PSP makes UK debut

Sony’s handheld games console, the PlayStation Portable (PSP), has gone on sale in the UK after months of delay. The console has been available in Japanese stores for the past nine months and in the US for six months.

The games console, which can play films and music and is also a wireless web-browser, is the first handheld games console made by Sony. The sector has been dominated by Nintendo’s GameBoy.

Some UK stores have already sold their allocation of machines, which are priced at £179. Jason Jenkins, deputy editor of T3 gadget magazine said: “This is definitely the must-have gadget for Christmas.”

Sony has already sold over five million PSPs in the US and Japan and hopes to sell a million in the UK by Christmas.

The PSP is expected to attract more people into the world of gaming. Simon Soffe, spokesperson for Game, the video games retailer, said: “History suggests that the video game market is driven by new technology launches”. “We’ve been taking orders for a long time and are geared up for a lot of demand. We expect demand will outstrip supply, at least initially.”

Over 30 games titles are available for the PSP, including Wipeout Pure and Ridge Racer. A PSP version of the best-selling Grand Theft Auto game is expected to be available in October. Over 30 films are also available and downloadable video and music clips will be offered.