Eager Europeans have reason to rejoice this morning. The Sony PlayStation Portable is now available in their region. Fans waited in lines early into Thursday morning throughout Europe. Hundreds of electronic and video game stores opened at midnight throughout the continent to celebrate the release of the system – and get their cash registers ringing with tender.
The launch comes nearly a year after the Japanese December 2004 launch of the system, five months after the American launch. The system was delayed by several months due to an insufficient supply of hardware. Sony has made one million PSP units available for the launch period in Europe. The recommended price of the system, $304, is $54 higher than the American launch, and over $100 more expensive than the Japanese launch price.
