May 30, 2011 13:31 GMT  ·  By

The Sony Next Generation Portable might swap out its codename for the PlayStation Vita title, at least according to a new leak that appeared onto the web over the weekend.

Sony is trying to get its Next Generation Portable device ready for launch later this year, and many are expecting some major details about it to be showcased at next week's E3 conference in Los Angeles.

Among them, the actual name of the device might also be presented, with Sony dropping the Next Generation Portable codename for a more attractive one.

According to a new report that appeared on the web, that name might be the Sony PlayStation Vita.

Vita, which means 'life' in Latin, and sounds a bit peculiar in quite a lot of other languages, is definitely an odd choice.

Considering Sony's different naming strategies when it comes to electronics, with the Vaio series of laptops or Bravia brand of TV sets, Vita isn't that peculiar, however, and might signify a fresh start for the portable PlayStation consoles, which, in the form of the regular PlayStation Portable and the PSP Go, haven't been the success stories Sony hoped for.

The leak arrived with a presumed scan of a sales brochure for the PlayStation Vita, depicting the already known console but with the PS Vita brand imprinted on the bottom of its screen.

The source of the report was a rather obscure website, which was quickly taken down by its owner, so you should certainly take this report with a pretty big grain of salt, as it might not be completely true.

Still, considering the lack of popularity experienced by the PSP anywhere else around the world except its native Japan, a whole new name for this much-improved device isn't that big of a gamble on behalf of Sony.

What do you think? Is the PlayStation Vita an adequate name for the Next Generation Portable or should Sony just label it the PSP 2 and get over it? Share your thoughts below.