Wow – sometimes I wish I lived in Japan so bad that it hurts. Actually, maybe it’s because I’m laughing – I honestly have no idea whether Sony’s recent Japanese promo video for the PlayStation Vita TV is meant to be funny or not, but this shit is so charming that I’d gladly hand over $400 for the thing without a second thought. I mean, not really… I don’t think.
The video shows off a lot of neat Vita TV functionality, such as the device’s ability to play Vita games, content off of a Vita memory card, and even PS4 streaming over local WiFi to any connected TV in your house. To me streaming is the killer app, though essentially getting a Vita for about $100 square is a darn good deal as well. As someone whose road warrior needs are met mainly by a 3DS and an Android smartphone, I don’t really plan on buying a Vita anytime soon. That said, I’d happily grab a Vita TV to indulge in some glorious Muramasa Rebirth for about half the cost of the real thing.
Sadly, there’s still no info from Sony concerning a US release for the PlayStation Vita TV (despite its November 14th release date in Japan), but I’m secretly hoping they have ideas in the works and just aren’t ready to show their hand yet. I always thought the Game Boy Player was a great concept, but the system’s dual-screened successors pretty much broke it forever. If PlayStation Vita TV can take that idea to the next level, in a modern context, and look stylish while doing it? I’ll take two, please.