Computer game enthusiasts may have to wait until next May to get their hands on the new PlayStation2, because only 200,000 will be available in Britain before Christmas.

Some retailers will be opening their doors at midnight tonight to take orders ahead of the November 24 release date for the unit, which is priced at £299. But manufacturer Sony, which has already sold 3m since its Japanese launch in March, warned last night it will be unable immediately to match the demand.

Alan Welsman, marketing director for PlayStation, said everything had been done to prepare for the launch but admitted it might not be enough: "We are all very proud of the product and wish we could make more so we could put them out in the market."

Mr Welsman said final figures had not been decided but it was expected the UK would receive around 200,000 units by Christmas. Three million PlayStations will then be sent to Europe by the end of March, with around 600,000 expected to come into Britain. The UK launch of the powerful PlayStation2, which can also be used as a DVD player, was originally scheduled for October 26 but Japanese demand forced its delay.

A spokeswoman for Dixons, which will open its Oxford Street store between midnight and 2am, said orders would be taken on a first come, first served basis and predicted the demand would be huge.

But the Special Reserve Discount Network website, which is a big supplier of computer games and software, warned visitors of a long wait. "There will be no freely available PlayStation2s this year," it said. "The only way to get one [for possible delivery in May 2001] is to pre-order."

Sony is still producing the original PlayStation, which retails for £79 and has sold 74m worldwide and 5.6m in Britain since its launch in September 1995. This model is still selling at a rate of between 10,000 and 15,000 units a week.