Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that the official launch date for the PlayStation 2 in Europe will be November 24. The company will launch the console in 17 European countries on that date. The console will retail for £299 (US$446), and Sony expects to release over 40 games for the console in Europe by the end of the year.

　　"PlayStation 2's performance continues to exceed even the most optimistic forecasts in Japan. This revised launch date allows us to provide increased quantities to retail on day one," said Chris Deering, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "In fact, we will be shipping many times the number of PlayStation units when it was released in September 1995. We believe that our recommended retail price point represents great value for consumers offering interactive entertainment, DVD-video, and future-proof technology poised to lead the broadband revolution."

　　The European PlayStation 2, unlike the Japanese version, will include a hard disk drive slot and will feature DVD playback without the need for a memory card. Sony plans to ship 3 million PlayStation 2 units in Europe by the end of its current fiscal year, March 2001.