Sony Admits PSP Defects

Not everyone in Japan is happy with the handheld.

There was relief for frustrated gamers in Japan this week as Sony acknowledged that there are problems with a small percentage of the initial batch of its new PSP handheld and that it will repair defective units free of charge.

The square button - source of anguish to thousands.

The PSP has been on sale in Japan since 12 December and more than 500,000 were sold before the end of 2004. Sony has admitted that a small proportion, less than 1%, of this initial run of the handheld is affected by the problem - a stuck face button that refuses to pop back out due to a problem with the moulding of the casing.

All PSPs made for sale in 2005 - including those for the upcoming North American and European launches - are unaffected by this defect.

Quite when the European launch will be, though, is still unknown. Despite several publishers already announcing games for the European launch, Sony is having production problems that have delayed the release of the PSP outside of Japan and North America.

Sony representatives in Korea announced recently that the PSP launch has slipped by as much as two months to late April or early May, as the company strains to satisfy both current Japanese demand and the North American debut of the PSP on 23 March.

Sony's European arm has not yet announced the release date or the price of the PSP in Europe. The PSP was supposed to launch in Europe in March, but recent comments from Sony suggest that the launch could be delayed until as late as May.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is preparing to launch its own new handheld, the dual-screened Nintendo DS, in Europe on 11 March. The handheld will cost £99 and launch with a library of 15 games.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games