TOKYO ~ Japanese electronics icon Sony Corp reported on Wednesday its biggest quarterly loss in four years as its PlayStation 3 console battled fierce competition, while full-year profits edged up 2.2 percent.

Sony posted a net loss of 67.6 billion yen (US$562 million) for the three months to March, worse than the 66.5 billion yen loss it suffered a year earlier.

Net profits for the fiscal year to March came to 126.3 billion yen, up from 123.6 billion a year earlier.

Strong sales of televisions and other electronics goods as well as a series of box office hits helped to offset a string of problems with defective batteries and a troubled launch for the PlayStation 3 games console.

Sony was upbeat about prospects for the current year to March 2008, forecasting net profits would more than double to 320 billion yen.