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PlayStation Vita launch date, pricing announced

Sony has announced that the PlayStation Vita will launch in Australia on 23 February 2012 - the same day as it arrives in the US and Europe, but two months after the Japanese launch.

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Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
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Sony has announced that the PlayStation Vita will launch in Australia on 23 February 2012 — the same day as it arrives in the US and Europe, but two months after the Japanese launch.

(Credit: Sony)

Pricing details have been given as from €249.99 in Europe, AU$349.95 in Australia and NZ$449.95 in New Zealand for the Wi-Fi model, and the 3G/Wi-Fi model will retail for €299.99, AU$449.95 and NZ$549.95, respectively.

Compared to US pricing, this comes as a punch in the guts to Australian and (more so) New Zealand gamers — in the US, the console will launch at US$249 and US$299, respectively. Undoubtedly, this will be blamed on the GST and the higher cost of doing business in Australia, but it also gives consumers the perfect justification for shopping offshore, especially considering the device won't be region-locked.

It should be also noted that, for Sony, Australian pricing is usually included in the European price ball-park. With current exchange rates, the Vita currently sits about AU$15 more than the European price for the Wi-Fi model and about AU$50 more for 3G/Wi-Fi.

A launch line-up hasn't been announced, but Sony also added that over 80 games are currently in development, including:

  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Wipeout 2048
  • Resistance: Burning Skies
  • Uncharted Golden Abyss
  • Assassin's Creed
  • FIFA
  • Call of Duty

You can check out our preview here.

What do you think? Is the Australian pricing reasonable, or are you going to make your purchases overseas?