New functionality? Perhapps

Still not convinced that you want to spend $250 on a PSP Go? Well, what if I told you that there's more to it than you realized? For you see, Sony plan on turning the device into more than just a pocket gaming system. Possibly. In a special CNET video, Playstation's Al De Leon showcases the PSP Go, and states that the Playstation Store will be used "mostly be games, but there's an opportunity to look at non-gaming applications."

It's fairly obvious that, once again, Apple have provided some inspiration. The success of the iPhone App Store proves that customers are happy paying very little, if anything at all, for quick applications and software that add useful functionality to their system. I understand why Sony would want to position their latest handheld as a device for this sort of thing, but can they possibly hope to compete?

I mean, look at the iPhone. It has a multi-touch screen, camera, microphone, accelerometers, GPS, and built-in 3G support, all of which can be used in a wide variety of applications. The PSP Go has none of these things. In fact, it's only real input method is the standard controller buttons, which don't exactly lend themselves very well to anything other than gaming. Even the simplest of tools, such as an internet browser or email client, will be tough to use without a keyboard (as current PSP fans should know).

And what about the cost of said applications? The iPhone App Store has become so popular because of the large number of free programs, or at least super-cheap ones. I just can't imagine Sony opening their doors to any Joe Schmo and allowing him to create programs for the PSP Go. No, they can't allow a thing like that, or software developers won't want to pay licencing fees for their downloadable games anymore, and that's where Sony make a lot of money. Instead, I have a feeling that we'll be getting larger applications from semi-professional studios, all of which will cost some dough.

Finally, it's best not to forget that the PSP Go adds no real functionality over the current model, so there's no reason why every application wouldn't work on the PSP you already have! As I said before, it's a shame that Sony are asking for so much because I really do like the idea of a smaller, lighter console, but until they show me a good reason to upgrade, I'm sticking with the one I have.