PSP Digital Comics store goes live

The PSP already plays games and movies, but Sony has added something a little more static to its repertoire of entertainment media. The company today launched its PlayStation Network Digital Comics service, allowing PSP owners in the US to download hundreds of issues on their handheld gaming hardware.

The launch lineup of comics includes "approximately 550" issues pulled from companies like Marvel, Disney, and IDW Publishing, with more to be added every week. The titles included range from Archie & Friends to Zombies vs. Robots, with plenty of Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Star Trek, and Transformers in between. Most titles will be available for $1.99 an issue, but "select comics" will sell for $0.99 or $2.99, and a handful of free sample comics will also be available.

Users will be able to flip through purchased comics using the Digital Comics Reader application, which will allow them to zoom in and move around pages, or skip around frame by frame. Gamers will need to have PSP firmware update 6.20 or later in order to use the Digital Comics Reader.

A full list of available titles (though not specific issues) is available on Sony's official PlayStation Blog.