not an additional price. what if i dont need a carmount anymore? the keyboard is pretty good news :) but not if its used for the 2000 and not my old school psp......jerks!

gumby @ May 22nd 2008 2:06PM

200 is freaking insane. I was super excited for this years ago when it was announced but I'm with the rest of you for 200 bucks I will just buy a new garmin.

redbrick @ May 22nd 2008 2:15PM

I agree, that's insane...$100 to 200 is WAYYYYY too expensive. The damn PSP is only $170. Get rid of those useless features and just make sure it's got every street / name and has excellent reception is all I care. You can toss that car mount.... in fact forget it... at that price... I'll just go buy a garmin portable. Keyboard...for homebrew? I guess since Sony can't make up the profits on PSP games...might as well gig us on the accessories front.

Bryan S. @ May 22nd 2008 2:42PM

wow, for $200 that's not even practical.

Kryptinite @ May 22nd 2008 2:43PM

If this doesn't come out sub 100 or exactly 100, there's no way I'm buying it.

borst @ May 22nd 2008 3:19PM

??? 100-200? For a GPS with no touch capability? you can buy an entry level standalone for 150. A much better investment.

Jorlin @ May 22nd 2008 6:39PM

A keyboard... would be great if 4.0 brings skype with chat funktion and a usable email client...

kameko @ May 31st 2008 1:13PM

yep pretty much agreed with what people are saying. 100-200$ is just ludicrous considering its just an addon while touchscreen garmins run even cheaper.

Glenn @ May 22nd 2008 7:25PM

I agree with everyone's comment--if it's closer to $200 than $100, most people probably won't consider it worth the price.

And the text input (for those of us who won't have/can't use the new keyboard) better not be the convoluted mess of PSP's default text-input system. Seriously, even if it's only 50 bucks, having a fat PSP means I won't be able to use the new keyboard, so if it uses the PSP's default input system, I'll just buy a standalone GPS unit.