PlayStation Vita gets Facebook, Skype, Twitter apps

Sony's upcoming handheld the PlayStation Vita is going all Web-trendy, with a selection of apps to make it more appealing to the modern, Net-centric youth. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Skype apps will all be making their way to Sony's monstrous console.

You'll be able to download the apps onto your console, via the PlayStation Store. Something quite neat is that the Twitter app will let you take a screenshot of the game you're playing and tweet it.

Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Skype apps are fun to have, but you know what else has those things? Mobile phones. And Android and iPhones have a superior roster of sub-£2 games too.

We're glad Sony has seen fit to chuck in these social services, but we're not convinced they'll make the Vita a more compelling buy than something like the iPod touch, or a mid-range mobile.

The same press release that detailed these apps also confirms what a Sony exec said recently -- that the PlayStation Vita won't be out before Christmas, either in the US or Europe.

That could seriously damage the console's chances of success in the western world -- we can't imagine anyone will feel inclined to drop 200-odd quid in the wake of the fund-draining holiday season. Anyone desperate to acquire a new handheld before the Vita's release is likely to find love in the arms of Nintendo's 3DS.

Is there any reason to still own a portable console? Let us know on our Facebook wall, or let fly in the comments section below.