PSP World

Is Sony Secretly Recalling the PSP-3000?

Following complaints about visible scanlines in the new PSP 3000, it appears that Sony could be taking steps to address the issue, in the form of a widespread product recall. If this is really the case, however, Sony is remaining awfully quiet about its plans.

The first hint that something was fishy came when Amazon customers began receiving emails stating that their PSP 3000 orders had been cancelled. Forums member Charadis from the official Sony boards received the following message last week:

While these messages are indeed strange, they don’t necessarily suggest that Sony is recalling the PSP 3000. It could simply mean that Amazon is out of stock, or that Sony has decided not to go ahead with the 4GB bundle. We noticed that PSP-3000 units remained on store shelves both in Europe and in North America over the weekend, suggesting that it is still very much on sale.

Other signs have begun to suggest that a recall is taking place, however. Some very perceptive fans have pointed out that on Sony’s European website, almost all mention of the PSP 3000 model have been mysteriously removed. The images used under the "PSP Hardware" section still portray earlier models of the PSP, with the 3000 noticeably absent.

While evidence remains circumstantial at best, we think a PSP 3000 recall is a possibility. The loud complaints regarding the PSP 3000 screen may have turned off potential customers, and faced with weak sales in North America and Europe, Sony may have decided to have another go at the screen issue. Of course, with the popularity of the device in Japan, we think a recall in that territory is highly unlikely.

An image showing interlacing artifacts in the PSP 3000 screen.

[Source: Official Playstation Forums, PSP Updates]