The PlayStation 3 is now on sale in the UK, four months after the American and Japanese launches, which had themselves been delayed by technical problems.

But the wait was worth it for the hundred people who queued at the Virgin Megastore in Oxford Street, London, for the official launch. Minutes before the console went on sale, Sony announced that each would be given a 46-inch flat-screen TV worth £2,000.

“We wanted to repay the patience and loyalty of all the people who have waited the extra few months for the European launch.” Jonathan Fargher, Sony’s UK spokesman, said. “We obviously want them to enjoy PS3 in the way it’s meant to be shown off, and that’s on high-definition television.”

After a countdown to launch, there was one final hold-up, albeit brief. When Ritatsu Thomas, the 17-year-old South Londoner who had queued for 43 hours to be first in line, stepped up to the check-out his bank card failed to be read. After a few moments of tension, the transaction went through and he held the console aloft.

“It feels excellent,” Ritatsu said. “I might have to play on it when I get home because I’m so excited I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

He said he had become “great friends” with the other people in the queue and planned to organise online gaming tournaments with them.

Retailers have reported strong pre-order sales of the PlayStation 3 but were not expecting an immediate sell-out. The staggered launch has allowed Sony to build up a stockpile of machines, and the company has allocated 220,000 for the UK. That compares with the 70,000 units available at the UK launch of the Xbox 360.

However, analysts said that the PS3’s £425 price tag may also limit demand. Carl Gressum, senior analyst at technology consultancy Ovum, said the first round of purchasers would be tech-aware consumers and Sony fans.

“Those consumers tend to be willing to pay a large premium to get the new PlayStation,” he said. “That is a limited market so Sony will need to get the price down quickly in order to reach a bigger market.”