Ben-DutkaThe cost of any new piece of hardware is always a primary consideration for consumers.
When it comes to mobile devices, a data plan is often part of the package in regards to purchasing a nifty new device. And that includes the PlayStation Vita, which offers 3G access for interested gamers willing to pay an extra $50.
So how much will a data plan cost you at AT&T? Well, according to what one of their retail locations told GameZone , Sony's new handheld won't have any special plans or prices; instead, it'll use the same data plans other 3G devices utilize. So currently, you'd be looking at two options: 250MB of data for $14.99/month or 2GB of data for $25/month. It's relatively normal in the mobile world.
It's recommended that if you plan to use the Vita quite a bit, you should get the 2GB plan, which results in $300/year for common use of the portable. On the plus side, you won't be roped into a contract; you pay for a Vita plan on a month to month basis. The question is, will you be using the Vita for a lot of data downloading, or are you just going to stick to games?
First: First post. No "First for the thread!" but my first time posting after being a long time reader here.
I prepaid for the WiFi only Vita but had in the back of my mind I might be short changed for my choice. After seeing the 3g price I am so happy I was thrifty! I think the Vita will do great but the 3g price is going to hurt some sales. If the WiFi only units sell out or are under shipped then the higher 3g price and data plan will turn off many.
Then again I can just be "cheap" instead of "thrifty" and the higher prices won't make a difference to anyone but me. We shall wait and see if I was thrifty or cheap.
Welcome.
No, thanks.
i hate to say it, but SONY has a very hard road ahead witht the Vita.
i mean i wanna get one but i already know im waiting for the redesign and a price drop.
(not paying more than $200 for one)
the hardcore will obviously support it but they are gonna need the games so they already have the developers on board (Good start)
but lets face it
the poor sales numbers in japan are worrying.
gaming is about service now and on top of that its a locked system,
i think they'll b ok once they have good service and offers.
but we'll see
I agree about the poor sales in Japan are worrying. I'm hoping that was just an off week or something. I have struggled to come up with reasons for such a sharp decline. The only thing I can come up with is price point or Nintendo simply swallowed up the bulk of the handheld gaming market with 483k in sales and there simply was not much left over for Sony. That's as good as excuse as any. Games are very important too since they drive sustained sales. Maybe the Vita is lacking a true system seller.
I simply can't believe how quickly the 3DS has rebounded. Just a short while ago the 3DS was in trouble. The PSP topped it many times on the weekly sales charts this past summer. Because of that some felt the Vita was poised to give the 3DS a run for its money. Games combined with a price cut is what saved the 3DS.
We will know a lot more about the Vita's fate in a few months. Condering Japan's response to the Vita a price cut may be a real possibilty.
3G? Isn't 4G the next piece of technology most companies are adopting. Would think Sony would jump on it too. I got 4G on my phone and I already pay $30. I don't plan on buying the Vita, but for people who don't own a smartphone and are getting the Vita and want internet on the go, well this isn't a bad deal at all since there's no contract (Looking at you Verizon and everyone else). But then again, it seems like everyone has a smartphone anyway.
Last edited by FM23 on 1/2/2012 4:36:07 PM
I'm simply gonna use my phone as a hot spot if I absolutely need to have internet on the go for it.
i still dont understand the point of a 3G device if its locked to a maximum download of 20MBs!
im paying 70 bucks a month for 2GBs, and the largest i have ever used in my 2 year contract is 200MBs!
if you are limited to downloading 20MB applications, then how the hell are you going to use 2GBs?
your going to download 200 20MB applications are you?
ok web surfing and playing online, but seriously web surfing is never going to eat up that much!
i wish companies would stop this silly 20MB application limit, im paying for 2GBs so i should get 2GBs!
whats it matter if i eat that up on 1 application or 200?
just another silly pain in the a$$ restriction of which the vita has MANY!
Last edited by ___________ on 1/3/2012 2:44:11 AM
First time I got a smartphone, I remember getting charged like 270 dollars after only 3 days, because I didn't realize this whole "data" thing. What exactly affects the data besides downloading apps? I couldn't believe it! They said I had to pay $1.99 per MB of data. That's a ripoff! This AT&T deal seems like a steal compared to that, although it's only 3G.
Really, they really shouldn't be so limiting with data usage. In a way, free apps aren't really free.