The president of Sony Computer Entertainment on Thursday denied that the company intended to release its next-generation PlayStation Vita portable video game console in Europe and the U.S. this calendar year. Kazuo Hirai stressed that PS Vita would only be available in Japan in 2011.

The product will initially launch in Japan before the end of December, followed by introductions in the U.S. and Europe early next year, Kazuo Hirai, told reporters in Tokyo, reports Bloomberg news-agency.

Late last month a flier from Blockbuster UK store indicated that the PlayStation Vita would hit the shops on the 28th of October, 2011. The flier indicated that both versions of PS Vita - with Wi-Fi as well as with 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity - would become available and also mentioned pricing.

It is not a secret that Sony has tradition to release its consoles first in Japan and only after that roll them out in other regions. In particular, the U.S. is the second market to launch latest Sony video game systems and Europe is the third region to get the new consoles.

Sony PlayStation Vita is based on a system-on-chip with four ARM Cortex-A9 cores, PowerVR SGX543MP4+ graphics engine and a memory controller. The new portable game console has 5" multi-touch OLED screen with 960x544 resolution, typical set of PSP buttons, two cameras (front and rear), Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, GPS, six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), three-axis electronic compass, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR controller, integrated speakers and microphone as well as multi touchpad located on the back side of the system. For the first time, a portable entertainment system will feature two analog sticks, which enable a wider range of game genres to be brought into the portable experience.

A Wi-Fi model will be available for ¥24980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $249 in the U.S. and €249 in Europe, while a 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available for ¥29980 yen (including tax) in Japan, $299 in the U.S. and €299 in Europe. PS Vita will launch in the global market starting at the end of 2011. AT&T, which powers the U.S.’s fastest mobile broadband network, will be the exclusive service provider in the United States for PlayStation Vita.

Tags: Sony, Vita, Playstation, PSP