Amid the buzz on the up and coming PSP 3000, Sony is preparing to release new firmware updates for their handhelp gaming platform. Sony has confirmed that, with this update, PSP users will soon be able to access the PlayStation Store directly from the console.

Version 5.00 adds a PlayStation Network icon onto the XMB interface, which will allows gamers to perform all sorts of tasks, such as signing up for the PlayStation Network and accessing the PlayStation Store, directly from the console itself – provided they’re within a Wi-Fi signal.

The ability to access the PlayStation Store directly – something that Japanese PSP gamers can already do – means gamers can then download games, videos, music and wallpapers much more easily than before. The update will also add in a sleep timer option for conserving battery life.

A release date for the PSP firmware hasn’t been confirmed yet.