In addition to a major PS Vita announcement, Sony's ongoing event in Japan has brought some less positive news for the home crowd. Japanese gamers have to wait until February 22nd to get hold of a PlayStation 4 -- three months later than the mid-November PS4 launch in the US. The console will be priced at 41,979 yen (the US price is $399), or 46,179 yen with the PlayStation camera, and Sony will again be offering a first limited edition pack with free games at the same price. When the launch date was announced, the live audience literally groaned with disappointment. Kawano-san, SCEJA's President, explained that the delay was because the company needed time to re-version Western titles for the Japanese audience and ensure a full array of launch titles. However, that's unlikely to allay complaints from Sony's Japanese fan base. Three months is quite a wait.
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New PlayStation Vita coming October 10th: lighter, thinner, more battery life
If the news is big enough for a Sony livestream (and with an English translation, no less), then it's going to be good, right? Sony has announced a new version of its PS Vita, just weeks after announcing a price-drop across both the US and Europe. (Japan was treated to the discount back in February.) The Vita PCH-2000 is 15 percent lighter and 20 percent thinner than the original model and will add an additional hour of life to the battery. The new (WiFi-only) Vita will land in Japan first, on October 10th priced at 18,980 yen (about $190), and Sony isn't yet ready to reveal (or even confirm) availability in other parts of the world. But remember, that price tag is still cheaper than when the original Vita launched, priced at 24,980 yen.
Further hardware improvements (alongside pink, black, blue, grey, lime green, and yellow color options) include a micro-USB charger -- like your smartphone -- and 1GB of onboard storage. Interestingly, the screen tech has been changed to LCD from OLED, but we'll have to see it in the flesh before we jump to any conclusions on performance -- that's what is likely responsible for the drop in price. Alongside those colors, Sony's already planned for three special edition models: Gundam Breaker, God Eater (camouflage!) and Otomate. Check out the gallery below and read on past the break for more. %Gallery-slideshow83436%