Sony held a preshow event before the Tokyo Game Show that revealed a new redesigned PlayStation Vita along with the new device, the PlayStation Vita TV, which will allow users to play their Vita games on the big screen.
The event unveiled the new PlayStation Vita, which seeks to improve the handheld console and make it a more viable option than the Nintendo 3DS and the recently announced Nintendo 2DS. IGN has the full story about the revamped PlayStation Vita, which will come in six different colors. The new Vita will be 20 percent thinner than the previous model for the handheld system, and the device is also 15 percent lighter than before. Sony has also changed the display for the Vita, using a screen 5-inch LCD display rather than a OLED display found in the current PlayStation Vita to ensure the was device more affordable, according to Sony. Battery life also gets a slight improvement, as the new Vita will last an extra hour, and the device will have 1GB of internal memory available. However, Sony is also preparing a new memory card for the device that will allow users to store up to 64GB of data on their handheld. The new Vita will be launched in Japan on Oct. 10 for 18,980 Yen, or about $190.
Sony also announced a new accessory that will allow users to play the games on the new Vita on their television screens. The PlayStation Vita TV will allow users to take their Vita games and memory cards and use them on a larger screen with a Dualshock 3 controller (as well as the Dualshock 4 when it is released). The device also will allow PlayStation One and PlayStation Portable games to be played on the big screen, and will allow streaming services to function on the television. The device will also allow Vita games to be played on the PlayStation 4 when it comes out. All this will be available for users through a device that is about as big as a pack of playing cards. The PlayStation Vita TV will launch in Japan on Nov. 14 in two packages. The standalone device will cost 9,480 Yen, or around $95, and a bundled deal with device along with an 8GB Vita memory card and Dualshock 3 will be available for 14,980 Yen, or about $150.
It is unclear if and when gamers in North America will receive the new Vita or the Vita TV, so keep it here for all the latest video game news.