PS Vita to Release in US, Europe in 2012

Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Portable's successor, the PlayStation Vita, will release in early 2012 for both Europe and the United States.

Sony's Executive Vice President, Kazuo Hirai, confirmed the news in Tokyo today where he also unveiled the fact that Japan would receive the portable this December.

Hirai, however, was quick to state that the release – which was expected to be during this holiday – isn't necessarily a delay; he said it gives a larger time frame for Sony to put an emphasis on a better software line-up for the Vita's launch.

Hirai said on the news:

We packed so much into the device and made it very affordable. There is no need to lower the price just because somebody else that happens to be in the video game business decided that they were going to lower their price.