Aussie PSP launch set for September
September 1 is the official Australian launch date for the PSP. Expect to pay more than US consumers.
The PlayStation Portable will be launched in Australia on September 1. The PSP will be available in a single version value pack for AU$429.95 - close to AU$100 more than what US consumers had to pay.
Australians will finally get their hands on the PSP from September 1, six months after the official US launch. The Australian launch was scheduled for the first half of this year but was pushed back in an effort to meet perceived demand in the States.
The PSP will retail locally for AU$429.95, and will include the PSP system, pouch, 32MB Memory Stick Duo, battery pack, headphones with remote control, AC adaptor, wrist strap, cleaning cloth and a Universal Media Disc (UMD) sampler. Australian pricing doesn't stack up favourably to the US - at launch, a similar value pack cost US$249, which roughly translates to about AU$320. A Sony Computer Entertainment Australia spokesperson declined to answers CNET.com.au's questions about the price differential, saying that the company did not comment on international pricing.
The Australian PSP launch will coincide with launches in Europe, the UK and Asia, with roughly one million units being reserved for launch for all PAL countries. One million PSPs were available for the US launch, with 600,000 being sold in the first week.
Sony also did not disclose how many games would be available locally for launch, saying that more would be revealed at the upcoming E3 games conference being held in May. There are currently more than 20 titles available in the US.
As with the US launch, gamers who register their PSP purchases early (on www.yourpsp.com.au for Australia) will receive a free copy of Spider-Man 2 on UMD. Stock is limited on this offer.
And Sony has also confirmed that local PSPs will have no region locks when it comes to games, meaning an Australian PSP will be able to play any PSP game bought from anywhere in the world. Movies and music may be a different story, however, with Sony electing to have the particular content owners decide on region coding.
PlayStation Portable features a 4.3-inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD that displays full colour (16.77 million colours) on a 480 x 272 pixel high-resolution screen. PlayStation Portable also comes complete with built-in stereo speakers, exterior headphone connector and a range of input/output connectors such as USB 2.0 and 802.11b Wireless LAN.
Stay tuned to CNET.com.au for more information about the PSP launch.
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