Sony will release a software update for its PlayStation Portable (PSP) video game system this week, bringing some long-awaited features to the platform, including Internet access. The system ships with Wi-Fi capabilities, but users have been unable to surf the Internet without resorting to complicated hacks. The new update will add a Web browser with full HTML 4.01 support (which means most sites will actually work), as well as support for WPA wireless security, the AAC audio format, the MPEG-4 AVC video format, and the ability to transfer photos wirelessly between PSPs using Wi-Fi. The update will be released this week in Japan and is expected to be released in the United States shortly afterward. The company also announced it will release a white version of the PSP--which is similar in style to the iPod--in Japan on September 15. (Currently, the PSP comes only in black.) The company currently has no plans to launch the white version outside of Japan, but don't be surprised to see it available worldwide by the end of the year. The PSP is currently available in Japan and North America. The PSP will launch in Europe on September 1.
