In an interview is the New York Times, Sony's gaming chief Kaz Hirai confirmed that the PSP 2 will make use of touch control in addition to the conventional D-pad controls.
Without acknowledging the existence of PSP 2 explicitly, Hirai said that Sony has been thinking about the PSP's successor since the day it was released.
According to Hirai, Sony has concluded that "depending on the game, there are ones where you can play perfectly well with a touch panel, but you can definitely play immersive games better with physical buttons and pads. I think there could be games where you're able to use both in combination."
A patent filed by Sony not that long ago has indicated that the PSP 2 might feature a touch pad on its backside.
Kaz also addressed the rumors about the PSP Phone, but he didn't reveal much. "We don't want gamers to be asking, what's the difference between that [PSP Phone] and a PSP," he said. "We have to come up with a message that users will understand. It would have to be a product that keeps the PlayStation's strengths intact."
