Vita will not be out this year

Sony VP Kazuo Hirai has announced that PlayStation Vita won’t reach European and US shelves this year.

It had been rumoured for some time that the device would miss its Q4 target, and now that has been confirmed. Retailers had previously told MCV they were hopeful the handheld would arrive for Christmas, but wasn’t expecting it.

The delay will give UK and US retailers the opportunity to puts its weight behind Nintendo’s recently discounted 3DS format.

Vita is now expected next year – with March the likely month. Details of the line-up and pricing for Europe will be announced at Gamescom in under two weeks.

In the US Vita will cost $249 for the Wi-Fi edition and $299 for the 3G version.