SanDisk today announced that retailers in Europe will begin receiving high-capacity SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming cards over the coming weeks in anticipation of the planned September 1 release of the Sony PSP. The announcement was made at GC 2005, the largest gaming show in Europe, where SanDisk is exhibiting at booth C31, Hall 5 in the Leipzig Fair Exhibition Center.

SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo Gaming cards, which have become popular in countries where the hand-held entertainment system has already been introduced, are made in capacities of up to 2 gigabytes. High-capacity memory cards are necessary to fully utilize the PSP's multitude of features, including the storage of video clips, digital music tracks, game data and digital still photos.

European consumers who have waited for the PSP are being rewarded for their patience, because the latest models will incorporate Sony's recently-announced 2.0 firmware upgrade. This addition adds a Web browser, the ability to transfer digital still photos between PSPs through a wireless connection, support for more image formats (TIFF, BMP, GIF, PNG) and support for two additional music audio formats, WAV and AAC. Also, the new PSPs will allow video downloading in the MPEG4 AVC format, providing a platform for Web-based vendors to offer TV shows and other content.

Beyond the PSP, SanDisk is positioned to supply flash memory products for the next generation of gaming consoles. Earlier this year, Sony announced that its PlayStation 3, which is scheduled for release next year, will have three different memory card slots, including SD.

Also, Nintendo has said that its forthcoming console, the Revolution, will also support the SD format. SanDisk offers SD Gaming cards in three capacities, from 256MB to 1GB, at prices ranging from EUR 27 to EUR 79, excluding VAT.