Sony plays for PSP sales boom

Sony PlayStation Portable

Sony's long-awaited PlayStation Portable (PSP) sold 185,000 units in its first three days on sale in the UK, according to market research firm Chart-Track.

This represents the biggest launch weekend of any console ever sold in the UK, more than double the previous record of 87,000 units for the Nintendo DS in March this year.

The sales confound predictions of a downturn in retail sales as a result of overall reductions in consumer spending.

Critics also suggested that Sony might have had trouble meeting demand after a media blitz promoting the product, but this appears to be unfounded.

Software sales have also been strong; 20 of the 24 titles for the system entered the top 40, and nine of the top 10 titles last week were PSP software.