Sony PSP Sales Surpass $150 Million

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

April 7, 2005, 7:42 PM

Despite a report stating that videogame outlets had not sold out of Sony's new PlayStation Portable as expected, Sony says it has generated $150 million during the PSP's first week of sales in the United States. The Japanese company says 500,000 PSP Value Packs were sold in the first two days.

In a survey conducted at the end of March across 150 retail locations, American Technology Research found that only one-third of the locations had sold out. Of the remaining stores, 15 had less than three units in stock.

The PSP, which retails for $249, was expected to sell up to one million units after its launch. Sony even delayed the European debut of the device in order to ensure that enough units were available to ensure a smooth launch.

Although it did not completely empty its stockpiles, Sony says it is happy with the results and response from eager gamers.

"The launch of PSP was everything we hoped for," said SCEA president Kaz Hirai in a statement. "In only two weeks, PSP is having an immediate impact across the entire industry, as consumers are clearly voting it the product of the year in 2005."