US Release Date, Price for PSP Set

Sony announced Thursday that its PlayStation Portable will be available in retail stores on March 24. The unit will be released in a "Value Pack" for $249.99 USD and will include several accessories.

The Value Pack includes a 32MB Memory Stick Duo, headphones with a remote control, a battery pack, AC adaptor, a cleaning cloth and protective soft case, as well as a UMD disc including multiple non-interactive game demos.

For the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped, a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man 2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment will also be included.

UMD is a proprietary disc format from Sony, which features the ability to store up to 1.8GB of data in a disk that is 60mm in diameter - roughly a third of the size of a compact disc. It also has what the company calls "robust" copyright protection to prevent illicit duplication of discs.

"PSP will evolve and elevate portable entertainment, giving users the freedom to play full 3D games, watch movies, listen to music and connect wirelessly on their terms, their time and their place," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

PSP had a very successful launch in Japan; more than 800,000 units have been shipped, including a 200,000-unit allocation that sold out on the first day.