Amazon Reveals Sony PSP Launch Date

By David Worthington | Published January 13, 2005, 5:18 PM

Sony is inching closer toward meeting its self-imposed deadline for the worldwide delivery of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming device. Amazon.com's UK Web site has revealed that the PSP will be released to suppliers on March 18, 2005, firing the opening shot in Sony's mission to unseat Nintendo as the dominant player in handheld gaming.

Although rumors about component procurement problems continue to persist, the company has already managed to distribute the PSP in Japan where it sold approximately 510,000 units inside of a month.

Product pricing was equivalent to $185 USD; however, the Amazon listing retails for £179.99 which, at today's exchange, amounts to $338.83 USD.

The PlayStation Portable wears many hats. At its heart it is a handheld gaming device, but Sony has equipped the PSP with the capacity to play music and display movies on a high resolution screen.

Rival Nintendo has taken a more conventional approach to its latest design and does not currently provide digital media playback on its DS system. The Nintendo DS was first available in mid-November for suggested retail price of $150 USD.

Additional features Sony has packed into the PSP include a new optical media format and battery life of four to six hours. A Sony spokesperson was not available for comment.

Comments

View comments by with a score of at least

I wonder if people already try to get reserve for the presale? But still I would not be paying for a portable system that will cost more the $200 USD.
Plan and simple.

Score: 0

|

mmmm, I want one......

Score: 0

|

DS you still pwn! :) No flying disks for me!

Score: 0

|

ds sucks. Inferior technology

Score: 0

|

if its less than $200 around launch time, ill get one. if not ill wait for the prices to come down. i think the psp will be much better than the ds.

Score: 0

|

Report: Microsoft to randomize Europe's browser screen choices

The fact that "A" is for "Apple" was apparently at the heart of browser vendor objections to Microsoft's alternative to listing IE first.

Acer eclipses Dell for #2 spot in global PC shipments, says iSuppli data

It literally does look like a 360-degree turnaround in Dell's fortunes, as the bells of bad tidings now toll solely for Dell.

Microsoft, don't hang up on Windows Mobile, but do call for help

Only a Manhattan Project can save Microsoft's phone strategy now.

See ya later, WinMo: Microsoft's mobile strategy needs a reboot

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: Hands up if you're considering upgrading to a Windows phone for the holidays...Anybody?

Playing catch-up in 2010: Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian

Microsoft, RIM, and Nokia are each working on improved mobile operating systems. But could these efforts add up to too little, too late?

Will Nokia's plans further alienate American consumers?

A look at Nokia's plans for the coming years does little to shine up the company's increasingly dull image.

Bing bonked by service outage Thursday, Microsoft configured the wrong server

It's always nice to have a backup, but it's even nicer to remember which one is the backup. That's the lesson Bing's admins learned yesterday evening.

Survey reveals there are more women then men, including on social networks

If you think you can market your products and services online as though you're selling car batteries in the middle of halftime, think again. And again.

Android team updates 'Donut' and 'Eclair' SDKs

The Android SDK includes components which optimize app development for each version of the mobile operating system. Today, the 1.6 and 2.0 components got updates.

The Black Screen Syndrome, or, Tech news in search of the apocalypse

Scott Fulton On Point: This is a story about something that should not have been a story, about something that at one time was a story.

Online advertising evolves away from display, toward interactive software

Marketing departments and agencies are increasingly establishing positions for "creative technologists" who can steer designers and developers toward platforms that enable direct connections with consumers.