By Joe Keiser
August 20, 2008
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The new PSP-3000 model will, according to the official PlayStation blog, feature an LCD screen with a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio.
Sony has revealed new product iterations for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable at Leipzig Games Convention Wednesday, as well as a wireless keyboard attachment for the PS3 controller.
The new version of the PS3 will come with a 160GB hard drive, which is twice as large as the 80GB drive being offered with current top-end PS3 consoles. According to a report on the official PlayStation blog, the new PS3 will hit US retail shelves in November as part of the newly announcedUncharted: Drake’s Fortune 160GB PS3 bundle; this bundle will come with the console, a copy of Uncharted, a PlayStation network voucher for Pain, and a Dual Shock 3 controller and will retail for $499.99.
The console will also come to Europe on October 31st for €449. According to a statement from Sony Europe, the console will be bundled with “additional PlayStation Network content”.
The PSP will also receive a hardware refresh for the holiday. The new PSP-3000 model will, according to the official PlayStation blog, feature an LCD screen with a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio compared to previous PSP models, as well as anti-glare technology to help players see the screen while playing outdoors. It will also have a built-in microphone and Skype telephony software. While the model will have some additional cosmetic changes, such as the replacement of the Home button with the PlayStation button, it will be largely identical in form to the previous PSP.
The PSP-3000 will retail for the same price as current PSP models in the US, replacing the PSP-2000 in both the $169.99 Core Pack and the previously announced PSP Entertainment Pack bundles. In Europe the new model will be made available in a series of bundle packs that will retail for €199. Each bundle will include a game, such as Buzz!, Harry Potter, or FIFA 09.
Announced for the US was one new PSP bundle. The PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack will ship with the PSP-3000 and a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo.
Finally, Sony International revealed the worldwide release of the PS3 Wireless Keypad. The Bluetooth-powered Wireless Keypad, once paired with the console via a USB connection, will attach to SixAxis and Dual Shock 3 controllers to allow for smoother text communication. It will also have a Touch Pad button that will turn the entire keypad surface into a touch pad, allowing for more intuitive use of the web browser. It will launch in late November in the US, and ship in multiple language configurations in the EU.

Pictures: PlayStation.Blog
wonder how much the keyboard will be.. I'll probably buy one regardless. Typing messages with the controlsticks/pad is like pulling teeth....
I love my built in keyboard on my xbox 360. I use it for msn all the time.
It's so convenient and fits on so nicely, I don't even feel it when I'm playing.
This PS3 version looks nice but I wonder if the control sticks and buttons would get in the way of my huge hands.
I also wonder if the buttons are back lit. The fact that I can use the PS3's web browser is really cool though.