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PS Vita Slim UK price, release date and more

Here's everything you need to know about Sony's slender new Vita -- including when you can buy it.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
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Luke Westaway
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Sony's slimmer, revamped Vita is coming to the UK. Read on for everything you need to know about this refreshed games machine -- including when you can buy it.

Vita Slim UK price and release date

Sony has confirmed that the Vita Slim, also known as the Vita 2000, will be going on sale on 7 February, with pre-orders for the new machine opening today.

There's no fixed price for the Vita Slim, but Sony says it expects it to sell for £180. That's £50 cheaper than the original Vita was when it went on sale, way back in early 2012.

Thinner, but still massive

Wrapping your mitts around the Vita Slim, it's noticeably thinner and lighter, with the low weight proving particularly striking.

That's not to say it's small though -- the Slim is still a broad device that you'll struggle to fit in your pocket alongside a phone or wallet. If you want to carry this games machine around with you all day, you'll need a rucksack or handbag.

New screen and tweaked hardware

The riskiest change is a new screen. While the 5-inch panel remains the same size, and boasts the same impressive resolution, Sony has swapped the OLED display for an LCD alternative.

OLED displays are tough to beat when it comes to picture quality, so it remains to be seen whether this new screen is an upgrade, or a cost-cutting measure. Hold fire for our full review, when we'll know for sure.

Other alterations are more welcome. You now get 1GB of internal storage, which should slightly decrease your reliance on memory cards, and the Slim now charges via a micro-USB port, instead of Sony's proprietary cable. That second feature is great news, as many gadgets (Android phones and Amazon Kindles, for instance) charge over micro-USB.

There are no new colours, unfortunately. While in Japan the Vita Slim comes in a range of hues, Sony tells me the UK option will only be available in sultry black.

Rivals

The Vita Slim has plenty of competition. As well as Nintendo's 3DS console, it will need to fend off gadgets like the iPhone, iPad and Android devices, which can all be used for convenient, cheap gaming.

Do you fancy its chances? Are you tempted by the new Vita Slim? Let me know what you think in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.