Sony's new PSP 50% smaller and 40% lighter than PSP-3000

Sony says the new PSP is 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the current PSP-3000 model, which will continue to be sold. The PSP Go will go on sale in the U.S. and Europe on Oct. 1 for $249 or €249. It will be available in Japan on Nov. 1 for 26,800 yen ($277). The PSP-3000 now costs about $170 in the U.S.

Sony Corp. introduced a smaller and lighter PlayStation Portable game machine. Sony's new PSP Go device is designed to download games, movies and music, as the company seeks to distinguish itself in the increasingly crowded market for handheld gadgets.

Sony's new PSP Go will come with a slide-in controller and a slightly smaller screen than the current model. It includes wireless capabilities and more memory, so users can download games and other content to it instead of buying packaged games.

Sony is pushing its online PlayStation Network, which the company wants to make into a destination for downloadable games, movies and music, much like how Apple Inc.'s iPhone has created a market for simple mobile phone applications.