PlayStation Vita Gets NA, EU Launch Date

Sony's upcoming portable gaming console has now gotten a firm launch date. After arriving in Japan on December 17, the PlayStation Vita will come to North America and Europe on February 22. "The two versions of the console — one with Wi-Fi only and one with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity — will be priced at $249.99 and $299.99, respectively, in both Canada and the United States. The launch price in Europe will be €249.99 and €299.99." Users will be limited to downloading games no bigger than 20MB over 3G — larger games, which may require up to 4GB of storage space, will need to go over a Wi-Fi connection or be installed from a memory card. Despite abandoning UMD, Sony reportedly has "plans" to allow some sort of transfer of PSP games to the Vita, though it will likely cost money.

Comments

PS Vita Mix

[Scott Swezey]

I'm sad to see they didn't go with the PS Vita Mix model. A game machine that could also make me a smoothie would be a big hit.

Re:PS Vita Mix

[gmhowell]

Don't worry, I'm sure they will make up for lack of mixability by making sure it can blend.

AUNZ prices

[duracelllll]

Price in AU is $349 or $449 for 3G, NZ is $449/549.

Re:AUNZ prices

[Anonymous Coward]

Shouldn't the prices be cheaper? Seeing as our dollar is worth more and all that.

Re:AUNZ prices

[Anonymous Coward]

AU and NZ always gets ripped off
Take the US 3G+WiFi Model as the base at $300 (yes i rounded) and convert using XE.com exchange rates
UK = $190.40
EU = $217.10 ($82.90 or 38.2% more than US equivilent)
AU = $298.68 ($151.30 or 50.66% more than US equivilent)
NZ = $375.40 ($173.60 or 46.24% more than US equivilent)

I know there are different taxes and transport costs, but the price differences are crazy! they are all made in China or Tiwan which are just as close to AU and NZ as the US.

Re:AUNZ prices

[sortius_nod]

Yep, but somehow it's more expensive to ship to Australia than the US, even though we're closer to the Taiwanese factories that make them.

Re:AUNZ prices

[NoobixCube]

I call it the "fuck Australia" rate. It's a legacy of the time our dollar bought 50 US cents, and companies still take the US price and double it for ours, now; though Sony haven't been quite so dickish.

Re:AUNZ prices

[jaminJay]

It's mostly because they're shipping an almost insignificant number of units to Australia in comparison to those shipped to the US. To the order that one retailer in America would probably order more in total than all of Australia's retailers put together.

Re:AUNZ prices

[AdamJS]

Well, they only do it because you guys pay for it. It's simply vastly more profitable than gaining a small amount more sales by selling at internationally standardized rates. They would do the same in other countries if they could get away with it.

Re:AUNZ prices

[Dogtanian]

I call it the "fuck Australia" rate.

To be fair, they have to localise it before they can sell it down under. Specifically, every unit has to be turned upside down first. Also, Aussie regulations require the attachment of corks on strings to keep flies away.

Plus, they've decided to rename it as the "Bruce" for the Australian market, to avoid causing confusion.

Re:AUNZ prices

[elrous0]

The U.S. doesn't have *ANY* VAT tax (just local sales taxes, which run 0%-7%). Most of the EU countries have something like a 20%-40% VAT tax added on.

This is Sony

[NoobixCube]

I'm sure they'll be more than happy to sell you new copies of games you already have.

Re:This is Sony

[khchung]

While it is always fun to flame Sony (especially on /., where you will get modded up automatically!), the fact is there is nothing on the PS3 that forces you to pay twice for any PS3 game at all since it was released.

I have a PS3, and for the past few years, all the games I bought, both on physical disc or through PSN, can be still played, no problem, even though I have reformatted the harddisk 3 times so far (once due to replacing a bigger disk, once due to PS3 broke down and fixed, and once when my bigger disk failed).

While you are free to buy old PS1 and PS2 games from PSN to play on your PS3. There is nothing to prevent you from firing up your old PS1/2 console to play those games if you like.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

A SONY game console? Yeah, gonna jump all over that.

Re:This is Sony

[PopeRatzo]

While it is always fun to flame Sony (especially on /., where you will get modded up automatically!), the fact is there is nothing on the PS3 that forces you to pay twice for any PS3 game at all since it was released.

Did you not read the story?

Here, let me help you:

Despite abandoning UMD, Sony reportedly has "plans" to allow some sort of transfer of PSP games to the Vita, though it will likely cost money.

If Sony could figure out a way to make you pay twice for a game, they'd do it in a heartbeat.

Sony is among the most customer-hostile corporations on the planet. They see customers as unruly masses who need to be brought into line instead of people who are willingly putting money in their pocket. That kind of ugly corporate attitude has been part of the culture at Sony for a long time.

I put them on my permanent pay-no-mind list even before they decided they should place trojan malware on their customers computers. It's a shame, too, because one time they were an innovative company.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

While you are free to buy old PS1 and PS2 games from PSN to play on your PS3. There is nothing to prevent you from firing up your old PS1/2 console to play those games if you like.

While this is certainly correct, the problem is that some gamers (or those that don't have a lot of $$ to throw around on consoles) will trade in a console in order to get the next greatest thing. The PS3's launch specs claimed backwards compatibility, now with the ps3 slim that's gone and if you aren't one of the fortunate souls to have a still working first gen ps3, to quote George Carlin "you're S.O.L and J.W.F". That's the reason I kept the PS2, when I get that urge to play some FFVII, I know I'll be able to.

Microsoft and Nintendo suffer from the same bit. The XBOX 360 has "limited backwards compatibility". The Wii can play gamecube games, but nintendo is more than happy to sell you some old NES, SNES or Genesis games, maybe ones you already have.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you trying to say that's a bad thing? What do you expect them to do, give away NES and SNES games to anyone for free? If you don't want to buy old games on the Virtual Console, then don't buy them. If you've got cartridges, you can still play them on the original hardware. The matter discussed in the article is different: it looks like Sony might charge consumers to transfer games they already own onto a new device.

Now, I actually don't see why people are getting upset over this: the Vita does not play UMDs. If Sony never mentioned anything about this, no one would care at all-- this is always how new handhelds (and most consoles) have worked. When you buy a new console, of course you can't play games from old consoles on it, especially when the new console doesn't even support the previous console's media format. Sony charging a fee for a useful service such as digitizing UMDs for play on the Vita is not unreasonable. If you don't like it or don't want to pay it, just play the games on your PSP. Sold your PSP? That's your fault.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you not read the story?

Here, let me help you:

Despite abandoning UMD, Sony reportedly has "plans" to allow some sort of transfer of PSP games to the Vita, though it will likely cost money.

Did you not read the comment you replied to?

Here, let me help you:

There is nothing to prevent you from firing up your old PS1/2 console to play those games if you like.

And he's absolutely correct.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

The PS3's launch specs claimed backwards compatibility, now with the ps3 slim that's gone

The PS3 slim doesn't claim to be backwards compatible and you're free to find a backwards compatible PS3 on E-bay if you really give a damn. What's the problem here? You don't really expect every console to be backwards compatible with the previous one, do you? Was the SNES able to play NES games? What about Saturn and Genesis? N64 and SNES? People got seriously spoiled with the PS2, I think, and now come to expect features that aren't necessarily practical to implement.

Re:This is Sony

[travisco_nabisco]

I agree that they can appear to be openly hostile to customers, however at least they are open about it. Most companies try to make you think you matter while they try to get every last penny out of your pocket.

Re:This is Sony

[tlhIngan]

I have a PS3, and for the past few years, all the games I bought, both on physical disc or through PSN, can be still played, no problem, even though I have reformatted the harddisk 3 times so far (once due to replacing a bigger disk, once due to PS3 broke down and fixed, and once when my bigger disk failed).

And that's a problem.

A good thing I never bought a single thing on PSN because I can't get on PSN. Or use the PlayStation Store, either.

See, Sony decided to screw everyone over with a PS3. Before, you could play games and movies and do Linux. Now it's games and movies, or Linux. Until sony either pays for a Linux PC, or another PS3, I'm not paying.

Modern blu-rays demand I update the firmware. Games require I update the firmware. Even epending money requires I update the firmware. Nevermind I don't agree with the new PSN terms and conditions.

Yes, all I can do is play games that were released prior to April 1, 2010. And since then, I've bought Xbox360 games and iOS games. (Funny how Apple lets you still use their iTunes store to buy apps and music and movies while running old firmware and old software - it takes them forever to deprecate old iTunes versions).

Ah well, I'm not even sure if the 3G capability is prepaid by Sony or requires a subscription service to work.

Re:This is Sony

[Golddess]

Your PS1/2 can play UMDs?

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

The Genesis WAS backward compatible with the Sega Master System. You needed the base converter for the cartridges to fit, but all of the hardware that handled running the games was internal to the Genesis.

Re:This is Sony

[Anonymous Coward]

The fact that optical drives in both the original PS and the PS2 were prone to issues mean that there is at least something that can prevent you from playing.

My launch PS died as the replacement for it works but only if you turn it upside down. Stupid lens actuator.

My PS2 still works; but I know several people who had theirs crap out on them. Some of them were able to get a replacement due to the class-action lawsuit regarding the faulty drives. This was of course back when class-action lawsuits were an option.

The PS3? Can you still play your games online and run Linux?

299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why are these machines always the same number in dollars and euros (just like apple devices) while the two currencies have different values?

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

Its a conspiracy to bring on the one world currency!

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

It is just a way to milk the european consumers...

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why are these machines always the same number in dollars and euros (just like apple devices) while the two currencies have different values?

To fuck you over.
Really go look at the price of Adobe software in europe, its way way costlier than doing a direct converion $->€ and then adding for good measure import tariffs, VAT etc... Electronics is no different I'm afraid.

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[tlhIngan]

Why are these machines always the same number in dollars and euros (just like apple devices) while the two currencies have different values?

Why doesn't the EU adopt the same method of calculating taxes that US and Canada does? You know, add the tax at the register?

You silly Europeans with your silly ideas of "you pay the price tag" means all taxes are built in, hiding stuff like 20% import duties and 20% VAT on top.

Bah. do it the American way. We know what the tax rate is, and we know it's $299 plus tax.

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[elrous0]

The U.S. doesn't have VAT taxes, the EU does. And not just little sales taxes of a few percent, I mean*BIG FUCKING VAT TAXES*, no less (Sweden has an almost 50% VAT tax). So, yeah, they're going to cost a helluva lot more in Europe than the U.S.

Re:299 dollar = 217 euro.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sweden has 25% VAT, not 50%.

No.

[Sasayaki]

Issues I can see right off the top of my head:

- For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet), which aside from being a pretty good gaming platform in its own right (arguably not as good as a dedicated device) is a net tablet, touch screen, eBook reader, high battery life device where the games are usually $1 and there are tens of thousands of non-game applications, including Kindle app, hundreds and hundreds of tools, Google maps, etc etc etc. And you can bet your arse those games on the Vita will all be $30 or more, AKA PC Game prices without even the cries of piracy to justify them. The Vita does nothing the iPad can't do, while the reverse is far from true.

- 3G enabled is pointless for modern games if there's a a 20mb cap. It becomes something to only download tiny games on, which don't need a dedicated device. So I might as well... see above point.

- No backwards compatability (can't play PS1/PS2 games). It *might* play PSP games, for a nominal fee, of course... when you could just play them on your PSP. That you presumably already own since you own the game. Pretty pointless.

- Rootkit scandal, PSHome outage, Sony's utter apathy towards the safety and privacy of their victi- uhh, consumers, blah blah blah blah. This isn't just wearing a slightly-too-short skirt to a party and getting a little too drunk, this is deliberately giving yourself rohypnol and publically signing a contract that says anyone can do anything to you while you're unconscious. Remember, you can now no longer sue Sony for any reason when you sign up to their products, so the analogy is apt. You will regret signing up to the Vita when it next gets owned by 4Chan script kiddies.

- No compelling reason why you don't just buy an Android tablet at the same price, install a bunch of emulators and play basically any kind of game that's five years older or more. And it's still an Android tablet. See point 1.

- What games? It's not like there's going to be a *good*, exclusive, Final Fantasy or anything on it. It's going to be crappy, full-price ports of old games (in which case see above point), or it'll be a bunch of shovelware with one or two good titles which you can probably get through PSN on PS3 anyway.

So, in conclusion, pass. Pass like a skanky, herpes infested crack whore offering me unprotected sex for ten dollars. Pass like the opportunity to invest in a brand new bridge in Nigeria some Prince is offering me a 50% stake in for a few thousand dollars. Pass, pass, pass.

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

- For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet),

You can get an iPad2 for $249? Tell me where!
Also, the Vita and the iPad are entirely different devices. That's like not buying a PS3 because for the same price you buy more RAM for your PC.

Re:No.

[MtHuurne]

For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet)

I doubt that: currently the iPad 2 is about twice as expensive as the quoted euro prices and equivalent Android tablets aren't significantly cheaper. Tablet prices might drop a bit in the next half year, but not so dramatically.

3G enabled is pointless for modern games if there's a a 20mb cap. It becomes something to only download tiny games on, which don't need a dedicated device.

You can download the games over WiFi and play them online over 3G. Probably the 3G is too slow to download big games anyway even if there wasn't a cap.

No backwards compatability (can't play PS1/PS2 games).

PS1 games could be emulated. Of course, it is very likely Sony will want you to buy the game again instead of letting you put a disk image of your PS1 game on a flash card.

I probably won't be buying one either: for simple games a smartphone will do just fine and for more complex games I prefer a bigger screen.

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why didn't you just write "I won't buy this 'cuz I f*cking hate Sony"? That would have been equally convincing, but a lot more concise and less factually wrong.

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

You can get a decent android table for less than $100 from china

Re:No.

[yezu]

For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet)

No You can't. At least not something worth paying for.

Which aside from being a pretty good gaming platform in its own right.

You're joking right? This smartphone/tablet gaming is ok for casual gaming, but for more advanced stuff... no.

Net tablet, touch screen, eBook reader

So is Vita. Not sure about eBook but I'm sure it will turn up sooner or later.

High battery life

O rly? iPad and iPad2 have nice battery lives, but the rest, no better than Vita.

The Vita does nothing the iPad can't do, while the reverse is far from true.

iPad is NOT a gaming device, and performs poorly when trying to be one. Vita is a gaming device, and a good one. The rest is irrelevant in this case. Unless You're keen on discussing how much better a chocolate bar is than Motorola Xoom :)

3G enabled is pointless for modern games if there's a a 20mb cap.

The cap is unnecessary but it's hardly a nuisance. Seriously how often do You download games? People will download games using WiFi. 3G is for the web or multiplayer.

No backwards compatibility (can't play PS1/PS2 games)

How would You like to play PS1 games? Put a CD inside the device? Be serious. Vita will play PSN PSOne games, like PSP, like PS3. If You buy a title once (and they are damned cheap) you can use it on any of these devices, even transfer saves. Besides less people than You think actually own old PSX games on CDs.

It *might* play PSP games, for a nominal fee, of course...

Not true. It was announced that PSP games You already own (physically, PSN is a simpler matter) will be downloadable cheaper. We'll see what Sony will do but unless the cost is symbolic, it indeed won't be fair.

Rootkit scandal, PSHome outage, Sony's utter apathy towards the safety and privacy of their victi- uhh, consumers, blah blah blah blah...

You're just a hater. Sony's no saint, but who is, Microsoft?

What games? It's not like there's going to be a *good*, exclusive

Top of my head: Dedicated Bioshock game , Disgaea 3 Return , Dedicated Killzone Game , Little Deviants , Resistance: Burning Skies , Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Sound Shapes And some of the are launch titles. U MAD?

So, in conclusion, pass.

Sure you're choice. But the reasons You stated are... questionable :) I'm getting PS Vita, but most probably PS Vita Slim in year or two :D

Re:No.

[muon-catalyzed]

That iPad vs Vita comparison of yours is like comparing Ford Transit to Porsche 911. Each has its uses and users..

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

The 3G is for Online Play Anywhere. Anyways, it's making a far harder push for developers (both professional and amateur/indie) than the Wii or 3DS has, which gives it a lot more potential.

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

Equivalent android tablet, he said. Those chinese tablets are utter garbage and even ones that (Specwise) match an old iPad won't deliver anywhere near the same performance.

Re:No.

[AdamJS]

3G is faster than most household internet. Or at least, in eastern and western Canada. I can get a fully sustained 8 to 10+ mbit download and 1.5 to 3+mbit upload which sadly is better than most household connections can attest to.

Re:No.

[drinkypoo]

Issues I can see right off the top of my head:

- For that price I could get an iPad 2 (or equivalent Android tablet),

That's OK, I bet Sony still thinks it's "probably too cheap"... like the $600 PS3. They've got a real let them eat cake attitude over there.

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

- What games? It's not like there's going to be a *good*, exclusive, Final Fantasy or anything on it. It's going to be crappy, full-price ports of old games (in which case see above point), or it'll be a bunch of shovelware with one or two good titles which you can probably get through PSN on PS3 anyway..

You obviously haven't looked at the lineup if you assume its all ports and old games, Sony are investing a lot in the games and a lot of them are original titles from significant IP. i.e Uncharted Golden Abyss. They are also pushing a lot into AR (augmented reality) side of gaming which is something you wont see much of on many other platforms. Fair differentiators there already from ipad games.

Hell of a statement

[Trax3001BBS]

With the concern that games cause violence, and the back and
forth studies of yes they do, no the don't.

Sony promotion:
"PlayStation Vita will redefine traditional boundaries of gaming
and blur the lines between entertainment and reality,"

That should ease some minds I'm sure.

Comparing prices

[houghi]

299EUR is 412.27USD today Could be different tomorrow.

Re:Comparing prices

[Anonymous Coward]

Well there are companies who will not try to shaft their European customers and adjust the prices properly. But this is Sony so I do not expect anything else.

Re:Comparing prices

[Anonymous Coward]

$412.27?

That's not too far off

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Re:Comparing prices

[Inda]

History tells us that something sold for 299 EUR will sell in the USA for 299 USD, and 2,999 GBP in the UK, such is rip off Britain.

Re:Comparing prices

[Anonymous Coward]

The euro price will include sales taxes whereas the dollar price won't.

Re:Comparing prices

[Anonymous Coward]

We do not have sales taxes in europe; we have VAT.

Re:Comparing prices

[daddy32]

Which happen to be the exactly same as the difference between two currencies?

Re:Comparing prices

[petermgreen]

Though VAT isn't really a tax on "value added". As a VAT registered buisness you claim back VAT on stuff you buy and charge it on stuff you sell.

Yes if you only buy and sell in country and don't buy or sell any goods with special VAT rates it is equivilent to paying tax on the value you added but as soon as you import and export that no longer applies.

Re:Comparing prices

[Anonymous Coward]

There's also a "not living in America" tax which people in Europe pay. The rate is highest in the UK.

Re:Comparing prices

[MemoryDragon]

Well usually the companies translate 1€ to 1 USD, and despite getting the VAT out of the calculation, cash in 10-20% extra depending on the Euro Dollar fluctuation.

20 MB is a stupid limit

[Anonymous Coward]

20 MB is a stupid limit, (happens to be the same limit as iphone have... at least in ios4)

Is this limit adjustable? Can it be turned off?
I have a 3G contract with unlimited download/upload and I usually use some 3 GB per month.
Why is the magic number 20MB?

On the iphone many apps are bigger than 20MB and can not be downloaded or updated...

Re:20 MB is a stupid limit

[robmv]

I think this is an artificial limit to prevent kids wasting a lot of money exceeding the carrier monthly quota

Re:20 MB is a stupid limit

[Babbster]

While I'm sure part of the reason is whatever 3G deals Sony is negotiating around the world, there's also the fact that 3G is S-L-O-W compared to WiFi.

When you start talking about downloading 1GB+ games (this size is fairly common already among PSP games and Vita games will probably be even larger) you run into some big issues because of the time involved. This includes battery life where just about any 3G device would need to be plugged in to pull down a gigabyte of 3G data. There's also going from tower area to tower area while the download is happening; inevitably, the process would start, stop, slow, and/or stall multiple times, increasing the potential that the downloaded data will be corrupt or have to be downloaded more than once.

Granted, a good download manager would take care of both these issues, but it's still a practicality issue. Downloading huge games via 3G would be a dumb use of time, bandwidth, and battery life when one could stop by a Starbucks and get the same download in a fraction of the time.

Heard that before...

[Anonymous Coward]

Didn't Sony say there would be some way to get your UMD games onto the PSP Go? What happened to that plan?

Hmmm...

[Anonymous Coward]

Aen't tey afaid o uing a nam lik Vita?

Jst sayng.

A rumour that's easily spread

[Dogtanian]

I'm sad to see they didn't go with the PS Vita Mix model. A game machine that could also make me a smoothie would be a big hit.

They probably ditched it because they're *already* planning for an improved version of the original (like Nintendo did with the DS Lite). Leaked publicity suggests that the Vita "Lite" will be with us soon.

Nice

[Anonymous Coward]

Hooray! Something else for Sony to get hacked.