According to a recent revelation by video games news website MCV, the Sony NGP - Next Generation Portable – will probably become available round the world by the end of 2011.

Citing unnamed “sources” familiar with the proceedings, MCV said that the launch date of the NGP – which will be the successor of the PSP – in at least one UK territory will likely be November 11; that is, ’11.11.11’, which apparently will also be the perfect date for the worldwide release of the console, as per online leaks.

The MCV report that Sony intends launching the NGP simultaneously in all markets of the world, comes in spite of earlier speculations that the console will release only in Japan in time for Christmas; with the launch in other markets coming later.

Already, an official statement from the Sony Computer Entertainment of America boss Jack Tretton said: “It’s very difficult to have the quantities to be able to launch on a worldwide basis on the same date.”

The key features of the January-unveiled NGP will include a spacious 5-inch OLED touchscreen; touch-sensitive controls on the back; and a quad-core processor that, as per Sony claims, will reach up to the power of the PS3. The NGP will have both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Sony NGP will be released as a direct competitor of Nintendo’s 3DS – the glasses-free 3-D handheld console – which is scheduled to launch in the UK on March 25.