PS Vita Will Have Downloadable Games Confirms Sony...

Sony has announced that all games on the new PS Vita handheld will be available in a download format.

Whilst showcasing the latest device at Gamescom 2011 earlier this week, Sony confirmed that the latest addition to Sony's handheld gaming consoles features no UMD slot, and as a result, all PS Vita games will have the ability to be purchased and downloaded directly from the Playstation Network Store.

However, unlike its predecessor, the PSP Go, which was criticised for not having enough downloadable software in the PSN store, ALL PS Vita games will be made available for download from the store upon their release.

Sony also announced that older PSP titles would be available for download onto the new PS Vita console as well, making it fully backwards compatible with previous PSP  downloadable games and software in the Playstation Network Store.

However, for gamers who were worried that they would not be able to purchase their software in a highstreet store, Sony has also revealed that it will now be producing games on a special memory stick, called an NVG Card, which will now replace the old UMD format, which was used on the older PSP handhelds.

It has not been revealed what 'NVG' actually stands for yet, but we can tell you that the cards look like normal memory sticks, but will contain game data and extra space for save information etc.

The NVG Cards will come in two sizes - 2GB for smaller games and 4GB for larger games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss. These cards will be sold in the highstreet for purchase, which is good news for all those who hate downloads.

There were still no announcements regarding the recommended retail price of the console or its possible European release date(s). Nevertheless Sony did announce that the PS Vita would utilise some free Social Networking applications such as Facebook and Twitter.

Furthermore, the company were also quick to deny recent rumours that the size of memory on the PS Vita had been halved from its original specifications.

Thus, it seems that plans for the PS Vita are shaping-up rather nicely at present. Remember to keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news about this topic as it develops.