Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has announced that its next-generation portable PlayStation Vita game console will be available in Canada, Europe, Latin America and the U.S. starting from February 22, 2012. Essentially, the PS Vita will become available globally a little less than two months after the Japanese launch on December 17, 2011.

Sony PlayStation Vita system will launch on February 22 in the U.S. and Canada for $249.99 for the Wi-Fi model and $299 for 3G/Wi-Fi model, in Europe for €249.99 for the Wi-Fi model and €299.99 for the 3G/Wi-Fi model. The PS Vita system Wi-Fi model will also launch in Latin America, where pricing will vary.

“With its technological prowess and social connectivity, PlayStation Vita offers an experience beyond anything available on the market. Features such as the dual analog sticks, dual cameras, and front and rear touch pad are all designed to deliver the unique, powerful gameplay experiences consumers have been asking for and enable new ways for users to connect with the world around them,” said Jack Tretton, president and chief executive officer of SCE America.

Sony PlayStation Vita is based on a system-on-chip with four ARM Cortex-A9 cores, PowerVR SGX543MP4+ graphics engine (accompanied by 128MB of memory) 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.

The new game console will only work for about 3-5 hours during gameplay, for 5 hours during video playback and for 9 hours while music playback. By contrast, the PSP could work for 5-7 hours during gameplay depending on brightness of the screen.

“PlayStation Vita is an incredible device that offers the best possible portable gaming experiences. Its revolutionary mix of features combined with social connectivity, delivers a platform for gamers to play games in a whole new way and to connect with their friends and the world around them,” said Jim Ryan, president and chief executive officer of SCE Europe.

Tags: Sony, Vita, Playstation, PSP