Is Logitech Making External UMD Drive?

Kris Erickson • Dec 3, 2009 • Comments (1)

An interesting rumor circulating on the web suggests that the computer peripheral maker is considering an external UMD reader accessory for the PSP Go. Logitech has already had a good experience with the PSP market, enjoying strong sales of its original Playgear Pocket hard case for the portable system. It was really the best hard case on the market for those looking for an alternative to Sony's soft slip protector. Now, the manufacturer appears interested in solving a new problem: getting old UMD games to play on the new PSP Go system.

The rumor was originally reported to gaming news website CVG by an anonymous industry source. The report stated that the add-on would not allow users to simply copy games to the flash storage on board the PSP Go. Instead, players would need to have the peripheral drive plugged in to the PSP Go whenever they wanted to play an older UMD game. On one hand, this would allow users to benefit from their older game collections, however the bulkiness of such a scheme somewhat diminishes the portable qualities of the newly designed PSP.

Following the leaked rumor that an external UMD drive is on the way, Logitech spokespeople have been unable to confirm the report. A UK representative told Joystiq that such an external drive "is not something that the company is currently working on."

We wouldn't be surprised if such a device has at least made it to the prototype phase. Sony's refusal to offer a meaningful solution to the UMD problem combined with the potential market demand for such a device make it a potentially attractive proposition for a company like Logitech. For the same reason, we might also expect to see something similar appear soon from manufacturers like Datel and MadCatz