Sony's PlayStation 3 production programme is "in full swing", market watcher American Technology Research (ATR) has claimed. Crucially, this means the consumer electronics giant will meet its target and ship 2m of the next-generation consoles by the end of the year.

According to a report written by ATR analyst PJ McNealy, Sony's efforts should ensure the company won't be forced to delay either the US of Japanese PS3 launch as it was last month forced to do with the console's European debut.

McNealy believes the US will get 1.2m PS3s by the end of the year, with the remaining 800,000 being alloted to Japan, where the console is due to launch on 11 November. The US introduction happens a week later on 17 November.

"Our research indicates that typically 10-20 per cent of the unit shipment forecast will likely still be in the channel (en route) at the end of December and not installed in homes yet," wrote McNealy. "The low end of that range is more likely simply because Sony will likely still be air-freighting and not tanker-shipping PS3s at that point." ®