Sony has reiterated that it has "no plans" for a PlayStation Portable 2, despite recent rumours to the contrary.
Sony’s Director of Hardware Marketing John Kohler told AlleyInsider that he was familiar with internet rumblings on the subject, but backed up Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss David Reeves’ claim that the manufacturer had no intention of replacing the popular handheld.
All the rumours we’ve been hearing are based on misinterpretation, it seems. According to Kohler, Sony is pushing publishers towards download distribution of PSP games via the PlayStation Store, and some observers have mistaken this for a move towards a whole new platform.
Koller made no reference to a related report that another incremental hardware update, the PSP-4000, is in-bound for late 2009.
Eurogamer, the source of the most recent rumour, is standing by its claims: "our sources are adamant that Sony has specifically discussed both products with them, and that games are in development for a PSP successor, as we reported on Tuesday."
Whether Sony has a new PSP in the works or no, you can expect them to keep denying it. When your current generation handheld is your best-selling console on the market, the last thing you want to do is scupper its prospects by revealing a successor ahead of time.