PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) Set to Release on March 24 Across North America

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the North American launch details for its highly anticipated PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system. Available through retail outlets on March 24, the company continues its consumer-centric legacy with the release of the PSP Value Pack for a suggested retail price of $249.99 U.S./$299.99 CND. In addition to the revolutionary PSP hardware, the PSP Value Pack contains an unprecedented added-value package of accessories and entertainment content, including 32 MB Memory Stick Duo™, headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case and cleaning cloth, movie/music/game video sampler UMD disc including multiple non-interactive game demos, and 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.

Sony Computer Entertainment will manufacture one million units for sale in the North American market by the close of its fiscal year ending March 31. This figure is part of the company's total three-million-unit worldwide PSP system shipment estimate within the same time period. PSP released in Japan on December 12, 2004 and is already a hit, with more than 800,000 units shipped, including a 200,000-unit allocation that sold out on day one.

PSP sets a new standard as the first truly integrated portable entertainment system designed to provide consumers with a comprehensive entertainment experience including games, music, movies, communication, and wireless networking. Featuring graphics rendering capabilities comparable to the company's leading in-home console, PlayStation®2, PSP brings an unparalleled gaming experience to a portable platform, allowing users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PSP also allows for digital photo display and supports digital music playback in both MP3 and ATRAC formats.

"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. "More than ever, today's consumer demands access to entertainment outside the home without compromising quality. With more than 100 PSP game titles currently in development worldwide, and the ability to download and listen to digital music and view feature films with breathtaking screen quality, PSP lets users control their entertainment options, all in one package."

PSP features an unmatched 4.3-inch, 16:9 wide screen TFT LCD that displays full color (16.77 million colors) on a 480 x 272 pixel high-resolution screen. PSP also comes complete with built-in stereo speakers, exterior headphone connector and diverse input/output connectors such as USB 2.0, and 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless LAN, enabling users to connect to the Internet and play online via a wireless network.* Up to 16 PSPs in the vicinity can also be connected to each other directly in ad-hoc mode, allowing for wireless head-to-head competition. In addition, wireless capabilities will allow software and data to be downloaded to a PSP and saved onto a Memory Stick Duo.

PSP also adopts a newly developed proprietary, compact, but high-capacity optical disc, Universal Media Disc (UMD™), as its storage medium. UMD is the next-generation compact storage media, only 60mm in diameter but can store up to 1.8GB of digital data -- more than three times the data held on a CD-ROM. A broad range of digital entertainment content such as high quality 3D games, music, movies, video clips and other programs can be distributed on UMD. To protect this content, a robust copyright protection system has been developed for UMD, which utilizes a combination of a unique disc ID, 128 bit AES encryption keys for the media, and individual ID for each PSP hardware unit.

   PSP (PlayStationPortable) Basic Specifications and Features

   Product Name        PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable)
   Color               Black
   Product Code        PSP-1001K
   Dimensions          Approximately 6.7 in (W) x .9 in (H) x 2.9 in (D)
   Weight              Approximately 280g / .62 lbs (including battery)
   CPU                 PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1 - 333MHz)
   Main Memory         32MB
   Embedded DRAM       4MB
   Display             4.3 inch, 16:9 Wide screen TFT LCD
                       480 x 272 pixel, 16.77 million colors
                       Maximum luminance 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using
                       battery pack)
                       Maximum luminance 200 / 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when
                       using AC adaptor)
   Sound               Built-in stereo speakers
   Main Input/Output   IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
                       USB 2.0 (mini-B)
                       Memory Stick Duo™
                       IrDA
                       IR Remote
   Main Connectors     Memory Stick Duo™ Slot
                       USB connector
                       DC OUT connector
                       DC IN 5V connector
                       Headset connector
   Keys/Switches       Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
                       Analog Stick
                       Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
                       Left, Right shoulder buttons x 1
                       START button, SELECT button, HOME button x 1
                       POWER/HOLD switch x 1
                       Display button, Sound button, Volume +/- buttons x 1
                       Wireless LAN switch (ON/OFF) x 1
                       OPEN latch (UMD) x 1
   Power               Lithium-ion Battery
                       AC Adaptor
   Disc Drive          UMD Drive (Read only)
   Profile             PSP Game
                       UMD Audio (profile name TBD)
                       UMD Video (profile name TBD)
   Codec               [Video]:  "UMD": H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile Level3
                       [Video}: "Memory Stick":  MPEG-4 SP,AAC
                       [Music]:  "UMD":  linear PCM,ATRAC3plus™
                       [Music}:  "Memory Stick":  ATRAC3plus™,MP3(MPEG1/2
                       Layer3)
                       [Photo]:  JPEG (DCF2.0/Exif2.21)
   Security            (Encryption) 128bit AES (Copyright protection
                       technology) MagicGate™
   Access control      Region, Parental Control
   Wireless
    communications
    IEEE802.11b        Infrastructure mode
                       Ad hoc mode (connection up to 16 consoles)
   PSP Value Pack
    supplied
    accessories        AC adaptor
                       Battery pack
                       Memory Stick Duo (32 MB)
                       Headphone with remote control
                       Soft case and cloth
                       UMD In-pack Sampler

  About PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable)

PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) is a new portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. With graphics rendering capability comparable to that of PlayStation®2, PSP features a 4.3 inch widescreen, high-resolution TFT display. PSP also adopts a newly developed compact but high-capacity (1.8GB) optical disc, Universal Media Disc (UMD™), as its storage medium. With a wide range of accessories and connectivity options, including Memory Stick Duo, USB 2.0, IR port and WiFi wireless LAN, PSP is the new entertainment platform from PlayStation.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one™ game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era. PSP is a new portable entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP handheld entertainment system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Visit us on the Web at www.us.playstation.com.

*Certain game restrictions may apply. Access may be subject to Wi-Fi fees.

NOTE: PlayStation and the PlayStation logo and UMD are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, ATRAC3plus and MagicGate are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Spider-Man 2, the movie© 2004 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Spider-Man Character ® & © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved

SOURCE: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

CONTACT: Patrick Seybold of Sony Computer Entertainment America,
+1-650-655-5904, or patrick_seybold@playstation.sony.com; or Rick Heineman,
+1-310-854-4812, or rheineman@bncpr.com, for Sony Computer Entertainment
America

Web site: http://www.playstation.com/