Sony Computer Entertainment revealed details and specifications for its handheld, the PSP. SCE described the PSP as the "21st-century Walkman," showing confidence in the company's product, which utilizes a number of high-end components. The PSP consist of two microprocessors, an advanced sound engine, a 3D graphics engine, a 4.5-inch 16:9-format TFT LCD screen, and a number of connection capabilities.

The PSP run under two 32-bit MIPS R4000 microprocessors, described by SCE president Ken Kutaragi as each having 10 times the clock speed of the PlayStation´s CPU and the same amount of power as the PlayStation 2's CPU. One of the microprocessors used as the CPU, and the other  utilized as an engine dedicated to handling media such as movies and music with its own 2MB of memory. Although the PSP's main memory is 8MB, Kutaragi commented that it is an extraordinary volume for a handheld game console. In general, all the components used in  the PSP   are  designed

for low energy consumption since it is a portable device, and the microprocessors feature a low-voltage (1.2V) design.

The GPU (graphics processor unit) work as both a 3D rendering engine and a surface drawing engine. Morphing, tessellation, and other rendering abilities are supported by hardware to reduce the loads on programs. The GPU come with 2MB of VRAM and a bus with a 5.3gbps transfer rate. In theory, the PSP able to handle a maximum of 33 million polygons a second. In terms of sound, the PSP feature 3D sound and 7.1 channels, adopting the use of a digital signal processor named the VME (Virtual Mobile Engine). The VME is a technology developed by Sony for use in its portable MD and MP3 players, and it allows sounds to be processed with less energy consumption compared with traditional DSPs (digital sound processors). As firmware, the VME can be updated to the latest instruction codes when required. The PSP's VME will also allow playback of MP3-, AAC-, and ATRAC3-format music under SCE's current plans.

The control buttons for the PSP are similar to the PlayStation joypad--there circle, cross, triangle, square, R1, L1, start, and select buttons, as well as a directional pad and an analog stick. As revealed in prior announcements, the PSP read proprietary 60mm wide optical disks named UMDs (universal media discs) that can hold up to 1.8GB. The PSP support advanced-video-coding-format MPEG4s that have high compression rates, and one UMD can contain up to two hours of DVD-quality video. There is an advanced encryption technology used on the PSP for the copy protection of software as well. In terms of communication, the PSP come equipped with 802.11-standard LAN, IrDA, and USB 2.0. 802.11-standard LAN is a wireless LAN specification that can communicate in a 100-meter range with a transfer rate of up to 2mbps, and IrDA is a standard for infrared wireless communication.