New Slimmer, Lighter PS Vita Model Out Today

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New Slimmer, Lighter PS Vita Model Out Today
Don Mesa Director, Product Planning & Platform Software Innovation, SCEA
11 Author Replies

The day has arrived – the new slimmer, lighter PlayStation Vita model is now available at retailers across North America. Pick up the new model today as part of the Borderlands 2 Limited Edition PlayStation Vita Bundle, featuring the first-person role-playing shooter Borderlands 2 with six DLC packs and an 8GB memory card, all for $199.99 (MSRP). This is a limited edition bundle, so don’t miss your opportunity to pick up the new PS Vita model today.

Slimmer, Lighter PS Vita

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Hands-on the new with PS Vita

PS Vita’s new design has tons of tweaks and adjustments, aside from the obvious thinner design and weight reduction. The Start, Select, Power, and PS buttons have been raised slightly, making them easier to press. The grips on the back of the system have grown a bit, resulting in a more comfortable experience… and less accidental taps on the rear touch pad. The edges of the system are more rounded, which just feels better. The display is now LCD based, but I didn’t notice a dramatic difference in picture quality.

– Justin Massongill, PlayStation.Blog

The new model is approximately 20 percent slimmer and approximately 15 percent lighter than the original and features 1GB of internal memory, extended battery life, a new high-definition liquid crystal display (LCD) and rounded edges that make PS Vita even more comfortable to hold. PS Vita is the ultimate companion for any gamer with more than 1,000 games available (including classic games from PS one and PSP) and “Remote Play” with PlayStation 4, which allows most PS4 games to be streamed to the PS Vita system over a local Wi-Fi network. Pairing your PS Vita with your PS4 to use Remote Play is even simpler with last week’s system updates. The content library for PS Vita will become even richer when PlayStation Now support launches on the system later this year.

In addition to Borderlands 2, God of War and God of War II are available today for PS Vita as part of God of War Collection. And that’s not all for this month — Soul Sacrifice Delta launches on May 13 and Sly Cooper Collection launches on May 27.

Slimmer, Lighter PS Vita

May is a big month for PS Vita, right? Well it doesn’t end there, with Helldivers launching this summer and Minecraft, Metrico, Tales of Hearts R, Freedom Wars, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number all expected to release in 2014.

Check out the sidebar of this post for the PlayStation.Blog team’s hands-on impressions of the new slimmer, lighter PS Vita and let us know what games you can’t wait to play on the new model in the comments!

borderlands 2playstation gamesplaystation hardwareps vita

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195 Comments

11 Author Replies

  • Marc7
    May 6, 2014 at 4:40 pm PDT

    Are there any cases out for the slim vita yet?

  • iamtylerdurden1
    May 6, 2014 at 4:42 pm PDT

    @ 93 and everyone else. The screen difference is so negligible from OLED to LCD when you TURN THE BRIGHTNESS UP ON THE SLIM VITA turn it up all the way and it is actually brighter than the OLED. I got the BL2 slim on Sunday and it’s great i have two OLED’s and now 1 slim and i like the slim better, it feels so much better and the difference in weight and thickness is drastic in person. You guys bad mouthing the slim have NO clue because you don’t own one. The slim is the real deal and BL2 looks and plays GREAT!

  • Dragonsmana
    May 6, 2014 at 5:39 pm PDT

    I hope to get the slim one day, looks really nice! I hope the Vita TV is still a possibility for the West though.

    On the topic of games, any chance you can push for a Physical release of Soul Sacrifice Delta? I’m seeing that I’m not alone in asking for this, I sadly can’t support a pure digital release, as much as I wanted to see this released in the west.

  • ColorblindMonk
    May 6, 2014 at 5:53 pm PDT

    Question about Borderlands 2. I bought the bundle this morning, and I’ve already filled the included 8GB memory card, so I go back to the store soon. But will the additional DLC packs like Tiny Tina’s campaign be made available somewhere down the road?

  • PanTheMan16
    May 6, 2014 at 6:32 pm PDT

    So maxing the brightness and decreasing screen and battery life makes the slim better? Yeahhh that makes sense.

  • PAFenix
    May 6, 2014 at 7:34 pm PDT

    “We want Crash and Spyro too. The stars need to be aligned to make this happen.”

    So….The stars aligned briefly two weeks ago and then unaligned again?

  • TJF588
    May 6, 2014 at 8:01 pm PDT

    I’ll still prolly search out an original-OLED PSV, if only to make use of my Persona 4 Golden case. (Already, my Kingdom Hearts 3D case is put to naught after getting a 3DS XL…)

  • PooPface560
    May 6, 2014 at 8:01 pm PDT

    I’ve been playing the Vita slim all day and it’s very sweet. Borderlands looks good and it’s awesome. I have the old Vita and can’t really notice the difference between screens. Slim’s LCD screen is very well done and looks the same. The extra battery life is very awesome as well.

    Also like the analog layer being used around the edges, very slick and comfortable back touchpad that I never accidently hit anymore., Very nice.

    Now we need more memory options, 64gb is good and all but 128gb would be sick. lol

    GTA Vita Story and a hockey game would be a great sellers on Vita. Make it happen, captain.

    Both Vita’s are beasties..Very well done.

  • PrimeroIncognito
    May 6, 2014 at 8:09 pm PDT

    PanTheMan16 on May 6th, 2014 at 3:32 pm said: “Slimmer, Lighter, Crappier ~
    Everyone who’s paid attention to reviews knows the screen sucks compared to the original. Sony lessoning the quality to save money. Glad I bought mine when I did.”

    Screw the reviews. Every review is just one person’s opinion. Opinions will vary. Form your own. Compare the two screens with your own eyes. Then you can talk.

    Because what’s even worse than building an argument on an opinion? Using SOMEONE ELSE’S opinion as your foundation.

    Some people will, undoubtedly, prefer the LCD model.

  • PooPface560
    May 6, 2014 at 8:16 pm PDT

    @105 PAntheman,

    Wow, you just made yourself seem very silly and sense is something you shouldn’t strive for..

    Brightness can be controlled by holding the PS button on Vita( brings up options menu) The slim’s LCD screen looks just like the oled Vita screen( It suprised me too) and the battery lasts longer on the Slim. I noticed these right away.

    Slim’s not what alot of people are trying to make it out to be..It’s still a Vita and makes alot of high priced phones seem like high priced phones with a contract and no good games. Can’t go wrong on either Vitas. IMO

  • Surfaced
    May 6, 2014 at 8:29 pm PDT

    Might buy this but damn I do not want Borderlands. So I would feel strange having to pay for it.

  • SonDinh225
    May 6, 2014 at 8:45 pm PDT

    Already got the original which is still awesome as heck, but got this model anyway since I want to contribute a bit more. Hope you guys get more first and third party support (mostly JRPGs/action adventure pls) despite me being currently overwhelmed by 11 physical games and over 60gigs of digital thanks to all of these dang sales (not that it’s a bad thing or…something)

    So yeah thanks for all the great work so far d(‘.’d)

  • khaleed07
    May 6, 2014 at 8:53 pm PDT

    riot? or riot! lets do this. oh yea more action rpg! or riot!

  • PanTheMan16
    May 6, 2014 at 9:02 pm PDT

    @PooPface560 (yeah, you should really be talking about other people looking silly) My comment was in response to someone else. You read it out of context. The commenter was saying the screen brightness has to be maxed on the Slim to look as good as the original. Maxing brightness = decreased battery and screen life, especially since LCD screens dim over time.

  • juujigai
    May 6, 2014 at 9:05 pm PDT

    Is there any word on when the cross save patch for the PS3 copies of borderlands will be releasing?

  • SgtDandeLion
    May 6, 2014 at 9:24 pm PDT

    I’m up for some Persona, Killzone, and Wipeout 2048. But I’m going to wait it out to see if the other vita colors come out, Regardless this new model looks great, especially the Light Blue Vita, really want it…

  • CICGamer
    May 6, 2014 at 10:14 pm PDT

    Firstly, cool!!! I am definitely eyeing that Borderlands 2 Vita Slim bundle.
    Second, I wouldn’t mind a 64 GB memory card for the Vita, if its reasonable priced that is.

    Third, as many people have posted, and want, Sony, your fans, want the PS1 Classics Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon on the PS Vita for the North American Region. It seems silly that other regions get it and not us, I miss these classics and want to enjoy them on my Vita on the go. I’m not alone so please consider this. Sony we love ya but this makes me and others a bit sad.
    Keep up the good work and such but please, listen to your fans, we are passionate about this!

  • Jawshoeahhtree
    May 6, 2014 at 10:34 pm PDT

    I’m a little late to the party but, is it safe to assume that if Borderlands does well on the Vita, that we will see the pre-sequel come out as well?

  • Gamerzlimited
    May 6, 2014 at 10:36 pm PDT

    My turn. More console ports or riot! :)

    Anyway, would love to get my hands on one if I didn’t get my OLED model on Black Friday last year. Still might consider wanting to get my hands on Borderlands 2 on Vita though.

  • Spacerac
    May 7, 2014 at 1:24 am PDT

    I can’t wait to finally play Gravity Rush. Bring more action platform games to Vita when I beat it, haha!

  • amshockeyfan
    May 7, 2014 at 1:56 am PDT

    Is there anyway for those doing the Playstation Now Beta on the PS3, to assist with the Vita version?

  • Guimace
    May 7, 2014 at 2:32 am PDT

    Best of luck to the new Vita model! Got my PS Vita since 2012 and recommend it to anyone who still lacks one.

    BTW Sony, any news on the possibility of allowing multiple PSN accounts on PS Vita just like on PS3 and PS4?

  • Bioman222
    May 7, 2014 at 3:53 am PDT

    Well, that was surprisingly abrupt.
    But, that’s fine, as I’m glad we have the slim now!

  • KILLAKLWN
    May 7, 2014 at 4:12 am PDT

    Can somene tell us when the Borderlandsv2 PS3 patch will be released so that the cross save function is enabled. This is a driving reason for my purchase. BTW BL2 looks and plays great.

  • THA_STARKILLER
    May 7, 2014 at 4:52 am PDT

    BODERLANDS 2 FOR VITA IS 2 PLAYER CO-OP ONLY. Glad I didn’t pick up my pre-ordered Borderlands 2 Vita Bundle yet. I WILL BE INSTANTLY RETURNING IT INSTEAD. Thanks to Random People Posting or I would not have Noticed. Shame on Sony & Gearbox for not informing Their customers, I see no such statements about cutting down the player count from 4 to 2.

  • THA_STARKILLER
    May 7, 2014 at 5:22 am PDT

    I hate Playstation Now. I switched to buying all Digital Games last year because Sony misguided it’s consumers saying the Ps4 could play older Playstation titles in the Future, referring to Ps Now, a Pay-Per-Month subscription, stating They couldn’t Verify who has purchased which games. Sony has a Verified list of over 100 games I’ve Digitally purchased & Their gonna want a Monthly Fee for me to Play those games on my Ps4. Slippery Slopes Sony, Slippery Slopes.

  • zirocrath
    May 7, 2014 at 6:14 am PDT

    I still have my PSP Slim, never had a problem with it at all. So I guess the same goes for the Vita.

    Now, I do agree with some people.. we can’t rejoice in the fact we are continuously getting indies or ports… Not that the games are not fun, or great in some cases. I am waiting to see Starbound on vita, or Rogue Legacy, those aren’t AAA games, but I’m eager to get them.

    But it’s a shame the whole potential of the console is never put in use. Gravity Rush was a great game for the Vita beginnings, it uses many aspects of the console in a great way, and it has a huge free roaming map. Why is that the only game we got with that aspect????

    Getting Minecraft for Vita is not a great a thing, it had lost a lot of hype and will feel rather basic compared with Terraria… I doubt many people will spend $15 on that one… said by someone that spent +100 hours in Minecraft..

  • Frobok
    May 7, 2014 at 6:21 am PDT

    Sort of on topic question.. If you download something and have it saved on a memory card can you use it on a new PS Vita as long as you are using the same PSN account? I see that some games list support being installed on more than 1 device, so do that mean that some games DON’T and wouldn’t transfer over? Lastly, if they will transfer, and say have a limit of 2.. what happens if another version of Vita comes out are we out of luck or is there some way to “reset” transfers.

  • CommandingTiger
    May 7, 2014 at 6:59 am PDT

    Bring out the PS Vita TV in the US.
    A lot of USA gamers prefer to play on the big screen.

    Also; I did say to bring out 2 models. This one (Bundle @199$ and Stand-Alone for 170$), and a better model.

    The better model would have the extra:
    -OLED or Tri-luminous Tech.
    -16Gb of internal memory (NOT A MEMORY CARD, the 16Gb ADDs on top of the Memory Card)
    -Same Micro-USB plug and Rear Touchpad as the slim.
    -1Gb of Ram at least, for faster UI interaction.
    ~225$
    If you can add PSP UMD card support, that’s even better.
    Slim Factor = Insignificant for this particular model.

    But the most Important Factor; Games! AAA Games franchises that are system sellers.
    We already know that the Vita HAS More games than the 3DS (Do the Math, even with a year lead) but you need Games SUITED for the PS Audience, not the Nintendo Audience.

  • g7sdb3
    May 7, 2014 at 7:10 am PDT

    thx Sony

  • CommandingTiger
    May 7, 2014 at 7:11 am PDT

    @frobok
    Sort of on topic question.. If you download something and have it saved on a memory card can you use it on a new PS Vita as long as you are using the same PSN account?
    Yes (Max limit of 2, but Sony’s considering adding more for the PS Vita TV)

    I see that some games list support being installed on more than 1 device, so do that mean that some games DON’T and wouldn’t transfer over?
    Exactly. Some games are (Cross-Buy) meaning you buy one version you get another (I got sound shape CB for PS3 Ps4 and Vita, total of 6 consoles)
    Other games are Cross-Save, transfer save files with the Cloud from one platform to another.
    And lastly Cross-Play, meaning you can play with others across multiple platforms

    Lastly, if they will transfer, and say have a limit of 2.. what happens if another version of Vita comes out are we out of luck or is there some way to “reset” transfers.
    Sony’s limit is currently 2. But…. like I said.

  • CrazyNickMC
    May 7, 2014 at 7:16 am PDT

    I’m getting this May 14 – May 18
    Unboxing and gameplay of Borderlands 2 bundle of this on my channel the day I get it!
    YouTube: CrazyNickMC

  • MrTalKaLot03
    May 7, 2014 at 8:24 am PDT

    What we need to enjoy the Vita is the 64gb Memory card that what i’m waiting to get one

  • WU-STYLE
    May 7, 2014 at 8:49 am PDT

    The only reason I haven’t bought a Vita and still will not purchase one is because $100 for 64GB of memory is robbery. $300 before tax for a portable device that is filled with ports and indies is not worth it in my book. Drop the Vita $50 or the memory by $50 and I’m on board.

  • JnF_Gho5t
    May 7, 2014 at 9:04 am PDT

    Received my 2000 model yesterday. Unfortunately, it came with a little scratch that can only be seen in direct light. I won’t be using it until I put Ghost Armor on so it’s fully protected.

  • israelpacheco89
    May 7, 2014 at 9:21 am PDT

    Even though I have an original Vita and I kind of want to check this version out…

  • Frobok
    May 7, 2014 at 9:37 am PDT

    @CommandingTiger

    Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!

  • jose213jose
    May 7, 2014 at 9:38 am PDT

    PS Vita is awesome device but don’t like new model at all, i hope that the next model goes back to using OLED and its old charging port so their is no need to re-buy PS Vita Cradle stand. I love to see more support for PS Vita for bigger game releases that are not port but are new IP’s and hope to see release of Gravity Rush 2 soon. It was fun game and hope to see more of kat. :)

    64GB Memory Card is awesome i hope to see it release here and maybe 256GB Memory Card someday as well with price drop on all Vita Memory Cards. ;)

  • darkforcegod
    May 7, 2014 at 9:49 am PDT

    When we will see the New Slim Vita with other bundles and/or sold separately?? I ask this because I did not get the chance to pre order this bundle and they are pretty much sold out even after just one day of being on the market. So I ask you when we will see the system on GameStop and other stores with or without bundles??

  • Mando44646
    May 7, 2014 at 10:03 am PDT

    You said “The economics simply don’t work with the traditional process. We have to do something different to get AAA games on Vita. We accomplished it to a certain degree by making PS4 games work on Vita via remote play. PS Now will be another way, streaming PS3 games on Vita. I can’t wait until PS Now is out on Vita – I hope you’ll try out the experience and let me know what you think.”

    these ‘solutions’ are nonsense. PS Now and remote play are cool, but not selling points. especially since they need a decent internet connection to function -so if you’re traveling or out without internet, I guess our ‘portable’ is useless according to Sony

  • PooPface560
    May 7, 2014 at 10:14 am PDT

    @Pantheman,

    Look your still silly to me cause you believed it and actually spread more bs. What’s with you guys, talk about things without experiencing it for themselves..Then take it on others who don’t care about their washed opinion basically cause it’s not their own and they got from some random journalist.

    So the point of this, just stop talking another opinion and FORM YOUR OWN… Most people can’t think for themselves without someone helping them .

    I have the Vita Slim and it’s not as bad as people are making it out to be. The battery is actually alot better. The screen is good for LCD and you’ll have to be very hardpressed to really find a nit to pick for it..

  • loadstone007
    May 7, 2014 at 10:18 am PDT

    People, take your wallets out and BUY A VITA!

  • PizzaSlapper
    May 7, 2014 at 10:55 am PDT

    @ Don Mesa “The economics simply don’t work with the traditional process. We have to do something different to get AAA games on Vita…………”

    I’m sorry but Playstation Now and Remote Play are not alternatives for games on the Vita. I get that it might be harder to get AAA games on the Vita due to lesser interest by developers, but don’t say stuff like “that”. The point of a handheld is that you can play games on the go, without internet. Also indie games don’t make people buy your console, I love indie games myself but people are not gonna pay 200 bucks for an indie machine. I know that you have a wonderful device here and I want to see it succeed but you just don’t seem to know what to do with it. The reason Nintendo is succeeding with the 3DS is because they don’t treat their device as an accessory to the Wii U. You should try to get companies to release some original games for the vita, whether it is something like Tearaway that makes use of the Vita and all of it’s capabilities, or something like Call of Duty that caters more towards the casual audience and advertise these games. Get people excited for what the Vita has to offer and give them the experience that you can only get on the Vita.

    /rant

  • Rafalko
    May 7, 2014 at 11:11 am PDT

    Got mine and like the psp 3000 I like it better. Lighter and easier to hold. The screen does not really look as bad as reviews say. I think people just like to complain.

  • Sical10
    May 7, 2014 at 12:03 pm PDT

    AAA Resident Evil game… or Riot!

  • PanTheMan16
    May 7, 2014 at 1:08 pm PDT

    @PooPface

    The screen is the most important aspect, and it IS worse on the slim. You can’t justify this by greater battery life. The slim on the original honestly isn’t that impressive anyway, which only 544p resolution and low pixel density. The PS3 slim was a vast improvement over the original. However, the Vita slim is a slight downgrade. Sure, you can say it’s only opinion, if you prefer looking at an inferior screen.

  • anothernormalman
    May 7, 2014 at 1:56 pm PDT

    I recently just purchased a vita about two months ago and i absolutely love it. Although I was debating on whether i should have waited and then purchased the slimmer model, in the end it was the older model’s OLED screen that made me purchase it. Although the newer vita slimmer physique and longer battery life were pros they were not enough for me to want it over the older model. If there ever is a super slim model of the vita i would purchase it returned to the OLED screen and i would also like 4g support. Also a 128gb memory card would be nice :) pls make it happen Sony.

  • anothernormalman
    May 7, 2014 at 1:57 pm PDT

    Also i looooove how the back touchscreen on the slim is a little smaller.

  • Techni
    May 7, 2014 at 2:34 pm PDT

    I reached the 100 bubble limit a week before you upped it to 500. I have a VitaTV, it only plays ONE of my games. Please disable the whitelist. It should be up to us if we want to play the games we paid for, on the hardware we paid for. Not you.

  • XPlSigma
    May 7, 2014 at 3:22 pm PDT

    This new Vita is great and all, but I really don’t need Borderlands 2. I already did all I could with it on PC. The 8gb memory card also seems sort of small, I have a lot of digital purchases I plan to make when I finally get a Vita!

    When will the US get some more Vita bundles? The UK has so many nice ones that include a 16gb memory card. I’d buy that in a second if it were here!

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