Sony Unveils The PS Vita Slim and Vita TV

After last month’s 2DS reveal, it certainly seems Sony wants to give Nintendo a run for their money with their newest reveal. To compete with the 2DS’s more friendly price point, Sony will be releasing both a Vita Slim and a Vita TV. With the Slim set to be priced at $190 and the Vita TV at a mere $100, it’s certainly a cheaper solution than the current $250 price for a Vita. However, there’s a bit of a catch involved, so hang on.

Now, the Vita Slim appears be 20% thinner, and have a 15% longer battery. However, revisions like this don’t come cheap, as nice as that might be. The 5″ OLED screen in the current Vita will be replaced with a similar spec LCD screen. This is the main alteration that allows it to be smaller and cheaper, but the screen quality will not be as clear as the current Vita. There are upsides with too, however, as it will gain 1 GB of internal storage, and it will be charged via micro USB. While it isn’t a reason to drop your current Vita, it’s an excellent way to get in on the Vita’s growing library.

As for the Vita TV, it’s an interesting beast. The device is insanely cheap, a mere $100, managing to even beat the 2DS. The idea is to have a very small box, similar to an Apple TV, allowing the user to play both Vita games and PSP titles on their TV. The controller used will be a normal Dualshock 3, which is not packaged with the device at the $100 price point. Sony also says it will have video streaming services, also similar to Apple TV, and will support remote play with the PS4. As to what that entails, only Sony knows at this point, so sit tight.

So what does this mean for you if you? Well, Sony has not confirmed US release dates for either device, but it’s safe to expect at least the Slim to show up stateside soon. The Slim’s certainly not worth trading in your existing Vita for, but the Vita TV seems like a great way to play your existing collection. Oh, and of course the Slim comes in a variety of colors, with special editions on the way.

The Slim will hit the Japan’s shelves October 10th, with the Vita TV coming out on November 14th.