Ben-DutkaYou had to see this coming.
Late last month, the slimmer, lighter PlayStation Vita 2000 model was announced for the UK region .
Now, Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC (SCEA) has confirmed that this even more attractive handheld will launch in North America this spring. It will debut as part of the Borderlands 2 Limited Edition bundle, which features the award-winning shooter and no fewer than six DLC packs. We'll also receive an 8GB memory card and a reasonable price tag of only $199.99.
The new Vita model boasts a redesigned architecture that's about 20 percent slimmer and 15 percent lighter than the original iteration. There are even rounded edges that make the unit more comfortable to hold. As an added bonus, the new unit has a 1GB internal memory card, which makes it easier to enjoy games without purchasing an extra card. The battery life has also been extended; the original Vita offered 3-5 hours of gameplay, while the Vita 2000 model offers 4-6 hours.
And yes, the OLED screen is gone; it has been replaced with an LCD screen, which you may or may not prefer. Said SCEA vice president of platforms marketing John Koller:
"PlayStation Vita is poised for a strong year, and introducing the new model is just the start. With an array of great games like MLB 14 The Show and The Walking Dead Season Two adding to PS Vita's huge catalog of games, as well as our strong indie lineup and the ability to play PS4 games through Remote Play, now is the perfect time to be a PS Vita owner. In addition, PlayStation Now will expand the gaming library further by allowing PlayStation 3 titles to be streamed to PS Vita when the service launches later this year."
Sony also says that over 100 games are planned for the Vita's release this year, including anticipated titles like the God of War: Collection , MLB 14: The Show , Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster , Destiny of Spirits , BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma and Helldivers . The company claims that "support remains strong" from developers, and that since the launch of the PS4, the Vita "has become the ultimate companion device for the home console" thanks to great features like Remote Play.
Okay, but will this spur sales? That's the only question we've got right now.
Be honest, how drunk are you?
Dude, that's a deadly combo. Get some help.
I hope you sold your Vita to pay for rehab.
Show me the Resident Evil that was promised several years ago and I'll be interested.
That should sell some systems. I'm kinda glad I got the one with the nice screen now.
Sony needs to bring more colors for the Vita outside of Japan. Just look at Nintendo releasing different colors and skins(Zelda, Pokemon)for 3DS.
Honestly I think it retailers don't want to stock six different colors of a product that doesn't sell well. The 3ds however does sell very well and retailers don't have a problem making room for that stock. Sony may realize that and is only asking retailers for one option.
Sony,
Cut the price on the memory cards and introduce Micro SD support and you're golden.
Yup. $80 for a 32gb… Which is the minumum that you need for the thing without constantly having to delete crap. Screw the 8gb that comes with it. I bet Borderlands and all its content will take up the entire space.
This is an awesome bundle for people who don't already have one. Personally I really love the Vita's screen and wouldn't trade for the new model. I'm excited for some borderlands on the vita, but I would like to actually see some screenshots and gameplay of it soon.
There are some really REALLY good games on the Vita. But until I can play these awesome games on my big screen tv Im done buying these games for now. Im old and can barely see the screen anymore. 🙂
good old $ony, they take the ONE good thing about a product, take it away, and expect people to come running in droans.
yea, good luck with that no matter what its bundled with!
seriously tempted to go get one of the old models now while i can, they probably will go up in price really quickly.
I'm still disappointed that a lot of bundles nowadays only include a voucher to download the title digitally (which appears to be the case here). I'm guessing the game and all the DLC will take up a good portion of that 8gb card.
it's hard to say about sales it really is.
happy birthday =)
Hoping that Borderlands on the Vita is Killzone good not Resistance good. Need another big game for the Vita. Love my Vita to death but we need to spread the love…
I wonder if our BL2 saves will transfer over to a vita version. That would be swell.
@ Solid Fantasy
Yes it will. I read on GI the saves will carry over to the the vita. surprise ben didn't put tht part when other gaming news site do.
I would still buy a 3DS over the vita. I have zero interest in Borderlands.
I hear the new LCD screen is quite good but I'll say it again — if you're thinking of getting a Vita, get one of the OLEDs before they are gone forever! They are simply gorgeous.
I have to say, this is a really good bundle. All you guys without a Vita and haven't played Borderlands 2 yet, now's your chance!