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The DekaVita is a seven-inch 'handheld' with a Vita TV slid into the back
When the not-exactly-small five-inch PlayStation Vita just isn't enough handheld for your... hands, it's time for the DekaVita 7 -- literally "huge Vita 7". Gametech has managed to make the Vita TV portable, by attaching HDMI and AC connectors, buttons and a seven-inch IPS screen to the miniconsole. (Why?) The result is something approaching a slightly smaller Wii U GamePad, although there's no touchscreen -- because there isn't any compatibility with the Vita TV. (Seriously, why?) It'll cost 23,000 yen when it launches sometime in Spring 2015, although early preorders will get a 4,000 yen discount. Japan residents can do that here. Just, why?
Sony's PlayStation TV is coming to Europe on November 14th
Microsoft's already taken the stage at Gamescom to show us what's next for Xbox, and now it is Sony's turn to do the same with PlayStation. Today, in Cologne, Germany, the Japanese outfit announced that its micro-console, the PlayStation TV, will be available in Europe starting November 14th. SCEE worldwide studios SVP Michael Denny said PlayStation TV, also known as PS Vita TV, is set to hit European shelves bundled with three digital games, priced at 99 euros. According to Sony's teaser video, which you can watch after the break, the titles included are OlliOlli, Velocity Ultra and Worms Revolution Extreme. The tiny streaming box was released in Japan on November 14th of last year, so it has taken Sony quite a while to bring it to The Old Continent. Earlier, Sony revealed it has now sold over 10 million PS4s to date, making it obvious that demand for the console hasn't slowed down a bit since its debut.
PlayStation Vita TV review: Sony's first mini-console has some growing pains
Sony had a tiny surprise to share just ahead of the Tokyo Games Show: the PS Vita TV, appearing from inside SCE President Andrew House's jacket pocket. Having already announced a new, slender PS Vita handheld less than an hour earlier, Sony showed off this minute console -- roughly the same footprint as a smartphone -- that plays Vita games, PlayStation games and streams video content, as well as music and video from Sony's own store. It can also connect with multiple PS3 DualShock controllers, allowing for proper, responsive gaming -- something we're not quite used to getting from something so tiny. You could see it as a brutal counterstrike from the PlayStation team against the cheap, mini-console likes of OUYA and GameStick, even Huawei. Aside from contemporary Vita titles and indie games, you can also tap into an ever-increasing catalog of hits from yesteryear -- something that the Android and iOS platforms also dip their feet into, but with the peace of mind (read: stability) of PlayStation hardware, and the ability to steer the action with a DualShock controller. Sound like something you'd like to try out? Well, unfortunately, unlike the new PS Vita, this is currently a Japan-only deal. What's more, availability in Nihon is directly tied to compatibility there, too; you'll need a Japanese PSN account to even use it. We're still getting a vague line from SCE on whether it will eventually arrive outside of Japan. (It would be a convenient bit of hardware to sell alongside Sony's PlayStation Now streaming-game service, set to launch in the US later this year, right?) So, is this just a tenuous experiment or a whole new console line for PlayStation? Or, given that it's practically got all the same internals, would you be better off just buying a Vita?
Sony's TGS 2013 keynote is later today, get your liveblog here!
While Sony spilled the beans on the existence of a new Vita handheld and mini-console already, we're still waiting to hear when it'll arrive in countries beyond Asia. The annual Tokyo Game Show is surely the perfect time and place to fill us in on more specifics -- and if there's more to say about the PlayStation 4, we'll be all-ears too. Microsoft might have returned to the show this year, but there's no press event, so the stage is all Sony's. Join us as we follow the announcements in classic Engadget style, because we'll be blogging everything that happens at 10:30am (9:30pm EDT), live from Japan. Check the magic clock below for your timezone of choice, bookmark here for the liveblog and offer up your hopes and dreams for this year's TGS in the comments below. September 18, 2013 9:30:00 PM EDT Check out all our Tokyo Game Show 2013 coverage right here at our hub!
Sony's PS Vita TV launching in Asia in January, regional pricing TBA
Earlier this month, SCEJA president Hiroshi Kawano announced that the PlayStation 4 would hit Japan on February 22nd, a full three months after the console's mid-November launch in the US. To help ease that pain, however, Sony introduced a new product at the same event: the $100 PS Vita TV. The compact device, which offers Vita-like functionality but with a DualShock 3 controller and TV output, is scheduled to launch in Japan on November 14th. Now, at a pre-Tokyo Game Show event in Japan, we've received word that the same box will hit stores in other Asian countries, such as China and Korea, come January 2014, with pricing for those countries yet to be announced. Sadly, it's still unlikely that the Vita TV will debut in Europe or North America.
PS Vita TV can 'technically' support PS3 games through the cloud, according to SCE CEO
We know that the PS Vita TV will play PSP, PSOne and Vita titles, and will even (eventually) be able to stream PS4 titles once both devices are on sale. But how about PS3? Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO, explained in a round-table interview that the tiny streaming set is "technically" capable of supporting PS3 titles through the same cloud-based streaming that will bring PS3 titles to its successor. It makes sense, (if it can stream fancier games from the PS4, titles from console iteration no.3 should be a cinch, right?) but it's the first time we've heard that Sony is considering it. We're hoping the feature eventually makes it, if only to make amends for the confusing backwards-compatibility saga that the PS3 previously suffered.
Daily Roundup: LG G2 review, Lumia 625 review, Sony's new PS Vita, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Breaking down the PS Vita TV: Why Sony's $100 set-top box is more than a consolation prize
Late last night / very early this morning, Sony's PlayStation team finally unveiled a release date for the PlayStation 4 in Japan: February 22, 2014. That's just short of 100 days after the company's new game console launches in the US, and nearly as far away from the console's arrival on European shores -- a far cry from the PlayStation 3's launch strategy, which put the console in Japanese gamers' hands first. Instead, Sony's got another idea for Japanese gamers this holiday in the PlayStation Vita TV. The $100 set-top Vita hooks up to televisions and functions as a Vita does, albeit with a DualShock 3 paired for control. It'll even act as a Remote Play device for the PlayStation 4 when that console eventually launches in Japan. Unlike some Japan-only PlayStation hardware from Sony's past (PS3's Torne DVR device, for instance), Vita TV seems bound for an international release. In Sony's official PR, the company says, "PS Vita TV will be available first in Japan prior to any other regions, on November 14, 2013." Prior to any other regions, eh? PlayStation's US counterparts are keeping coy. We asked if the console was being considered for release in North America and were told, "We are considering every opportunity, but have nothing to announce at this time," by an SCEA rep.
Sony's new PlayStation Vita TV won't run all Vita games
Sony's mini-console has certainly got our attention. It's a bold and relatively cheap new way of entering the world of PlayStation, but it won't work with all your Vita games. The company has published a list of compatible titles and we can already spot that the likes of Gravity Rush, Wipeout and Uncharted are absent from it. Fortunately, the list of Japanese titles we'll be able to play on the $100 device is still pretty lengthy, and some exceptions were to be expected in any case -- the Vita TV is controlled with a a DualShock which lacks the Vita handheld's touchpanels. Check out the full list of compatible titles at the source below, but remember -- these are Japan-only details for now, and the list could well grow by the time there's a global launch (assuming that one is indeed on the way).
New PlayStation Vita and PS Vita TV eyes-on
Two new devices from Sony today -- and we're still a little shocked. Alongside a thinner, improved PS Vita, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House took to the stage to introduce a little TV-connected device called the PS Vita TV. It's capable of playing Vita games, handling Connected Play with your future PS4 and running a whole host of media and streaming services. We weren't allowed to touch either device (though we admit we did handle the new Vita's controls a little bit, sorry Sony...) so you'll have to make do with our gallery of angles just below. Full hands-on impressions, it seems, will have to wait until next week.
PS Vita TV is a mini console that brings games and services to your TV, arrives November for around $100 (video)
This tiny 60mm x 100mm wonder is the PlayStation Vita TV. Not only is it a miniature console that plays Vita games and connects to PlayStation controllers, it also offers access to Sony's Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited service, karaoke and more -- all for 9,954 yen (around $100). It's a knowing nod to the likes of Ouya, NVIDIA's Shield, and even Google's Chromecast although it's a little bit different again, attempting to broach both gaming and online media consumption. Other services ready for the PS Vita TV include Twitter (through Sony's own client), Hulu and NicoNico Douga, with even more media providers signing up to offer their services on the new device, at least in Japan. Up close, you can see it includes HDMI output, space for a (proprietary Vita) memory card, a slot for Vita games (on the side), plus USB, power and ethernet ports. You will also be able to buy a set with a controller and storage card for 14,995 yen ($150) and it's set to go on sale (in Japan at least) on the 14th of November. And there's another key feature: the PS Vita TV will also allow you to connect to PlayStation 4 (when it arrives) for remote play, acting as a secondary terminal for gaming when you're not in the same room as your next-gen console. You'll find a promo video showing off the new device right after the break.
