PlayStation Vita

Sony has launched its new gaming handheld device in Tokyo which has been introduced as NGP or Next Generation Portable. The handheld will be called PlayStation Vita which comes from a Latin word meaning life. In a nutshell, Vita will have dual touch pads, dual cameras, an OLED screen, six-axis motion sensors, three-axis electronic compass and GPS.Sony promises that with their new handheld, you will be able to connect and interact like never before.

What surprised a lot of people about the new PlayStation Vita is its light weight. When you see the handheld device in photos, you would expect it to be quite heavy and bulky. PS Vita is made with plastics which makes it light and convenient to bring with you. It is noticeable that the buttons on the PlayStation Vita are smaller than on a standard PSP. However, these are quite soft which makes it easy to push. It is quite stiff and this gives you the impression that it will not wear out quickly. Its sides are curved making it comfortable to hold and the buttons easily accessible. Overall, Vita is quite large in size but because of its light weight, it is a handheld device that you would want to take with you wherever you go.

The analog sticks of the PS Vita are not too large and are comfortable enough to use. This is a feature that many gaming enthusiasts have been waiting for. The sticks are precise and provide users with a great gaming experience. Aside from this, Vita has traditional game controls such as the directional, action and shoulder buttons.

PlayStation Vita has a touchscreen on the front and a touch pad on the back. These are quite good even if it did not feel as good as the touchscreen of smartphones such as the iPhone. There are some games in which you really will be able to use the touchscreen and the touch pad. It might be a bit confusing in the beginning but you will be able to get the hang of it.

One of the most exciting features of the Vita is its ability to work in conjunction with the PlayStation 3 to offer different kinds of cross-platform play. What this means is that you will be able to pause the game on your Vita, save it on the cloud and continue playing the game on your PS3 where you left off. This is definitely a feature which makes it different from the other gaming devices in the market. Being able to play the same game on different gaming devices is the future of gaming and Vita has taken a step in this direction.

PlayStation Vita users can go online at any of the over 24,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots in the United States. PS Vita has a feature called Near which allows you to find out what other Vita users within the area are playing. There will be two models of PS Vita - WiFi and 3G WiFi. The WiFi model will be retailed at $249 while the 3G/WiFi model will be at $299. PlayStation Vita will be launched globally at the end of 2011. PlayStation may be aimed at slightly older gaming enthusiasts because of its quad-core processor. The price of the PS Vita puts it on par with Nintendo's new 3DS portable gaming gadget and this is a smart move by Sony.