Sony Computer Entertainment will release a system software update for its PlayStation Portable (PSP) next week that will add several new functions to the handheld gaming device, including browse the Internet and download TV programs, the company said Thursday.
Chief among the additions to version 2.0 of the software will be a Web browser. Accessible from the PSP's main menu, the browser supports HTML 4.01 and will allow access to most Web sites.
Legit Wi-Fi
The PSP already has a wireless LAN for online gaming and for downloading software from the Internet, but Sony hasn't officially allowed users to browse the Web. However, users quickly found a way to exploit a Web browser included in the "Wipeout Pure" game to enable access to Web sites. Instructions for doing this can be found easily on the Internet, but the software update will make Web browsing both official and much easier.
Also new will be support for downloading video in the MPEG4 AVC format. This was demonstrated at an event in Tokyo Thursday by connecting a PSP with the new software to a PSP portal site that will be launched next week by SoNet, a Sony-affiliated Internet service provider in Japan. The portal will offer downloads of TV programs and other content. Prices for the service were not disclosed.
Other new features include the capability to transfer photos from one PSP to another via an ad hoc wireless LAN, and support for additional media formats including the AAC audio format.
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