Sony said Tuesday it will delay by up to two months the debut of its popular PlayStation Portable (PSP) game console in South Korea, promised for next month, because it cannot make enough machines to meet rising demand worldwide. The Japanese electronics giant had planned to begin selling the PSP game console from March in South Korea, in line with the machine's debut in the United States. However, as a result of the shortage, Sony will only launch U.S. sales of the console on March 24 as planned, Sony Corp.'s Korean affiliate said in a statement.

"We are deeply sorry about the delay for South Korean gamers," Sony Computer Entertainment Korea said in the statement.

"Due to a looming shortage in hardware, sales of PSP game consoles in South Korea will be possible after the device goes on sale in the U.S.," it added.

Kang Hee-won, a spokesman at Sony Computer Entertainment Korea, said the Japanese electronics giant will go ahead with its debut of PSP game consoles in the U.S. market as scheduled.

"By late April or early May, we will be able to sell the PSP game consoles in South Korea," Kang said in a telephone interview.

Sony is leading a video game rivalry with U.S. software giant Microsoft's Xbox and Japanese Nintendo's GameCube machines.

The price for the PSP game console in the U.S. market is set at US$249 including accessories, according to the Japanese company's Web site.