PlayStation Vita Release Date And Price

When it comes to gaming, no one is content to simply play their games only on their consoles. When traveling, for portable entertainment on the go, unfortunately a game console cannot be taken everywhere. Playing games on a mobile phone, be it smart or simple, is not the same thing. A mobile phone, no matter how hi-tech, needs to have dedicated hardware to handle different games and their graphics. But with a handheld game console, on a smaller screen but with dedicated machinery, play games anywhere and everywhere. In the arena of handheld consoles, the two heavyweights are Sony and Nintendo, always engaged in a game of electronic one-upmanship with each other. The Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) released in 2004, was a top handheld device and has sold 72.99 million units since its release. But it was outshone by the Nintendo DS, the most popular and best-selling handheld console ever. Lately Nintendo has released the 3DS, a 3D handheld console. Not to be outdone, Sony's return-fire upcoming handheld is the Sony PlayStation (PS) Vita.

A Look Under the PlayStation Vita's Hood

So why all the fuss about this handheld? Go through the following PS Vita specs to get what is the big deal in this little gaming machine:

• 5 inch OLED touch screen interface on the front and the rear of the console. Use your fingers to move your in-game characters.
• A motion system like no other - Sixaxis® motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and compass.
• Front camera allows you to see and interact with other players.
• Rear camera allows for Augmented Reality (AR) gaming (play in real world video settings).
• Dual camera system tracks player's head movement and allows face detection.
• Familiar PlayStation face buttons (triangle, square, x and circle) and D-Pad (direction pad) allow traditional handheld input.
• Dual analog sticks let you change camera angles with just a flick. Ideal for first person shooters.
• Backward compatibility - Play any PSP game on the Vita.
• Connect to the Internet wirelessly or through 3G (provided by AT&T, separate device).
• Storage media slot and NVG (Sony proprietary flash card) used for software input.
• Equipped with stereo speakers and a microphone, Bluetooth and GPS ability (only with 3G model).
• Chat while gaming and access social networking sites through Facebook and Twitter app support.

In addition to the above drool-worthy features and specs, here's a line-up of PlayStation Vita games, specially designed for the touch-joystick control system