PS Vita Goes Live - Japan Launch

Japan now has its hands on the PS Vita with reports of 100+ strong queues outside some of the bigger stores with many 100s of buyers at the main events where Sony's Kaz Hirai and Andrew House were on-hand to add a little official flavour to the launch. Check out a live blog here and news updates below:

Quite a few gamers are already tweeting from the device as well as taking screenshots and posting them. Current prices on eBay start around the £350 mark plus postage, up to £400, with games around the £50 mark.

First interesting stat from the Vita is that the physical purchase game card loading times are faster, rather than the download versions saved to the PS Vita's over-priced memory cards. Perhaps that's part of some deal with chain stores to help keep them open? (scurrilous rumour, naturally)



Check out Andriasang's full range of pics, and there are some comparisons of Monster Hunter running on the PSP And PSV here, to show off the Vita's improved filtering. Sony must be hoping those five million Monster Hunter fans are happy to play the old game on a Vita rather than rush off and get the 3DS and its version.

The first bit of news in this machine's short life is that Firmware update 1.5 is already out, which is leading to lots of "here we go, again!" sighs from old PSP owners. If Sony have found a flaw in the 1.00 software, likely these early machines will be like golddust to modders and pirates.