Possible Delay for PSP in Europe

And just when we were starting to get excited.

The revelation of Sony's launch strategy for the PSP in the US has led many to believe that a similar announcement for Europe was imminent. But hopes of a near-simultaneous release of the new portable in Europe and the US have been dashed by comments from a Sony representative who said that the PSP could launch as late as this summer in Europe.

The PSP was originally slated to launch worldwide by the end of 2004, but that was then pushed back to the end of Sony's financial year, which ends in March. According to Kenichi Fukunaga, a spokesman for Sony in Japan, the PSP delay is the result of a shortage of the chips that power the PSP.

"By summer, we will be able to manage to meet global demand as our production capacity will be raised to 2 million units a year," Fukunaga said. "But because demand for PSPs is surpassing production capacity, we are now reconsidering the timing of sales in Europe and Asia."

The official line is currently that the PSP is on track to launch this spring. Recent speculation pointed at a mid-April release for the handheld, but Sony's comments this week have sparked fears that it could be even later than that.

Sony's European arm has been quiet on the issue, refusing to address the questions raised by Sony representatives in Japan. The company is expected to announce its release plans for the PSP in Europe within the next few weeks.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games