Sony's new PSP model off to strong start in Japan

TOKYO Oct 23 (Reuters) - Sony Corp's (6758.T) new PlayStation Portable got off to a robust start in Japan, with combined sales of it and earlier models in the week of its market debut hitting the highest so far this year, a research firm said on Thursday.

Sony is estimated to have sold 151,522 units of the PSP handheld game gear in the week ended Oct. 19 in Japan, a seven-fold jump from the previous week and outselling Nintendo Co Ltd's (7974.OS) DS machine by 5-to-1, Ascii Media Works said.

Sony launched the PSP-3000 in Japan on Oct. 16, following its North American release on Oct. 14 and European debut on Oct. 15, in its latest bid to challenge Nintendo's market-leading DS.

The new model comes with a built-in microphone and advanced LCD panel that is better suited for use outdoors and offers a shorter response time than its predecessors. [nT62971]

In a counter move, Nintendo is set to launch a new DS model that can take pictures and play music on Nov. 1 in Japan. [nT360931] (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Michael Watson)