Sony has officially unveiled the successor to it’s portable console, the PlayStation Portable 2 or if you follow the company’s new namesake, the NGP or Next Generation Portable.

So why is it called the Next Generation Portable?  The PSP2 has specs that’ll make the current high-end smartphones go shy.  The PSP2 features a high-resolution, touch-sensitive OLED screen that’s larger than the original PSP screen, tilt-sensitive SIXAXIS controls, dual analog sticks, front and back-facing cameras, and a touch sensitive back panel.  How powerful is it?  Well if you believe Sony’s press release, they say it’s as powerful as a PlayStation 3 (of course without real benchmarks, that sounds like marketing speak no?) and there’s enough videos from the unveiling event to warrant a second look from even the most casual gamer.  Why?  Take a good look at that screen.  Yes, it’s a lot bigger than the original 4.3″ PSP screen but it packs 4x more pixels.

No, there won’t be a UMD on the back of this thing, Sony is really dead-set on going digital (which is a good thing IMO) but it’s still unclear on what sort of flash memory is being used.

In terms of connectivity, the PlayStation Portable 2 features the all too common WiFi module and for those willing to fork out some cash for an all around cell-based internet connection, a 3G module.

PlayStation Portable 2 AKA Next Generation Portable Specifications

• CPU: ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
• GPU: SGX543MP4+
• External Dimensions: Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
• Rear touch pad: Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
• Cameras: Front camera, Rear camera
• Sound: Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone
• Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
• Location: Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi location service support
• Keys / Switches: PS button, Power button, Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), Shoulder buttons (Right/Left), Right stick, Left stick, START button, SELECT button, Volume buttons
• Wireless communications: Mobile network connectivity (3G), IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode), Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR ?A2DP/AVRCP/HSP?

Too much info? Here’s an infographic brought to you by kotaku:

No world on pricing yet but the PlayStation Portable 2 will be out this holiday season in Japan.  Yes, by December, Japan will be flooded with these powerful portable consoles.  Capcom better have a Monster Hunter game out for the  platform by then :).