Japanese gamers are responding positively to the new version of the PlayStation Portable, with 250,000 units sold in four days according to Japanese publisher Enterbrain. The number matches the total number of original PSPs sold in the country during July and August of this year. The new unit is intended to compete with Nintendo's DS Lite, which has been a huge hit for the company in Japan as well as worldwide.

Sony's redesigned PSP is cheaper and slimmer than its predecessor. At 19,800 yen, it is about 5 percent cheaper than the original. The DS Lite sells for 16,800 yen. Both consoles were originally launched in 2004, although Nintendo's console has always been the cheaper of the two, and has resonated more among casual gamers.