Psst. Hey, buddy, ya wanna buy a PlayStation?

It's T-minus one day for the launch of Microsoft's new Xbox 360, and 14-year-old Joshua Ching needs to make a sale.

Ching, a freshman at St. Louis School, posted his formerly beloved PlayStation and a couple of original Xboxes on the Internet classified service Craigslist last week, hoping to earn enough money to buy the new $399 Xbox 360 console.

"The graphics are probably newer and better," said Ching, who favors games like "Halo 2" and "Halo 3."

As the only new video-game console out this holiday season — Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution are due out next year — Xbox 360 is expected to enjoy solid, if not spectacular, sales. In what is considered a conservative estimate by market analysts, Microsoft has projected sales of 2.75 million to 3 million in the first 90 days of release.

Local video-game businesses say they haven't been taking advance orders because they haven't been assured how many units they would receive.

Even managers at the Waipahu Wal-Mart said they weren't sure how many consoles would be shipped. Local Wal-Marts, open 24 hours, will start selling Xbox 360 on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.

Tech Zone salesperson Jamie Sakata said that based on what he hears from gamers at his Ward Warehouse store, demand for the Xbox 360 doesn't seem as high as demand for other high-profile releases, such as PlayStation2 or the first Xbox.

While Xbox games sell "OK," Sakata said, games for hand-held devices are more consistent sellers. But supply, and word-of-mouth once the console is released, will play a part in driving sales through the holiday season.

The console will be released in Europe on Dec. 2 and in Japan on Dec. 10. Its performance in the Japanese market, where Xbox runs a distant third to PlayStation and Nintendo, is seen as critical to Microsoft not only for securing a better foothold in the gaming market but for expanding its reach into the broader spectrum of family entertainment. (In North America, PlayStation controls 56 percent of the market, compared with 25 percent for Xbox and 19 percent for Nintendo's GameCube.)

The black, blocky appearance of the old Xbox (made even clunkier by its jumble of wires) has been replaced with a sleek, silver tower with wireless capabilities.

In much the same way mobile phones have expanded their utility with camera, PDA and video functions, the Xbox (like PlayStation Portable) has consolidated the family home-entertainment center, with a digital photo display, music storage, iPod compatibility, DVD player and Internet gaming capabilities.

Tomorrow's launch will benefit from a strong rollout of 18 compatible games, including big sellers such as "Madden NFL '06," "Call of Duty 2" and "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland."

Dyllon Asami, a sales associate in the video game department at Circuit City, said the choice of consoles often comes down to gaming preferences.

He said the Xbox is particularly good for shooting games, while PlayStation is more popular with people who like role-playing games. Both systems are equally good for sporting games, he said.

Asami, 22, said he has owned "every (gaming) console since Atari," and he's looking forward to getting his own Xbox 360.

"But probably not right away, if it sells out," he said.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.