Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said at E3 that the Playstation Vita, the successor to Sony’s PSP handheld, will see a staggered worldwide release, with some regions getting it around Christmas, and others getting it next year. Traditionally, the regions where Sony consoles release early are the US and Japan, with Europe usually seeing a delayed release. In an interview with Gametrailers, Tretton also said that the PS Vita would be available everywhere before March 31, 2012, which is the end of Sony’s financial year.
This information is important for us in India because India always follows European release schedules and pricing policies, so both the Indian release and price for the PS Vita will be determined by what happens in Europe. So it looks like we’ll have to wait a few months longer than the Americans to get our hands on the new handheld.
But if you don’t want to wait and you decide to import the PS Vita, the good news is that PS Vita games will be region-free, which means that all games, regardless of where you buy them from, will work on your device. This news comes from Sony Worldwide Studios’ Michael Denny, who told IGN that “to the best of his knowledge”, the PS Vita would be region-free.
We’ve contacted Sony for a possible release window and approximate price for Playstation Vita in India, and we’ll have an update for you soon.
Check out our IVG at E3 page for more details on Playstation Vita