PlayStation Vita release date and details confirmed

PlayStation Vita release date unveiled for Japan
Vita - coming soon

Sony's PlayStation Vita has been given a release date of 17 December in Japan, with the games giant promising 26 games at launch and 100 in an unspecified 'launch window'.

The PS Vita has sparked widespread interest although a price point of 24,980 Yen (approximately £206) for the WiFi-only unit means that it will come in at significantly more than the Nintendo 3DS following its radical price cut.

You can check out what you need to know about the Vita in video form below:

However, the PlayStation Vita forgoes the gimmick of 3D for dual analogue sticks, and also brings more graphics and processing power to boot.

Games

Fifa 12, F1 2011 and Uncharted: Golden Abyss are among the launch titles, alongside the might of Final Fantasy X HD – for a handheld that is looking to go one better than the PSP and provide genuine competition in the portable console market for Nintendo.

There is no official PS Vita UK release date or price as yet, although we are expecting the console to arrive early in 2012 although the price is likely to be significantly higher than £206.

Sony also showed off an accessory pack at the launch which included a case and headphones.

The launch titles announced are listed below:

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend
Project N.O.E.L.S.
Fish On
Dynasty Warriors Next
WipEout 2048
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Lord of Apocalypse (Square Enix)
F1 2011
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Army Corpse of Hell (Square Enix)
Michael Jackson: The Experience (Ubisoft)
Shinobido 2: Tales of a Ninja (Acquire)
Virtua Tennis 4 (Sega)
Uncharted: Golden Abyss (SCE)
Hot Shots Golf 6 (SCE)
Gyokugen Dasshutsu Adv: Zennin Shiboudesu (Chunsoft)
Dream Club Zero Portable (D3 Publisher)
Disgaea 3: Return (NIS)
Dark Quest: Alliance (Ubisoft)
Ridge Racer (Namco Bandai)
Tales of Innocence
Gravity Daze
Metal Gear Solid HD (Konami)
FIFA 12 (EA)

Via CVG

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.