PSP Remaster series upgrades portable titles for PS3, game progress syncs across devices

By Adam Rosenberg May 23, 2011

psp-remaster-series — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The PlayStation Portable was never the winner Sony had hoped it would be, but some decent games have been released for the handheld gaming device in the years since its 2004 release. The company eventually got into the habit of porting PSP releases over to the PlayStation 2, both before and after the PlayStation 3 arrived. Rumors had previously suggested that the God of War PSP games would be getting a PS3 port, but now Sony has confirmed a similar yet much larger initiative called PSP Remaster.

As you’ve probably guess from the title, the PSP Remaster series will bring a variety of games from the portable device to PS3 as disc-based releases. A press release notes that the new product line will kick off in Japan with Monster Hunter Portable 3D HD Ver. from Capcom; that series is enormously popular in Japan, with more than 4.5 million units have shipped there since the game’s December release last year.

There are a few quirks which make this PSP Remaster series rather noteworthy. The biggest revelation is that saved game data will work on both platforms, allowing for players to continue their progress in a single game being played on the PS3 and PSP. It sounds like it’s just the data that’s cross-compatible, so you’ll need a way to transfer it back and forth between devices. PSP Remaster games will also be remastered (surprise!) with high-def graphics and possible new features, including support for PS3 controllers or support for 3D displays.

There’s no launch date revealed, either for the Japan release of Monster Hunter or the North American launch of the series, which probably won’t kick off with Monster Hunter. There is some video of the remastered Capcom game, however, which you can check out below.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Best PS5 SSD deals: Add more storage to your PS5 from $120

A 2TB WD Black

When the PlayStation 5 was originally released, it had the option to expand its internal memory, which was quite small at the time at a little under 900GBs. Of course, the issue is that there weren't any SSDs that worked on the new standard the PS5 was using, so even if you wanted to upgrade, you couldn't. Luckily, since then, there have been a lot of great SSDs for the PS5 that have been released, and upgrading its storage is pretty easy and can be done by pretty much anybody, provided they have a screwdriver. So, whether you picked up a PS5 from one of the PS5 deals or already have a PS5 and want to upgrade, be sure to check out the SSDs that will work great for your PS5 below.
Our favorite PS5 SSD deal

It wasn't that long ago that you'd have to pay well over $100 to get an SSD for your PS5, and often, it'd be slower than the pricier alternatives. These days, you can buy a Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD with heatsink for just $120 from Best Buy, thereby saving $45 off the regular price of $165. The SSD offers speedy performance while also having its own nickel-coated high-end controller to help deliver effective thermal control. It means it won't overheat and performance won't be compromised. Being a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, you get twice the data transfer speed of PCIe Gen 3 which is useful. Offering maximum read speeds of 7,000 megabytes per second, it's a good upgrade to go alongside your existing hard drive with 1TB offering plenty of extra space at a shrewd price.

Gaming

The Sims 5: release date speculation, trailers, gameplay, and more

sims 4 for rent expansion pack shared living the 6

It's time to brush up on your Simlish if it's rusty because the long-awaited The Sims 5, aka Project Rene, is officially on the way. This has been the longest gap between main entries since the series began, and while we did get tons of expansions for The Sims 4 to hold us over, plus the change to it becoming free to play, we're more than ready for a new entry. Each time a new game in the franchise comes out, die-hard fans always need to have a bit of skepticism about what features will be there -- both new and returning.

We can't answer all your questions yet, but here's everything we know about The Sims 5.
Release date speculation

Gaming

VR headset deals: Meta Quest 2 and VIVE XR

htc vive vs pro headphones

While VR may not be as big as was predicted back in the early 2000s when the original Oculus Go was released, there is still a considerable market these days, and some great VR games like Half-Life: Alyx that you can have fun with. Of course, VR headsets remain expensive, and while options like the Meta Quest don't necessarily require a high-end gaming PC, they can still be a bit pricey for those who just want to put a foot in the hobby. Luckily, there are some good deals you can take advantage of, even on some of the best VR headsets, so be sure to check out all your options below.
Meta Quest 2 -- $199, was $200

Even though the Meta Quest 3 came out quite recently, the Meta Quest 2 is still a pretty powerful contender, especially since it has a wider library and app support than the Quest 3 currently has. Even more so, the Quest 2 is a lot cheaper than the Quest 3, and with the latest permanent discount down to just $200, that's a whole $300 or so difference from the Quest 3. Of course, the Quest 3 does have more advanced AR and slightly better performance with software and Wi-Fi, but that may not be worth the extra cost for some. Either way, be sure to check out the breakdown between Quest 2 and Quest 3 to get a better sense of what you should pick up.