The topic Sony isn’t making another PSP, but Zara just revived the handheld as a crossbody bag is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
The PlayStation Portable, or the PSP, was discontinued over a decade ago, but its cultural presence never fully faded. Most recently, the fast-fashion brand Zara gave it a second life in the most unexpected form: the company has dropped a crossbody bag modelled after the PSP 1000.
The Zara PSP Crossbody Bag is exactly as delightful and absurd as the name sounds. The shadow drop came without an announcements or media campaigns, but the retro gaming community has already taken notice of it.
It is actually a relatively small crossbody bag whose front face is a silicone recreation of the PSP 1000, in convincing detail. The bag comes with embossed buttons, logos (on the front and the back), an analogue nub, and a vinyl panel standing in for the iconic 4.3-inch widescreen display.
The adjustable shoulder strap also carries a PSP branding, along with the classic triangle, circle, cross, and square shapes. Clearly, Zara doesn’t want the product to look like a cheap knockoff, and the result shows.
The bag measures 4.3 x 7.9 x 2 inches, has a main zipper compartment, and is made from polyurethane thermoplastic on the front face with a silicone overlay and a polyester shell and lining.
For now, the Zara PSP Crossbody Bag is available at $35.90 in the United States and £19.99 in the United Kingdom, available directly via the company’s official website and in stores. The bag is only available in one color, black.
I also see the trademark symbol on the website, implying that this is some sort of licensed deal between Zara and Sony, rather than an unofficial product, even though neither company has confirmed the arrangement.
At $35.90, it could be among the most affordable pieces of PSP memorabilia you might ever own, but only if the PSP mattered to you.