Online rumours sparked by insider gossip directed to gaming blog Kotaku, suggests that PSP2 is coming, and could even be out this year. Repeated rumours emerging since the Lite's appearance had suggest that revised a was on he way, possibly sporting a smaller form-factor and longer battery life than the present handheld. Now speculation appears to be gaining pace, with this fresh news doing the rounds.

According to Kotaku, PSP2 is definitely on the way, and has been confirmed by insiders, with several high-profile publishers now hoping to deliver game releases to tie-in with the launch of the new system. In a twist to the tale, however, are apparently keeping quiet on exactly when this debut will be, leaving game makers guessing and increasing the likelihood that the new PSP will launch unaccompanied by third-party titles.

A redesigned portable from Sony should in fact be announced at E3 this summer, and a release could also be offered at this juncture (with this autumn / winter currently mooted). Kotaku's report also boats a list of upcoming improvements, though its worth noting that such a list would be fairly easy to create with a little common sense anyway. None the less, we're told to expect a better screen, faster loading, improved buttons, 8GB internal flash memory and UMD support. Possibles also include a touch screen and built-in camera.

Idle gossip for now, but who knows. More soon, we hope.

By Luke Guttridge