It didn't take long before one of the biggest E3 rumors was confirmed. GamingConsoleNetwork noticed that the PSP Go made an appearance in an early release of the Sony video series Qore. And then it was described in detail. Soon after that, Eurogamer got a hold of a series of pictures of the hardware, which reveals everything in beautiful detail. The system is real, it is small, and it has no UMD drive.

The video is being pulled from YouTube just as soon as it's being uploaded, but a quick search or two should turn up a copy of the video if you'd like to see the hardware in action. Here's what we know about the hardware so far... it seems like the Mole was right about many of the details.

Image: Eurogamer

The hardware will not take the place of the current PSP-3000 on store shelves—they will be sold side-by-side. The PSP Go hardware is significantly lighter, with 43 percent less weight to hold in your hand. The screen is 3.8 inches, the unit will come with 16GB of memory and a memory card slot for expanded storage, and it will feature bluetooth support. The screen slides to reveal the buttons, and the placement of the analog stick does not look comfortable. Hopefully, we'll be able to get our hands on the system at E3 to give you some more details on how comfortable—or not—the system is.

Games were also discussed: Jak and Daxter, and the long-awaited Gran Turismo PSP that was discussed at the launch of the original PSP. A new Metal Gear Solid title was also mentioned.

No price was confirmed, although the video revealed that we'll be seeing the system released this fall. This flood of information and images must have taken the wind out of Sony's sails, as the company now has one less big reveal for its E3 press conference.

A portable gaming system with no physical media is big news, although those who upgrade from their existing PSP systems won't be able to play their old games... that's going to put a dent in the system's sales. Nintendo has proven that gamers are willing to upgrade to newer hardware again and again, but cutting off support for old games is an interesting move. Of course, Sony is probably more than happy to re-sell you older content via its online store, just as Nintendo can now sell gamers classic Game Boy Advance content for the DSi; that system likewise removed support for some older physical game media.

There will be more information coming out of E3, that is certain. Until then, we must be content with one of the biggest stories of the show coming to us early.

Listing image by Eurogamer