Well still unconfirmed, the wider industry has accepted that a successor to the PlayStation Portable is in the works, and PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai has continued to entertain rumour by fielding questions of how Sony will draw players away from its handheld competitors.
Speaking to the New York Times (via CVG ) , Hirai stated that "depending on the game, there are ones where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel...but you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you're able to use both in combination."
Hirai also went on to talk about the PSP Phone, and the trouble of differentiating the two platforms for consumers - the answer it seems, is in the marketing.
"We don't want gamers to be asking, what's the difference between that and a PSP," Mr. Hirai said. "We have to come up with a message that users will understand. It would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation's strengths intact."