Vita dev kit to cost €1,900 plus VAT
Console will eventually support free-to-play and non-gaming apps
Sony has revealed that the dev kits for the PlayStation Vita will sell for €1,900 plus VAT.
Speaking at GDC Europe yesterday, as reported by Develop, SCEE's George Bain said there is also no cost to join the PS Vita Develop Program.
"There's just that cost of the dev kit. If you're a small developer, we happy to talk to you about this. It will help if you have a games portfolio. There's no reason we won't speak with smaller studios about joining up."
According to Bain, prototype dev kits for Vita can be free. Sony's Pub Fund - which helps smaller developers fund their games in return for exclusivity - is receiving up to 15 pitches a week. Although currently limited to games, it's expected that non-gaming apps will eventually come to Vita, as well as free-to-play models.
The Vita launches this year in Japan and before the end of March in Europe and the US priced at $249 for the WiFi model and $299 for the 3G version.
Some developers including Heavy Iron and Crytek have been critical of the high price of the console, and suggested that it's launching in a portable market that has fundamentally changed since the introduction of smartphones and tablets.
Yesterday the Vita took centre stage at Sony's Gamescom press conference, with new games including Resistance: Burning Skies, Reality Fighters, Escape Plan and LittleBigPlanet on display.