PlayStation Vita launching in February

The PlayStation Vita, which debuts in Japan on December 17, will launch in North America, Latin America, and European regions on February 22, 2012.

The PlayStation Vita, which debuts in Japan on December 17, will launch in North America, Latin America, and European regions on February 22, 2012.

The handheld is Sony's successor to the PSP, and features additions such as a 5-inch touchscreen on the front and touchpad on the back as well as traditional button inputs, dual thumb sticks, and location-based applications.

Sony sends it into a market where classic rival Nintendo launched its Nintendo 3DS and its no-glasses 3D nearly a year earlier, while mobile handsets, such as the iPhone and its Android competitors, grow ever more powerful and ubiquitous.

The Vita's WiFi model comes in at $/€249.99 (£229, $349.95 AUD, $449.95 NZD, ¥24,980 and ~11,499 INR). Like the Amazon Kindle and Apple's iTouch-iPod pairing, a version equipped with both WiFi and 3G will be available, priced at €/$299.99 (£279, $449.95 AUD, $549.95 NZD, ¥29,980 and ~14,999 INR).