Retailers reported brisk sales of the new PlayStation 3 within hours of it hitting stores on Friday.
Sony said a large volume of stock - not a lacklustre launch - meant consoles should still be available over the weekend.
More than a thousand PS3s appeared on eBay this morning but many offered above the #425 retail price failed to sell.
Die-hard fans attended the console’s official UK launch at midnight in the Virgin Megastore on London’s Oxford Street. They were each rewarded with a #2,000 46-inch flat panel TV for free from Sony.
Sony spokesman Jonathan Fargher said 220,000 of the consoles had been shipped to the UK for today’s launch.
"This is by far and away the largest stock allocation for any console launch there has ever been in the UK," he said. "As a result of that, consumers who want to buy the PS3 should be able to pick one off the shelves on day one, and we are confident we can continue to meet consumer demand moving forward."
The PS3 has gone head-to-head with Nintendo’s hugely successful Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Before the launch, experts said the PS3’s #425 price tag - around #120 more than its US retail price - could limit initial demand.
HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo today said: "This launch may not have generated quite the same level of hype and excitement as Wii and Xbox 360 did, but it’s been pretty impactful given that we’re post-Christmas and the price threshold is a little higher than the other consoles.
"We expect sales to keep building over time."
Anna Macario, marketing director of retail chain Game, said: "We’ve had a great turnout at our midnight and breakfast launches around the country and we have seen very strong demand in the past 12 hours and we anticipate this to continue throughout the weekend."
Hamish Thompson, spokesman for Currys and PC World, said some stores had reported queues for the PS3 before opening this morning.
"The stock position is good and we expect to have availability in most of our stores over the weekend," he said. "All in all, a cracking launch, with the potential to be the best ever."
Stuart Rowe, spokesman for online retailer Play.com said: "The PlayStation 3 launch has been a great success for Play.com outselling both the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 based on day one sales."
The PS3’s European debut was pushed back by four months due to manufacturing problems with its integrated player for Blu-ray discs - the high-definition replacement for DVDs.
The console is designed to be a complete home entertainment system.
It plays PlayStation games, Blu-ray discs, allows users to go online, and is compatible with digital cameras and MP3 players.
