The next firmware update for the PlayStation Portable, v4.00, is coming soon. It's bringing Google with it.

In a posting on the U.S. PlayStation blog, Eric Lempel, the director of PlayStation Network Operations for Sony Computer Entertainment America, says:



Once the update has been installed, the Google search tool will appear in the PSP's Cross Media Bar.

Also new with the update will be the ability to change the playback speed of video stored on a Media Stick PRO Duo. PSP owners will be able to speed up or slow down videos using the up and down buttons on the D-Pad.

Microsoft's president of the Entertainment and Devices Group, Robbie Bach, has recently said that there are "cautionary tales" to be learned from the PSP, essentially criticising it for being a jack of all trades but master of none. Will increased web functionality change his mind? Probably not.

But Sony fans seem happy about the update, although that hasn't stopped cries of 'where's our in-game XMB on the PS3?'...


^{Source: PlayStation Blog}