$99 Ice White PSP Coming Soon

Over the past few years, we've seen various designs of the PSP. From different colors to brighter screens, it seems like each PSP was more functional than the last. Although the Vita has taken off already, it seems that Sony still refuses to drop the PSP hardware and, this time, has come up with an interesting budget model. 

The Ice White PSP set at $99.

The "Ice White" PlayStation Portable will actually lack features that its previous models boasted. This PSP, along with the PSP E-1000 -- a European exclusive, has no video out, only a single mono speaker, and no WiFi capabilities. 

Though the console is only $99, it seems like its lack of WiFi is a poor choice. Many of the PSP's features and games make use of WiFi, not to mention the PlayStation Store (which seems especially odd with Sony's push for digital content). 

It seems like this budget PSP is being geared towards people who don't want to drop the extra cash for a Vita but, in all seriousness, this PSP lacks too many features to entertain the interests of a potential Vita buyer. 

It seems to me, like one would be better off purchasing a second hand PSP 3000 that would have more features and cost around the same price. 

PS1 Games on The Vita?

The more I read up on people's critiques and criticisms of the PlayStation Vita, the more I see the same single request - support for PS1 games on the handheld. It seems strange to me that Sony didn't include this feature at launch, and still hasn't given Vita owners the ability to play PS1 classics. After all, PS1 games play on the PSP and the Vita is supposed to be a more powerful console, right? The only reasoning I can see behind Sony's actions is that their are some sort of licensing issues between Sony and the games' developers.

A shot of the PS1 emulator in action on the PS Vita.

Apparently, because Sony has yet to act, an unknown dev has reported that he has been able to access the PS1 emulator within the Vita's PSP emulator and boot, at least some, original PlayStation roms. It has been reported that the unknown developer is planning on releasing a hack after working out some audio issues.

The news of this has excited a lot of the PS Vita scene. I, personally, have mixed feelings on the topic. In my opinion, it is healthy for their to be homebrew development for a console but, like always, homebrew leads to piracy. I would hate to see the Vita fall due to piracy, much like some say happened with the PSP. The Vita is an amazing handheld and still has a lot of potential, the best case scenario would be for Sony to release a stable and legitimate method of running original PlayStation games.

There is also a video from the unknown developer of him demonstrating a PS1 game running on the Vita.

Jet Set Radio to be Released on Vita

One of the Sega Dreamcast's most iconic titles, Jet Set Radio (Jet Grind Radio in North America), has been announced for the PlayStation Vita alongside the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. Jet Set Radio, known for its distinct graphics, is a game where you rule the streets through inline skating and graffiti, amongst other things. Because of the uniqueness of the game, it has a large following -- even to this day. A huge stir of excitement has been created by fans of the game who have wanted to see an HD release of the game, which first saw the light of day over 10 years ago.

Jet Set Radio looks amazing in its original form due to its use of cel-shading, a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn [wiki], and will surely be seen as eye candy in high definition. The Vita release will be at the same time as its console counterparts and will make use of the handheld's touch screen.

Sony to Partner with OnLive?

Its no lie that Sony has been pushing cloud technology lately within the company's PlayStation Network. For example, PS+ subscribers already have access to features, such as cloud storage, to backup game saves. 

Apparently, word has gotten out that Sony plans to somehow integrate cloud gaming via the most likely contender, OnLive. 

For those who don't know, OnLive is a platform in which gamers can play videogames via the cloud on a number of platforms from PCs & Macs to iPads and even hardware stripped netbooks through streaming. Streaming is what makes OnLive unique and desirable to companies like Sony, because no longer would gamers have to spend time, sometimes hours, waiting for a game or demo to download. The ability of instant digital gameplay would be a huge attraction to PlayStation over its competition. 

The PS Vita could easily benefit from a service like OnLive as one of the most controversial issues with the handheld is its proprietary, and necessary, memory cards. If games could be streamed to the Vita via WiFi, gamers could opt for a smaller capacity memory card improving the affordability of the console. 

It seems that PS+ will have a major role, in regards to tweets from a couple company related VIPs. It has also been made clear that more of this will be announced from Sony during E3.