PlayStation® Vita

The PlayStation® Vita offers new game play experiences never before seen on any device, allowing users to interact directly with games in three dimension-like motion, through “touch, grab, trace, push and pull” finger motions. PS Vita incorporates a beautiful 5-inch multi-touch organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the front display and a unique multi-touch pad on the rear. PS Vita also features two analog sticks which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience, such as shooters, action games, and fighting games.

With front and rear cameras, PS Vita can turn kitchen counters into a fight ring or office boardrooms into a battlefield. Augmented Reality (AR) technology for Vita brings players’ physical world into the PlayStation world. Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities pinpoint the location of nearby opponents, send friends on treasure hunts and keep the world updated on players’ rankings. With Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity, consumers can pick up games right where they left off, even from their PS3™ system.

Consumers will also enjoy additional PS Vita features, such as “LiveArea,” an interactive space for each PS Vita software title that allows users to access the latest game information through PlayStation Network; “Near,” a pre-installed application that lets players see what other PS Vita users in the vicinity are playing; and “Party,” which lets consumers voice chat or text chat while playing games or using the Internet browser.

Models: PCH-1001/PCH-1101

Price: $249.00 (with WiFi); $299.00 (with WiFi and 3G)

Commercially available: February 22, 2012

Web Site: http://us.playstation.com/psvita/

JUDGE’S REMARKS:

Talk about versatility! Vita, SONY’s newest hand held gaming device is unique because of the sheer variety of play experiences. Double your fun, but not your money. The Vita has two cameras, front and rear, as well as two touchpad front and back. The 5-inch OLED screen is beautiful to look and in case you’re lonesome all of your Playstation buttons are there as well as the two joystick controllers. Tactile feedback, and a whopping 6-axis motion sensor system that controls the gyroscope and accelerometer round out the fun.

Best: It’s an engineering feat like no other mobile game platform before it.

Needs Work: You’ll need new to download new versions of your fav games from the PSP store; but there’s no compatibility with Playstation 3. $299 with WiFi; $399 with 3G but only available from AT&T. And, it’s not a phone.

Robin Raskin