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Sony PlayStation Vita given release date by retailer, probably a guess

The Sony PlayStation Vita's release date has apparently been outed by game retailer ShopTo as 4 November. We're not convinced.

Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
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Andrew Lanxon
2 min read

The Sony PlayStation Vita has been listed for pre-order on game retailer ShopTo.net's website with a 4 November release date. Sadly, this date is probably more speculation than official launch.

We'd love to think the Vita is coming so soon -- we can't wait to slide our sticky, cake-covered fingers on that rear touch panel. Sony told our friends over at GameSpot UK, however, "No one has communicated any release dates to retail partners. That date is not official as we haven't announced anything yet."

It seems probable that ShopTo has put a speculative launch date on the Vita in order to attract more attention and pre-orders. It's a cunning tactic -- the Vita is going to be a hot product when it eventually arrives in stores, and its estimated price of £225 for the Wi-Fi only model is pretty reasonable for such a big-screened, capable gadget.

The gaming community -- and us -- have been eagerly awaiting the Vita after its outing at E3 last month. The powerful quad-core processor found at the Vita's heart, in concert with the dedicated graphics unit, should provide some serious grunt for games, which should look beautiful on the 5-inch AMOLED screen.

Still, we do expect the Vita to be in stores in time for Christmas, so it could be that ShopTo isn't too far off the mark. It is unlikely, however, that we'll be seeing it before it lands in the US.

For more info on the Vita, check out our preview here and keep your eyes peeled for a full hands-on soon.