One of the big news items to come out of last week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo was Sony’s announcement of the PlayStation Vita, the successor to its PlayStation Portable mobile gaming device. I wasn’t a big fan of the PSP, simply because I’m not much into portable gaming, but the Vita looks very cool, packed with features as it is.
Moreover, I was somewhat shocked at the announced price: $249 for the wi-fi version or $299 for the 3G model. Given how much technology is packed into such a small frame—the Vita has a touchscreen plus a rear touch pad, as well as internet connectivity and a web browser—it really makes you wonder why we’re paying so much for smartphones. Either Sony is taking a rather significant loss on the Vita, or smartphones—and tablets for that matter—are greatly overpriced.
Sony Ericsson’s own Xperia Play sells for $550, despite the fact that it is inferior to dedicated gaming platforms. At $250, I may end up picking up a Vita. Maybe I can even ditch my smartphone for it?
In any event, I spoke with Sony Computer Entertainment Canada general manager Stephen Turvey while at E3 about the Vita. Enjoy this short clip from that conversation.
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Blogs & Comment
PlayStation Vita makes phones look expensive
Starting at $249, the upcoming portable PlayStation Vita makes smartphones seem a little overpriced.
By Peter Nowak
One of the big news items to come out of last week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo was Sony’s announcement of the PlayStation Vita, the successor to its PlayStation Portable mobile gaming device. I wasn’t a big fan of the PSP, simply because I’m not much into portable gaming, but the Vita looks very cool, packed with features as it is.
Moreover, I was somewhat shocked at the announced price: $249 for the wi-fi version or $299 for the 3G model. Given how much technology is packed into such a small frame—the Vita has a touchscreen plus a rear touch pad, as well as internet connectivity and a web browser—it really makes you wonder why we’re paying so much for smartphones. Either Sony is taking a rather significant loss on the Vita, or smartphones—and tablets for that matter—are greatly overpriced.
Sony Ericsson’s own Xperia Play sells for $550, despite the fact that it is inferior to dedicated gaming platforms. At $250, I may end up picking up a Vita. Maybe I can even ditch my smartphone for it?
In any event, I spoke with Sony Computer Entertainment Canada general manager Stephen Turvey while at E3 about the Vita. Enjoy this short clip from that conversation.