Sony halving NGP RAM - rumour
Online reports claim cost-cutting measures to bring price in line with 3DS
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Sony may be planning to halve the originally intended amount of RAM in the NGP handheld, as a means to reduce the device's price.
French website 01net claims that the version of the NGP without 3G capabilities will only feature 256MB instead of 512MB RAM. The amount of VRAM graphics memory is reported to stand at 128MB.
It is also suggested that the cheaper non-3G model will not include internal flash memory, but instead rely on a traditional memory stick. The site suggests that this is unlikely to be too problematic, while claiming that the size of the console's operating system has also been cut.
01net reports that the cuts are to ensure closer price competition with the Nintendo 3DS, which currently sells at $249.99 in the US and a maximum of £229.99 in the UK.
The French site has a good track record of reporting, particularly regarding Sony products, but no further official announcements are expected for the NGP until the E3 expo next month.
Sony released a basic set of technical specifications when the NGP was first released earlier in the year, but did not specify the amount of onboard memory.