Well, looks like the PS X is official. While it doesn't play everyone else's games or run windows XP, it does seem to do pretty much every other damned thing:

PSX, the beefed up PlayStation 2 video-game machine that also works as a DVD recorder, analog TV, digital photo album and music player.

So be sure to send your buddy in Japan $700. However, considering how freaky the Japanese are about electronics, you better hope he shows up at the store the week before they go on sale. The line will probably be about that long.