PSP Will Increase U.S. Lead Over DS

Next Generation covers a new report from SIG, which compared "year-by-year sales and estimates for the first five years of each machine's life, using sell-in and factory shipments. It points out that in its first year both PSP and DS managed around 13 million units each, with DS slightly ahead."

Sig predicts the following:

• Year two - PSP 25 million over DS' 22 million
• Year Three the difference rises to ten million (38m to 28m).
• Year Four, PSP's lead has stretched to 15 million and to 20 million by Year Five.

SIG stated, "Sony will likely expand the addressable market for portable gaming devices with the PSP. As the class of gamers seeking console-like gaming grows, the PSP will be the only serious alternative to Nintendo portables. In time the variety and depth of games on the PSP could attract a larger demographic than even Nintendo portables. Yet we must keep in mind that the PSP is Sony's first attempt and the launch has not been without problems. Hardware pricing is probably stifling PSP adoption, and ported game selection is limited.

All of this of course assumes that Apple or Microsoft don't enter the picture with a 3rd portable gaming device...