[singlepic id=428 w=320 h=240 float=left] As many surmised, Sony today announced not just the oft-rumored PlayStation Android application (hmm, no iOS or WP7 support? Clever move, Sony, and telling. We know who’s in your sights!) but also the PSP2, which they’re currently referring to as “NGP”–short for Next Generation Portable.
Not too much is really surprising about the device (except that almost all the rumors turned out to be true), as it packs a quad core ARM9 processor and a quad core PowerVR GPU along with what will no doubt be a gorgeous OLED screen with a nice resolution of 960×544.
But what’s most interesting about PSP2 is that it seems Sony’s finally eschewed development of proprietary processors and graphics engines in favor of industry standard components. The ARM9 will appear in numerous devices launching this year and next (indeed, nVidia’s Tegra 3 is based around a quad core ARM9), making it a good choice for any new portable device, especially given that they’re aiming to launch the PlayStation Suite across numerous platforms including Android cell phones and tablets.