This morning saw finally committing to a Western release date for their ambitious new handheld, the PS Vita.

The Vita is already selling out pre-orders in in anticipation of its release there on the 17th of December.

Sony confirmed that they will be releasing the in Europe, Australasia, the Middle East and North America on February the 22nd which indicates that had there not been supply they may have attempted to give the device a world wide release.

Sony Computer Entertainment president Jim Ryan said: "PlayStation Vita is an incredible device that offers the best possible portable gaming experiences. Its revolutionary mix of features combined with social connectivity, delivers a platform for gamers to play games in a whole new way and to connect with their friends and the world around them. We're very excited to launch a portable gaming device that goes beyond anything available on the market and is positioned to deliver the uncompromised gaming experiences consumers have been asking for."

By Ewan Aiton