Sony improves PSP-3000 battery life

Sony has claimed that the battery life of its forthcoming PlayStation Portable-3000 handheld system will equal that of the current model.

Earlier this week, the firm said the battery in the PSP-3000 would have a shorter life, but Sony's marketing director John Koller has now reassured gamers that it will have the "equivalent battery life to the current PSP".

A statement on the Official PlayStation blog reads: "There have been reports about the battery life of the new PSP system being shorter than the current model, following an interview we recently did with Gamespot.

"I’d like to make a correction and clarify that the new PSP will have equivalent battery life to the current PSP, about four to six hours for games and about four to five hours for UMD videos.

"While the enhanced screen of the new PSP draws a little more power, our engineers in Japan worked to reduce the power consumption of the overall system including its components, so you won’t have to worry about losing any time when enjoying the more vibrant visuals displayed with the new PSP."

The statement added: "We hope this clears everything up."

The PSP-3000 will launch in the UK on October 17 for £149.99.