PlayStation Portable tops Japanese chart

Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) has knocked the Nintendo DS off the top of the Japanese hardware chart for the week ending October 19.

According to figures from Media Create, the PSP shifted 159,816 units, with Nintendo's former bestseller only managing 29,839.

The rapid increase in PSP sales is due to the release of the PSP-3000 series - an improved unit featuring an enhanced LCD screen with an increased colour range, five times the contrast ratio, half the pixel response time to reduce ghosting and blurring effects, and anti-reflective technology to improve outdoor playability.

The launch of the 3000 series saw the PSP sales increase by seven times that of the previous week.

Nintendo's Wii topped the home console chart that week, selling 26,024 units, followed by the Xbox 360 at 7,856 units and the PlayStation 2 at 7,261. The PlayStation 3, however, sold just 4,725 units.