Not content to sit with just the slimmer, lighter PlayStation Portable released less than a year ago, Sony has revealed the next hardware evolution of its handheld games platform.

While the dimensions appear to be no different from the current PSP Slim on the market, the upcoming hardware, designated PSP-3000, will add some small changes and improvements.

Immediately noticeable is the new and improved LCD screen that is to have "a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio to deliver deeper, more vibrant colors, as well as anti-reflection technology so you can see the screen more clearly when playing outdoors."

Completely new to the PSP hardware is the addition of a built-in microphone. The lack of a standard issue microphone from the previous hardware versions, however, will make it unlikely that PSP games will use audio pickup in the same way that that the Nintendo DS does.

Where the added microphone will come in handy is for the built-in Skype functionality. Users of PSP-3000 hardware will be able to make Skype calls without the need to buy an external microphone accessory.

Finally, the new hardware replaces the “Home” button with a “PS” button to better match the motif of the PlayStation 3. Functionality of the button, however, is not expected to change.

The PSP-3000 will launch in October for $199 as part of the Ratchet & Clank pack or on its own in November for $169.99 as a core pack.