Well maybe it’s not the worst kept secret in gaming history, but it still comes pretty close. Today 1UP is reporting on the all but confirmed next generation of the PSP, along with a few rumored tidbits concerning the new portable.

Among the rumors include a guesstimate launch date of September in Japan and Fall in the U.S. with no mention of a date for a European release. Also of note is that the system is seemingly ditching all traces of the UMD format, with ‘Classic’ PSP titles available to buy on the PSN at launch if you missed out on Chains of Olympus or Patapon. The most interesting tidbit to me is that they cite Gran Turismo Portable as a rumored launch title for the next PSP. Gran Turismo Portable, you know the game that was shown on every PSP render when it was first unveiled in 2004? The one Sony promised was absolutely real, so much so that they also produced a mock box art of the game and a mock UMD to show off to everyone just how REAL the game was? Could we finally see it done and ready at this years’ E3?

At least the twin confirmations of Tekken Six and a new Soul Calibur for the PSP are already officially confirmed, so we won’t have to guess about those, but damn, you can already taste the hype the gaming journalists are building for the return of the TRUE E3 this year. – The Ben