PlayStation Vita to launch December 17 in Japan

Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld will launch in Japan on December 17.

Speaking at the Tokyo Game Show today, Sony revealed a data plan for the 3G version of the system - users will be able to buy 20 hours of pre-paid online time for ¥980 (£8) or 100 hours for ¥4980 (£41). The 3G model will also come with 100 hours bundled free.

For launch the Vita will be supported with 26 titles on day one, with around 100 promised by March 2012.

The wi-fi only model of PlayStation Vita costs ¥24,980, while the 3G model will retail for ¥29,980. Pre-orders for the system will begin October 15.

The company has also detailed the battery life for the system, with 3-5 hours of gameplay, approximately 5 hours of video playback and 9 hours of music. To charge the battery to full will take 2 hours 40 minutes.

Sony has promised that the handheld will launch before the end of March 2012 in Europe and the US.

The full list of day-one titles follows:

• BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend (Arc System Works)
• Project N.O.E.L.S. (Arc System Works)
• 3gokushi touchbattle (AQ Interactive)
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Capcom)
• Nature of Night of Kamaitachi - 11th visitor, A Suspect (Chunsoft)
• F1 2011 (Codemasters)
• Dream C Club Zero Portable (D3 Publisher)
• Niconico (Dwango)
• Fis Oh (Kadokawa Games)
• Katamari Damacy (Namco Bandai)
• Ridge Racer (Namco Bandai)
• Disgaea 3 Return (Nippon Ichi Software)
• Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition (Sega)
• @field (Sonic Powered)
• Uncharted: Golden (Sony)
• Little Deviants (Sony)
• Minnato Issho (Sony)
• Hot Shots Golf Next (Sony)
• Yuusha no kiroku (Sony)
• Monster Radar (Sony)
• Shinobido 2: Tales of the Ninja (Spike)
• Army Corps of Hell (Square Enix)
• Lord of Apocalypse (Square Enix)
• Dynasty Warriors Next (Tecmo Koei)
• Dark Quest (Ubisoft)
• Michael Jackson: The Experience HD (Ubisoft)