PSP GPS Hands-On At CES

Sony had a handful of PSPs in its CES booth this year, two dedicated to Skype and one to its GPS accessory, which it released in Japan in late 2006 and plans to ship in North America at some point this year. While the display on the CES show floor was nothing more than an interactive demo, showing the device’s capabilities in video form only, reps confirmed a few facts about the final product. The GPS device will access map data from an included UMD that’s region specific, but updated country maps and 3D landmarks can be purchased and downloaded to a Memory Stick for those planning on traveling abroad. Sony plans to add major countries in Europe and Asia as downloadable add-ons, meaning PSP GPS owners will be spared carrying multiple discs if overseas.

And while Skype is strictly limited to PSP-2000 users, those still sporting an original PlayStation Portable can use the GPS attachment without problems. Release dates for North America and Europe aren’t finalised, but reps seemed confident that Westerners will be enjoying it this calendar year.