14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware developer Sony has announced that the upcoming PlayStation Vita handheld will not be region locked in any way, meaning that those who are interested in getting one when it launches in Japan can do so.
The confirmation came from Shuhei Yoshida, who is the president of the Worldwide Studios division inside Sony, when he simply replied “Yes, it is” when he was asked on Twitter whether the Vita was region free.
This means that the most hardcore of PlayStation fans will be able to import a handheld when it is launched on December 17 on the Japanese market and will then be able to get the Japanese versions of the most important video game releases.
In Japan the 3G version of the gaming platform will cost 29,980 Yen while the one which only offers Wi-Fi connectivity will set a player back 24,980 Yen.
Sony has not yet said exactly when it plans to have the official launch for North America or for Europe or the exact prices for release day.
When the Vita was first revealed the company said that it planned to put it out in Japan before the end of 2011 and during the first few months of 2012 in the rest of the world.
Hardware developers have traditionally chosen to region lock their devices in order to limit import sales and to make sure that they can launch certain titles at different rates in the various territories.
Some have even said that region locking reduces piracy in the long term and allows companies to customize content for the player base.
The PlayStation Vita handheld is designed to appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd, offering players an OLED screen, computing power just short of that delivered by the PlayStation 3 and touch screen as well as analog controls.