Panasonic Announces Portable Handheld Console for MMOs and Online Gaming

Rumors were swirling this week about a major electronics manufacturer planning to reveal a new console, and while it’s a bit of a surprise, it ended up being Panasonic who let the cat out of the bag. According to Kotaku, Panasonic has announced The Jungle, the first portable gaming console designed exclusively for online gaming and MMORPGs.

The Jungle can best be described as a teeny tiny PC, with a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad, as well as the d-pad and shoulder buttons standard to most portable consoles. The device is created specifically for online gaming, especially for those who don’t want to be tied down by all the weight and wires of a desktop PC but don’t want to sacrifice performance for portability.

While details are slim about the device so far, its rumored to be running on a Linux OS. The screen, while probably small, supposedly has an amazing resolution. We can safely assume The Jungle will have some sort of built-in WiFi, maybe even 3G capabilities, as well as some amazing battery life and a killer processor.

It’s hard to imagine this device being affordable, but the idea of being able to bring World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy Online around with you as easily as you carry a DS or PSP is definitely tempting.

We’ll keep our eye on this new, unique little device as more details emerge.