E3 2011: Sony NGP Is Officially Named PS Vita, Price & Release Date Revealed

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Well folks, the rumors are true. As expected, Sony’s Kaz Hirai was present at Sony’s E3 press conference to discuss the NGP and officially supply a name for it. Surprising absolutely no one, Hirai announced that the NGP will henceforth be known as the PS Vita.

Hirai kept his introduction short before the PS Vita demos got rolling, but he did indulge a few details before he left the stage. For one, Sony fans who have been begging for cross-platform chat on the PS3 might be happy to find out that the PS Vita comes with that very feature, which has been dubbed the “Party Room,” for it’s use on Sony’s new handheld.

As well, Hirai briefly covered the different PS Vita models – a Wi-Fi model and a 3G Wi-Fi model – and that the PS Vita would be offered exclusively at AT&T in the United States. Wrapping up his presentation before the PS Vita demos began, Hirai previewed a new social networking feature on the Vita, called “Near.” Near will allow you to interact with other PS Vita owners by comparing trophies and recommending games to friends. Hirai was light on the details concerning Near, but said that they would have more information very soon.

Finally, after the demos concluded, Hirai got up on stage one last time to talk about what everyone was wondering: what’s the price and when’s release. Well, PS Vita will release this holiday season (no specific date was given), and the Wi-Fi only model will cost you $249.99, while the 3G Wi-Fi model will set you back $299.99.

With this price point, the PS Vita is primed to be a major competitor to the 3DS upon launch, and will likely experience better sales than the PSP. Like we said before, details on the PS Vita were few and far between tonight, with promises that they’ll be covered soon in their place. When Sony decides to release further details on anything concerning the PS Vita, you can find it right here at TFTS.