Japanese gamers and importers will get their hands on Sony's new handheld by the holiday season, but Americans who shop through standard retail channels will have to wait a bit longer.
The company announced today that the PlayStation Vita will be available in Japan on December 17, and that gamers in Japan can pre-order the system starting October 15.
This still leaves American gamers without a launch date for the Vita, though it looks like the system won't come to the United States until the first quarter of next year. On the bright side, the Vita will be less expensive in the United States when it finally ships; the Wi-Fi version of the system will retail for $249 in North America, while in Japan it will retail for 24,980 yen, equivalent to $325. The Vita will also be available in 3G versions in both regions, retailing for $299 with a data plan from AT&T in the United States and 29,980 yen ($390 USD) with a data plan from DoCoMo in Japan.
The Vita will sport a 5.3-inch OLED touch screen and dual analog sticks, and while it will be more expensive than the Nintendo 3DS and lack the other handheld's 3D display capabilities, it will boast greater processing power and graphics.
Upcoming titles for the Vita are Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, Street Fighter x Tekken, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Modnation Racers, Super Monkey Ball Vita, and numerous remakes from the PlayStation 2 era, including the Metal Gear Solid Colleciton, Zone of the Enders 1 and 2, Final Fantasy X HD, and Persona 4 the Golden.
Sony unveiled the PlayStation Vita at this year's E3 gaming conference. Last month, the company said the Vita will include a number of downloadable social apps, including those for Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Skype.
For more, see the "E3's 5 Most Memorable Moments" slideshow below.