The launch of Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3 games console in Europe has been delayed until March 2007, due to inadequate supply of a key component.
Ken Kutaragi, head of Sony's global computer entertainment division, said the machine would still be launched in November in the US and in Japan.
This is the second time Sony, which competes with Microsoft and Nintendo in the nearly $30 billion video game market, has delayed the sale of its latest blockbuster PlayStation console.
The company earlier this year delayed overall PS3 launch to November from spring 2006.
The announcement comes after recalls of almost 6 million notebook PC batteries Sony provided to Dell and Apple Computer, raising concerns over its core manufacturing strength.
But the delay means that the PS3 falls substantially behind rival machines Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii in reaching some markets.
Microsoft launched its Xbox 360 late last year and Nintendo plans to offer the Wii in the final quarter of 2006.
Sony said in April it expected its game division to make an operating loss of 100 billion yen ($859.9 million) this year due to heavy start-up costs for the PS3.
Sony is expected to make a loss on each console it sells at the initial stage, making the assessment of a financial impact from the delay difficult.
