Sony’s new PSP model off to strong start in Japan

Sony Corp's new PlayStation Portable got off to a robust start in Japan, with combined sales of it and earlier models in the week of its market debut hitting the highest so far this year, a research firm said on Thursday.

Sony is estimated to have sold 151,522 units of the PSP handheld game gear in the week ended October 19 in Japan, a seven-fold jump from the previous week and outselling Nintendo Co Ltd's DS machine by 5-to-1, Ascii Media Works said.

Sony launched the PSP-3000 in Japan on October 16, following its North American release on October 14 and European debut on October 15, in its latest bid to challenge Nintendo's market-leading DS.

The new model comes with a built-in microphone and advanced LCD panel that is better suited for use outdoors and offers a shorter response time than its predecessors.

In a counter move, Nintendo is set to launch a new DS model that can take pictures and play music on November 1 in Japan.