PS Vita Launch Details Confirmed

As part of their Tokyo Game Show press conference, Sony have issued a press release detailing PlayStation Vita, the launch line-up, technical specs and – yes – pricing.  We know that the unit itself has already been locked down in terms of costs, but that initially cheap unit price has some hidden extras…

“As the next generation portable entertainment system, PS Vita enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context, transforming every aspect of a user’s daily life into an entertainment experience,” says the PR blurb.

First up – the games.  There are 26 “exciting” software titles at launch, with more than 74 games currently in development.  Here’s the list of day-one (or at least, launch window) games for Japan:

• Blazblue Continuum Shift Extend
• 3gokushi touchbattle (working title)
• Project NOELS (working title)
• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
• Nature of Night of Kamaitachi – 11th visitor, A Suspect (tentative)
• F1 2011
• Dream C Club Zero Portable
• Niconico
• Fish On
• Katamari Damacy (working title)
• Ridge Racer (working title)
• Disgaea3 Return
• Virtua Tennis 4 – World Tour Edition
• @field
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss
• Little Deviants
• Minnato Issho
• Hot Shots Golf Next
• Yuusha no kiroku (TBD)
• Monster Radar
• Shinobido 2: Tales of the Ninja
• Army Corps of Hell
• Lord of Apocalypse
• Dynasty Warriors Next
• Dark Quest
• Michael Jackson the Experience HD

But here’s the tricky bit – you’ll be needing a memory card for Vita, and they don’t come cheap.  The smallest, 4GB, is ¥2,200 with the largest, 32GB, a staggering ¥9,500.  That’s about £80, and with games reportedly running between 2 and 4GB you’ll be wanting that biggest one, for sure.

[drop2]”Some PS Vita software titles may require the use of separately sold memory card for saving game’s saved data while some software titles are capable of saving it on to the PS Vita card itself,” confirms the PDF.  Don’t go buying a PS Vita without a memory card, basically, or chances are you’ll not be able to save your game.

Other accessories include an AC adaptor (¥1,800), protective film (¥800) and a travel pouch (¥2,300), although it’s worth noting that although Vita doesn’t come with a memory card (boo) it does come with a charger.  As you’d expect.

Along with confirming the innards of the system (512MB RAM, 128MB VRAM and an ARM A9 CPU) the press release mentions battery life: a very 3DS-like 3 to 5 hours (with default screen brightness, bluetooth off and headphones on) and the Vita takes just over 2 and a half hours to charge from zero power.

I’m disappointed in the battery life – it seems a little short to me even though it’s roughly on par with 3DS and PSP, and it’s not replaceable either.  I guess I’d just hoped Sony would go all out and give us something that would last a long haul flight without needing to break into First Class to borrow a power point.  I’m not put off, just disappointed.

But the price of the memory cards is shocking, and clearly a way for the manufacturer to offset the relatively cheap price point of the Vita itself.

You can read our hands on with PS Vita here.