Sony Kills the PSP Go

According to a report by AV Watch, Sony is apparently ending sales of the PSP Go portable gaming console in Japan. The PSP Go was launched in October 2009, and came with a new slider design, very different from the original PSP. Unlike its predecessors, it didn’t have a UMD drive, which was a flop anyway.

With the launch of the iPod Touch, Apple had taken a large chunk of the portable gaming market, but I don’t think that had much to do with Sony’s decision to kill the PSP Go, as Sony will continue to offer the PSP 3000 and it will also go ahead with the launch of the NGP, or the PSP 2, which should be launched by the end of 2011.

Sony recently launched the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which was largely inspired by the PSP Go, but came with phone capabilities and the Android OS. It is much better than the PSP Go, in terms of both, functionality and specifications.

One reason for the lack of popularity of the PSP Go could be its high initial price – $250 – which was higher than the PSP 3000. It was subsequently dropped to $199, but even then it failed to attract many buyers. Sony will continue to provide updates and support for the PSP Go.

Were you a big fan of the PSP Go? Let us know your views in the comments.

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