Sony PlayStation Vita is coming 22 February

Sony president and CEO Jack Tretton has revealed that 22 February 2012 will be the launch date for the forthcoming PlayStation Vita. He said the PS Vita will be available at major retailers in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe on that date.

“Our first-party studios and 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,” Tretton said.

Tretton said Sony has more than 100 games 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.

The PS Vita will have a 5-inch OLED screen, dual analogue sticks, dual cameras, and front and rear touch panel.

Immersive games, stunning graphics on PS Vita

Tretton, who announced the new device’s arrival date at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, said the new handheld console will deliver rich, immersive games with stunning graphics.

“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 favourite 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!” Tretton said.

Pricing and availability

Thanks to Sony eventually getting this information over to us we can reveal that the prices for the following PlayStation Vita models:

3G/Wi-Fi (Crystal Black) – €299.99

Wi-Fi Model (Crystal Black) – €249.99

Specifications