E3 ‘07: PSP Gets (Slight) Redesign, Out in September

Sony’s E3 2007 press conference is currently underway, and started off with one of the biggest announcements of the evening, a redesigned version of their PlayStation Portable.

Don’t expect anything in the wake of a second analogue stick, or any gameplay altering changes though. Minor “upgrades” to the handheld were made, with a little bit of fat trimming that makes the system 33% weight reduction and 19% thinner, and the much needed improvements regarding battery life. While specifics weren’t mentioned on how much the battery efficiency has been improved, they do note that games will load up quite faster — thank God!

Perhaps the biggest change you will see is the ability to display your PSP’s video and game content directly on an HDTV. While it was being demoed, however, it was noted that you cannot view both screens at the same time.

The redesigned version will start to hit retail in September in two different USD $199.99 bundle packs. First is a bundle pack that comes packed in with one of the PSP’s better games, Daxter, a 1 GB Memory Stick, and the Family Guy Frickin’ Sweet Collection on UMD.

The crowd became slightly puzzled when a man (presumably Phil Harrison) in a Chewbacca outfit donned the stage to introduce a decked-out Star Wars-themed PSP that will come bundled with the PSP exclusive game, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.

(Thanks, Joystiq.)