Mirroring a move made by its counterparts in North America at the beginning of April, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has announced that the UK's PlayStation Portable will receive a price cut of £30 GBP on May 04, taking it from the current RRP of £149.99 GBP down to £129 GBP. The company's reasoning for the move is that it will give more consumers the opportunity to enjoy the handheld console both as a standalone device and via its core connectivity with the new PlayStation 3:

"PSP is unique and is constantly evolving. It offers the widest palette of mobile entertainment, from gaming to video, music, photos and internet," explained Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK.

"But now the exciting possibility of connecting remotely to PlayStation 3 makes PSP more relevant than ever. So what better time to offer a brand new price point, and the launch of five new Platinum titles?"

Alongside the hardware price drop, SCEE is also launching a range of Platinum titles for the cut-down price of £14.99 GBP each. The first titles in the range will be Ridge Racer 2, Tekken, Killzone, Loco Roco, and Moto GP.

Although Sony would argue the new discounted price of the PSP is primarily to benefit gamers, the cynical consumer might suggest that the move is more to help close the gap between the PSP and the Nintendo DS, which is currently comfortably outselling Sony's first hardware effort in the handheld market. Similarly, the prospect of PSP-to-PS3 connectivity might even help boost sales of the company's latest home console, which is also lagging behind compared to the performances offered up by both the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360.

The discount also extends to mainland Europe where the PSP will retail for a cheaper price of €169.99 EURO, while Platinum games will set gamers back €19.99 EURO.