Sony has finally announced when the PlayStation Portable console will go on sale: 1 Sept 2005, for £180.
The console has already been on sale in Japan for around four months and in the US for one month, proving yet again that in the videogame world, Europe is the poor relation that always seems to come last.
The console will feature a launch package very similar to the one sold in the US, where it was bundled with accessories as part of a 'Value Pack'.
The box contains the spankingly gorgeous console itself, a slipcase to protect that vulnerable screen, a 32MB Memory Stick Duo for saving games (it's certainly not big enough for any video), and a rather nice pair of headphones.
The star of the show is Spider-Man 2, which will be offered to 'early purchasers' of the console. The film comes on Sony's UMD disc format, which offers DVD-level films on much smaller discs. The first one million buyers in the US were treated to the film, but over here customers will not get the disc in the box, but will instead have to register their console online. We can only imagine the frustration when every gamer in the UK tries to hit the same registration page at once.
The PSP’s launch games are as yet unconfirmed, although the console's late arrival should guarantee the likes of Gran Turismo Mobile, which has yet to reach the US or Japan. Industry gossip suggests that Rockstar is preparing Grand Theft Auto for the UK launch. -GC
