Rumour: PSP 2 shown to publishers

Update: Sony's Michael Denny has weighed in on the rumor, stating there is nothing to announce at the moment. Get his full response to GI.biz below.

Original:  According to Eurogamer, Sony's vision for its next PSP is roughly the same size as the PSP-3000 and includes touch controls on the reverse of the unit.

Three separate development sources have told the site they have seen and used the new PSP, describing the screen as rich and detailed, although they say by far the biggest feature is the way games are controlled by a touch-sensitive area behind the screen.

According to the sources, Sony is showcasing the unfinished handheld to publishers at the moment using several first-party games, with a business model for the device already decided.

Eurogamer's source said he expects the PSP 2 to launch by the end of 2011, although another believes it won't be seen for at least a couple of years.

This would tie-in with what we've been told previously in respect of the announcement of the device, which our source told us would take place at gamescom or TGS  in September.

UPDATE

"We don't have anything to announce and nor are we giving anything away if we say we’re always looking at the future as well," Sony's senior vice president of Worldwide Studios Europe told GI.biz.

"For now, we’re still concentrating on the PSP as a very attractive proposition.

"It's natural that in the lifecycle of a platform as the cost comes down they do skew younger and we’re having a lot of success with the more child-friendly products on the PSP and it’s certainly a great proposition to buy in on, and the PSP has life left in it yet."