Japan will get 20,000 fewer PlayStation 3 consoles at launch, if a report in local newspaper the Nikkei Keizai Shimbun is to be believed. That's a reduction of 20 per cent on the original allocation of 100,000 units.

According to the paper, the cut comes as components become harder to find. Which components it's referring to isn't yet clear, but the finger has to point to the Cell processor - which manufacturer IBM has already admitted isn't showing the best of yields, ie. 10-20 per cent - and the PS3's Blu-ray Disc drive, which may be the victim of the laser diode famine that's limiting other manufacturers' ability to ship BD players and peripherals.

In September, Sony delayed the PS3's European launch in a bid to ensure the US and Japan get as many units at launch as possible. Again, component shortages are believed to have been the motivation for the company's move.

The Japanese report comes a week after Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) co-chairman Jack Tretton admitted the launch allocations were more a "target" than a precise logistical statistic.

The PS3 is set to ship in Japan on 11 November, six days before the next-generation console's US debut. ®