SanDisk announces new 16GB memory card in time for Sony PSP Go release
SanDisk announced a few new products today intended to increase the storage capacity of handheld gaming systems. For the first product I'll talk about, SanDisk's timing couldn't be better. The Sony PSP Go will be available tomorrow, October 1, and SanDisk has just the thing for new PSP Go users. For those of you who own a previous PSP system, and don't plan on buying the Go because we're still in a recession, read on to see how you can have a "poor man's" version.
The PSP Go comes with 16GB of built-in internal flash memory. As of today, SanDisk is selling the new 16GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card, which is compatible with the new Go, making it possible to double the amount of space in your new gaming device. Having 32GB of memory on such a small and lightweight device means that you can literally have a library of material at your fingertips wherever you go, including games, music, and videos.
Tim Sutton, SanDisk's worldwide product marketing manager, says that from SanDisk's point of view, the memory side of the market, he sees an accelerated shift in terms of moving to digital content on the gaming side. We've already seen how popular smartphones have become, especially the iPhone, and people are using these devices more and more to download games, videos, etc., at the drop of a hat.
The PSP Go is the first all-wireless gaming device, so you need room to store all of your favorite files, like movies, music, TV, and of course, games. As Sutton mentioned, with the rise of portable devices, there is more material to be downloaded directly to those products, which means the need for more memory.
The M2 cards also comes in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities. Since the PSP Go is so light and compact, the memory card has to reflect the small size, which the M2 does. The tiny card is the same size as the one that fits into Sony Ericsson phones, and fits right into the Go's M2 slot.
The 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB M2 have an MSRP of $27.99, $44.99, $74.99, and $142.99, respectively, although some sellers may lower those prices.
But for those of you with PSP 3000 and PSP 2000 models, you can also use the new M2. It comes with an adapter which encases the tiny M2 card, and then fits into your older PSP system. You can transfer your own DRM-free files from your older model to the new PSP Go using the M2 adapter.
If you're not planning on buying the new PSP Go, but you still want more memory on your older PSP system, check out SanDisk's new 32GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards, which are compatible with the Sony PSP-3000 system and the PSP-2000, as well as all other Sony products with Memory Stick PRO Duo card slots, including Sony Cyber-shot cameras and Sony Handycam camcorders.
The PRO Duo starts at $27.99 for the 2GB card, and goes to $229.99 for the 32GB. The PRO-HG Duo starts at $32.99 for the 2GB and goes to $279.99 for the 32GB.
Another product introduced today is the 32GB SanDisk Ultra Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo memory card, which has 30MB/sec read and write speeds. The card is good for photographers shooting in full HD video, allowing up to 240 minutes of 1920x1080p at 15Mbps video to be recorded.
And, last but not least, SanDisk is also releasing its Nintendo product, the 8GB SDHC card, which is compatible with the Nintendo DSi system. A 4GB card is also available.The 8-gigabyte removeable memory card makes it easy for users to quickly save and transfer files between the Nintendo DSi and the computer.
"We went through a ton of testing and technical certification in order to use the Nintendo seal of approval," Sutton said. "I believe we're the only ones with the official seal of approval."
The 8GB Nintendo DSi SDHC card has a list price of $32.99 for the 4GB model, and $47.99 for the 8GB version.
Although all these cards are different, they all allow users to store more of their music, photos, movies, games, and content downloaded from the Internet, without worrying about using up too much space.
Check out more at SanDisk.com. Again, prices are likely to be lower through other sellers, so keep your eyes open to see where these become available.