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Sony Releasing New Vita Model, 64 GB Memory Card In Japan
At an Asia-focused press conference early this morning, Sony announced the first PlayStation Vita hardware revision. The new form factor for the device offers small improvements and a variety of new colors.
The new Vitas, which come in white, light blue, yellow, pink, tan, and black, sport a 20 percent reduction in thickness and 15 percent decrease in weight. The systems come with 1 GB of onboard memory and offer an additional hour of average battery life.
The screen has been changed from the OLEDs found in the original Vita to an LCD. Additionally, the data transfer and charging port has been adjusted from the proprietary design to micro-USB. The new 2000 model will only be available in the Wi-Fi configuration.
A 64 GB memory card was also announced. It will retail for 9,980 yen (approximately $100).
Our Take
A PlayStation hardware revision isn't a surprise, and this one makes some interesting strides. Changing the data transfer/charging port to micro-USB is a smart convenience change. The increase in battery life and 1 GB of onboard memory are also good to hear.
Given that this is only coming in a Wi-Fi model, it's safe to assume that Sony's 3G plans completely fizzled. There was never support or incentive for developers to include 3G functions in their development plans, and once again, splitting a user base has proven fatal to optional features.
The one surprise is the change from an OLED display to an LCD screen. Until we get a chance to hold the two versions side-by-side though, we won't be able to know how much of a difference (if any) this makes.
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