Europe delay for new PlayStation

SONY has put off the European launch of its PlayStation Portable by five months because it cannot keep up with demand. The multimedia PSP went on sale in Japan in December and in the US in March.

The electronics giant had hoped for a European launch last month but it has been unable to make enough of the gadgets, and they will now be launched here in September.

A Sony spokesman said: "We have always said we would launch it when we had sufficient quantity for the initial period and for continuity of supply thereafter.'

The company had a million PSPs at $249 (£130) each available for the North American launch, and sold half of them in the first two days. It has sold more than a million in Japan.

The game machine will cost £179 in Britain and €249 (£169) on the Continent. It can also play digital music files and movies, and the package will include accessories and a copy of Spider-Man 2.

PSPs can be obtained in Britain through several companies that import them from the US and Japan, but they can cost as much as £300.

Sony hopes that the device will knock Apple's iconic iPod off its pedestal.