The much anticipated Sony PlayStation Vita has launched in the UK today and as such, has moved us all into the '8th Generation' of gaming consoles. However, the design of the PlayStation Vita is not a million miles away from its predecessor the PlayStation Portable (PSP). So what exactly is new and improved about the latest handheld gaming device from Sony? See also PS4 release date, specs and rumour round-up.
Everything you need to know about the new handheld PlayStation.
Here's some frequently asked questions about the PlayStation Vita to help you get your head around the new console in a superfast time:
Where can I buy it?
See Where to buy the Playstation Vita.
How big is it?
Height: 83.5mm Width: 128mm Depth: 18.6
How much does it cost?
The 3G model will cost £299*
The Wi-Fi only model will cost £250*
*Correct as of 22nd February. These are only RRPs, cheaper prices can be found if you shop around.
How heavy is it?
279g for the 3G enabled model.
260g for the Wi-Fi only model.
How big is the screen?
5-inch OLED 24-bit color, 960 × 544 qHD @ 220 ppi.
What are the controls?
As well as a 5" multi-touch capacitive touchscreen you can control the PlayStation Vita with a D-pad, 12 buttons, 2 x analog sticks, its rear touchpad, electronic compass and Sixaxis motion sensing.
How do I put games on the device?
The PlayStation Vita has ditched it's UMD (Universal Media Disc) in favour of a new PS Vita Card - which is essentially a SD card that ranges in size from 4, 8, 16 or 32 GB.
What games can i play on it?
See PlayStation Vita: What you need to know for a full list of games (bottom).
What does it look?
Is it 3D?
Nope.
Does it have Wi-Fi/3G/Bluetooth?
Yes/Yes(optional)/Yes
Does it work as a phone?
Like most tablets, you can buy a PlayStation Vita with or without 3G connectivity however phone calls are not part of the deal.
Can I download apps for it?
Yes, all the major social networking sites will be free to download from the PlayStation Store; as well as selected others.
Can watch movies on it?
Yes, they have to be in the MPEG-4, H.264 format to work.
Will it play games from a disk drive?
No, the PlayStation Vita will play games from new PS Vita Cards. Unlike the PSP, the PlayStation Vita doesn't support UMDs.
Will it be touchscreen?
Yes, It has a 5" OLED multi-touch capacitive touchscreen.
What processor does it have?
4-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor and a 4-core SGX543MP4+ graphics processing unit.
What memory does it have?
512 MB RAM and 238 Video-RAM.
Will it support Adobe Flash?
No. The web browser will work with HTML5, Javascript and Cookies though.
Can I play PSP games on the VIta?
Yes and no. The Vita doesn't support UMD so there is nowhere to insert you PSP discs, however the device is backwards compatible with digital PSP games released via the PlayStation Store. So if you have previously downloaded game you can play it on the PlayStation Vita now instead of your older PSP. Playstation have said that the graphics for PSP games will be upscaled to work more smoothly with the Vita screen.
Does it have a camera?
Yes, it has identical front and back 0.3MP cameras.
What mobile networks can I get a 3G data plan for the PlayStation Vita from.
Currently Vodafone are the "preferred partners' for the PlayStation Vita. Which means, at the minute they are the only operators that offer 3G for the device. Price plans have not been released yet, although on the Vodafone website is offering a deal where £5 gets you 250MB of data and a free download of the WipEout 2048 game. However, in theory, any SIM card should work with the Vita. See #4 of Where to buy the Playstation Vita for more information.
How much do Vita games cost
Like the PS3 and PSP before it, game RRPs range from anything up to £44.99
What is the battery life like?
3-5 hours, 5-hours of video and 9 hours of music playback with the screen switched off.
Is it PS3 compatible?
Sony have said you can play any games you have downloaded from the PlayStation Store
Got a question about the PlayStation Vita? Leave a comment and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Comments
smash1987 said: calm down hes doing his best it seems like ur picking faults with everythin if he makes a mistake kindly tell him lol
Matt Egan said: Fair enough Well take a look
Me again said: Jims Where to Buy ArticleIf you order a bare Wi-Fi Vita from Game youll pay 230 the standard price the 3G version costs 280
Me again said: Oh further more the pricing in this article flies in the face of Jims article even linked to in this pagewhere all of his findings are well below 250 and he even quotes the Asda deal youve just had a dig at me for referencingYou edit this stuffyou should be able to see thats two confilcting articlesHmmm
Me said: Well yes it does because you can buy in store at that price at Asda where stock is actually present And regardless of stipulation a price is a priceyour quoted price is not as of 22nd Febuary its as of your poor research and opinionForgetting AsdaIve seen more at 229 at major retailers Looking around 239 gets you bundles with games and a 4GB card such as Toys R Us their standard unit being less I geuss Very Argos and more such as Shopto online are doing it at 229Its a minor point but your price is wrong and your explanation is poor at best at worst its simply getting annoyed because of criticismYour price is wrongend of
Matt Egan said: You can with this proviso This item is available for ordering however it will not be despatched until stock is received in our warehouse I can find only two retailers selling it at that price and neither has stock Sounds like a loss leader to me Not sure that constitutes wrong pricingOn Wed 22 Feb 2012 150227 0000
Me said: Your prices are wrong sorryYou can buy the WiFi only version for as little as 197 at Asda for exampleChris