Sony has confirmed official sales figures for America this week. The number as predicted by analysts saw 600,000 units fly off the shelves in the first week, however this number was only half of the shipment brought into the US for the lunch.

While the figures are healthy, beating Nintendo's DS handheld consoles performance in the US in the run up to Christmas, it is the first time that Sony has not had a sell out console on their hands.

The move is also likely to infuriate European gamers, as the launch of the console has been put back to an expected September date because of initial fears of a lack of stock for the US launch. Now with 400,000 units still sitting on American shelves questions have to be raised as to whether or not a simulations launch would have been possible after all.

SCEA boss Kaz Hirai dismissed claims that the launch had been a disappointment. In a recent survey carried out on pocket-lint.co.uk over 50 percent of our readers said it was the console they wanted, even if they had to wait for it.

Impatient Brits will looking to invest in an American version of the console should be aware that while the games aren't region coded the UMD films can be.

>> Sony Computer Entertainment Europe - Official website of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe