OSAKA (Kyodo) Nintendo Co. said Thursday it will launch the Game Boy Micro, a tiny game console, this fall.
The company expects global sales of 4 million units by March after releasing the console Sept. 13 in Japan, Sept. 19 in the United States and Nov. 4 in Europe. It is targeting customers from their 20s to 40s.
The new product is aimed at competing with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., which entered the Nintendo-dominated portable game market at the end 2004.
The Micro is the smallest device in the Game Boy series. It is about 10 cm wide, 5 cm long, 1.7 cm thick and weighs 80 grams.
It features a 5-cm liquid crystal screen with five levels of brightness, enabling the user to have a clearer view of the tiny characters, Nintendo said.
The Game Boy Micro, which will be sold here for 12,000 yen, has an aluminum body and comes in silver, blue and black. Interchangeable faceplates will be available.
Nintendo said it hoped the device's small size would make adults feel more comfortable playing games in public.