PS Vita Officially Launches

Today is the day.  What day you ask?  The day that the PS Vita from Sony is officially launched in North America and Europe.  I’ve actually seen displays in Walmart this week advertising the upcoming release, including a few actually already having the games they have available at launch, already displayed in the cases to help bring awareness to the portable gaming console going on sale today.  The PS Vita comes in two flavors; the $249 WiFi only version and the $299 WiFi/3G version, with wireless service through AT&T.  While being released today in North America (US and Canada), Latin America, Europe and Australia today, the console was released in Japan back in December, and has proven to have rather mild, disappointing sales.  The question remains, will the same sales patterns continue in the areas the console is released at today, even with solid reviews coming in from different critics?  (If anyone is interested, I’d love a chance to review one.  Just saying)

The console comings with a quad-core CPU, 512 MB of RAM, an innovative rear touchpad, four-point Gyro-sensor, two 0.3 megapixel cameras and a 5 inch OLED touchscreen with a resolution of 960 x 544.  It also has 25 official titles available at launch, including Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, and BEN10 Galactic Racing.  (Only sports game available at launch is EA Sports FIFA Soccer).  Online there will be game demos, game add-ons and exclusive games including the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock. (View a list of available online content here)  There is also non-gaming themed apps available for download such as Netflix and Live Tweet, a third-party Twitter app.

So, will the PS Vita be a hit or a flop?  Do you plan on getting one?  Do the positive reviews or exclusive content sway you one way or another?