Sony confirms PS Vita to hit Europe on February 22, prices starting from £229.99

With pre-order stocks reportedly running dry ahead of its December debut in Japan, Sony has lifted the lid on its PS Vita plans for the rest of the world.

The firm's new handheld will launch in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Australasia on February 22, with the wi-fi only SKU coming in at £229.99 in the UK and €249.99 on the continent.

The more expensive 3G release will cost £279.99 on British shores, or €299.99 for those across the English Channel.

The science bit

Sony has also taken time to further detail the handheld's specs, with PS Vita set to be powered by an four-core ARM Cortex-A9.

The device will also pack 512MB of memory and 128MB VRAM, while the front will play host to a 5-inch 960 x 544 OLED multi-touch screen and a camera capable of 120fps at 320×240.

The camera on the back can capture 60fps at 640x480 (VGA), and will share space with the device's signature feature a multi-touch pad for additional game controls.

Games due to line up on the shop shelves on day one in the west are currently unknown, though PS Vita's Japanese launch library can be found on Pocket Gamer.

[source: PlayStation Blog]