This afternoon on stage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, I shared some very exciting news that I know the PlayStation Nation has been anticipating since we unveiled PlayStation Vita back in January. For those looking to get their hands on the ultimate in handheld entertainment, I’m thrilled to let you know that starting on February 22, 2012, PS Vita will be available at major retailers in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.
Our first-party studios and an army of publishing partners have been extremely hard at work to ensure that PS Vita launches with a vast library of titles that deliver unique gameplay experiences that go beyond any handheld or mobile device on the market. We have more than 100 games currently in development globally that span many different genres, including Sound Shapes, Resistance: Burning Skies, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Capcom’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, EA Sports’ FIFA, Activision’s Call of Duty, and numerous others that you’ll hear about in the months ahead.
I’ve had the chance to spend some time with several of these titles and I think you’ll be blown away by how each takes advantage of the technology packed into PS Vita to deliver amazing gaming experiences. With its vibrant 5-inch OLED screen, dual analog sticks, dual cameras, and front and rear touch panel, PS Vita will deliver rich, immersive games with stunning graphics, which simply can’t be found anywhere else. Now you’ll be able to play shooters and action titles on-the-go with controls that are familiar, and you won’t have to block out the gorgeous screen to interact with the games.
In addition to the deep portfolio of games, you’ll also have access to native social applications – near and Party – that help you connect with your friends and fellow PS Vita owners. We also recently announced that PS Vita will have your favorite social networking applications like Facebook, foursquare, Skype, and Twitter, so you can share and connect with friends. With PS Vita, you can enjoy the best handheld gaming experience available and stay connected to the people and interests you care about.
It’s never been a better time to be a part of PlayStation Nation and I can’t wait for you to experience this revolutionary handheld system. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we near the February 22, 2012 launch!
Ahhhh…. Wish I was more into handheld systems.
This would’ve been perfect for me, but I am more interested
in at-home gaming consoles.
I remember paying $29.99 for one, and $24.99 for another about 2 years later… you got hosed.
And the PS2 era definitely provided some good times! So has this current era! Hell, all of them have! I’ve been gaming since 1982! Apple II, Atari 7800, NES… all of that!
@Deathspear666 Online stores like Amazon just use it as a temporary placeholder until an official date is confirmed. For example Sorcery is “listed” for December 31st and Sony hasn’t said anything about it since E3 last year
Can the ps vita still be updated before the release, with update i mean better specs than what they have announced??, because apple and other concurrents are getting closer in terms of the specs that where amazing couple months ago
yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa best news of the day i will pre-order this bad boy
@PrimeroIncognito
Hosed? Possibly. Back then I wasn’t nearly as well informed as I am today, and with online shopping opportunities to get things cheaper have gone way up. But even with that in mind, PSOne cards were about the same price when they first came out. The early pricing on PSP cards were insane as well. Sony originally packed in 32mb cards with that system, it wasn’t much but it was something unlike with the Vita. The PS2 was great and is why I always suck it up and pay Sony for refurbished PS3s with PS2 BC when they offer a cheaper alternative. Not having BC is not an alternative for me!
Not sure I get where everyone is saying it is going to have it’s own memory cards. The image on the front looks like a pro duo stick to me.
I remember PS1 memory cards were $19.99. I had 4 of them. All different colors, too.
Why don’t you just buy a BRAND NEW PS2 slim for $99.99? I did. Now I can play my PS2 collection whenever I want to, and on the system they were designed for. It’s much better that way.
might as well wait a year dont want to deal with the bugs n next thing u know a 4g version come out
@DMcgee627…True..Pretty deceiving though either way…
Yay!!!!
@PrimeroIncognito
I’ve owned a PSTwo for a long time. Since even before I purchased a PS3. Which home console do you think I’ve been playing on these last few months, my Wii? :P Heck, I replayed Star Ocean 3 (from scratch because my original save file was on my last PS3 fffffffffuuuu……) and God Hand in the 10 days it took Sony to receive my busted PS3 and send me back a new one (much speedier service this time around I must say).
So many people still asking about the specs.
It may take a bit to post, but here’s the Sony website that tells you everything you want to know about the PS Vita:
http://us.playstation.com/psvita/
If you have a PS2 already, then why do you need backwards compatibility? Games always run better on the console they were designed for than they do through BC or emulators… I’m sure you know that.
That’s exactly why I bought one of the new PS2 slims for $99.99 last year when my original fat PS2 finally croaked… I couldn’t live without playing Burnout 3 (and Revenge, and Dominator), and the GTA games! Timesplitters, Hot Shots Golf Fore!, SSX… I would’ve been so unhappy if I was unable to keep playing those classics…
great! But will it blend????
Is the Store Update going to be released in February too Jack?
I wonder what it takes exactly to update the Store. Are those who are responsible running around crazily to get the content up? They should do a stealth update on Mondays then flip the GO LIVE switch 12am Tuesdays.
Why? Because the original 60 gb model PS3 is the best darn console made! It allows you to play not 1, not 2, but 3 generations of games! What other console lets you do that? None? I rest my case. It also has a whopping 4 usb ports which come in very hand for a “power user” such as myself. Plus it has those nifty memory card readers! Sadly, such greatness comes with a price. If you’re like me and use the system everyday for an untold amount of hourse, these models will die quite young. It’s a shame but it was worth the price of admission, and re-admission, and another re-admission…
hey.. people.. where the hell is today’s.. i mean.. yesterdays store update!?? ’cause, i may be wrong but i think it’s already wednesday and no store update??
Sony: “We don’t want your money! Delay the GT5 DLC in NA and don’t update the store!” brilliant Sony! :P
jedicurt, yes it will.
The Vita is so advanced, that if you are playing it while sitting on the toilet, it can detect what you had eaten by the way your turd smells…it will then provide links to sites for similar restaurants in your area!
PS3’s with BC are more prone to failing, Sony hasn’t officially said this but based on reports of those that had PS3’s that busted…its pretty safe to assume that. Also I wouldn’t hold your breath and expect a new PS3 model that has PS2 BC included…especially since HD re-releases seem to be all the rage these days…and the introduction of PS2Classics.
Really though, PS2’s are cheap and there are plenty out there. As someone said, games run better on the system they were designed for. There is a laundry list of games that glitch out even on PS2 BC Ps3’s.
And finally @ FATHASUN – if you don’t understand how updating a digital content store works, don’t comment on it. Problems happen sometimes, its unavoidable. It’s not the end of the world.
Fantastic news on the U.S release date.
Yes megamixer, I hear you, but those PS1 and PS2 games will still run better on the original consoles… there’s no denying that. That’s why I don’t care about BC not being around anymore. Anyone who wants to play PS2 can just buy a NEW one, and PS2 games and accessories can still be purchased online at LOW prices…
In the end, you’ll actually spend LESS money that way, plus have the proper hardware to match the software. You want the best possible experience, right?
What!!! I thought it was December 31 2011? Why was it postponed?
YEEEEES. Thankyou SONY!
update the store today where is nfs the come out today all piss about delayed on Dlc gt5
Day one for me.
PS1 emulation on the PS3 really isn’t that good, honestly. I have the original R4 (Ridge Racer 4) disc and it runs much smoother on the original PS1 than the PSone classic version on PSN. The Crash Bandicoot games are like that as well. The PSone classic versions on PSN seem to be a lot more jittery. Crash 3 in particular is kinda jumpy on the PS3, but runs smooth as silk on the PS1 console. Hell, I even downloaded a PS1 emulator for my PC, and the games run better on that emulator than they do on the PS3!
Bottom line, backwards compatibility is not really worth it. The original hardware is always better. As well as the original memory cards, controllers, etc.
Im just wondering about the 3g price. Day one for me though.
nfs the come lololololol
Best possible experience? If I wanted that, I’d be playing my PS1/PS2/Gamecube/Wii games on an old cart SDTV rather than my HDTV :D Being able to play with a wireless controller and freely swap between various games on the same televsion, on the same input no less, and with no physical memory cards to deal with, that was Kens dream. Sonys neutering of the PS3 ever since launch has been a travesty! For crying out loud, the newest models can’t even play blu-ray movies in HD over component! If I’m going to be called a troll then call me an idiot as well. For I knowingly continue to dump money into what I know to be a defective product because of my love for it. How many of the fanboys calling me out can (and put their money where their mouth is by having paid over $800 for their PS3s) say the same thing?
I got a slim PS2 late last year for $40 or so on clearance at The Source. It’s still packed away, though, because my 10-year-old fat model still works perfectly. Just in case!
Alright, I’m done waiting for yesterday’s store update. Good night!
Ok PlayStation, now that you’ve fed us the dessert….. Give us the veggies!!!!!
god tryin to read some of the comments on this blog makes my brain hurt
good old american education shows more and more everyday
Well it is 10:42pm here and still no PSN Store update…..
are you kidd me
Still no update…..I wanted to play Payday
Vita release announced? Good news….. Lack of PS Store Update? Slightly disappointing….
Returning to Arkham City while I wait? Don’t mind if I do!
I am tempted to get the Vita. It looks cool, but like someone else said I will wait for the bugs to be worked out; and for longer view into what kind of software is developed for the Vita.
Jack Tretton you are awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to hear the incessant whining of people…
“PSPlus should get 3g service for free! this is an outrage sony! Im getting an xbox” -idle threats
If people are interested, Payday has been up on the store for several hours…you just have to search for it. Download is a bit slow, as everyone seems to be saying its taking a while. Nothing else seems to be up but really…was there anything else coming out that people wanted? Aside from GT5 dlc that was delayed and the Deus Ex DLC?
@CynicalNerd
I wanted to see what this weeks discounts would be. Having been without a PS3 for over 3 months, I have some catching up to do. Also I was looking forward to more Sam & Max :)
@bscott22 You can play Payday right now. It’s on the store. Just use the search function and you can download it.
yay when is the store updateing
congrats Bryan Heitkotter !!!!!
I’ll speak on behalf of all my frustrated friends and let you know how much we appreciate this late update, and not even a damned peep out of your puerile team as to why loyal fans are waiting hours past the expected update time. Not even a small, one-sentence post as to why it’s late? Well, I hope the message of my wallet staying empty will resonate loudly enough with you. I’ll check back in a few weeks when I have the time; hopefully someone will have the responsibility mustered up to do something by then.
The only thing keeping me from pre-ordering one? That whole “proprietary memory” thing – isn’t that what sunk the Minidisc? I imagine I’m still going to get one, (just like I bought a minidisc recorder!), but I expect the price to fall rapidly. If I’m wrong, life goes on, I’ll continue to be very happy playing on my PS3.
OMG!!!! 11PM EST ……. WHERE’S THE FREAKING UPDATE FOR THE PSN STORE!!!!!! I don’t understand why you can’t have a set time every week. Nintendo & Microsoft doesn’t seem to have problem with a it. Way to leave yours customers in the dark, without any kind of notice to why the PSN STORE UPDATE is taking so FREAKING LONG!!!!!!!!
If it was a technically difficulty for the late PSN update, then why not post something on PS BLOG saying ” Due to technically difficult, the PSN STORE UPDATE will take longer then excepted.
It’s hard to believe that I pre-ordered the Vita. While I was at E3 this year. Thanks again for the trip Sony
I just want the battery to last more than 3-5 hours. the extended life battery that came out between the psp-1000 and 2000 launch proves it can be done so why not?