Sony reveals PS Vita memory card, game prices for North America

Sony silenced months of speculation on Thursday by divulging software, accessory and memory card prices for the North American release of its new gaming handheld, the PS Vita. Prospective buyers anxious over just how much they’ll need to spend on launch day may be quieted for different reasons.

Vita games will start at $10 and top out at $50, announced John Koller, Sony Computer Entertainment America hardware marketing director. More than two dozen games will be available for the system at launch, with eight of those coming from Sony-owned studios.

Writing at the U.S. PlayStation blog, Koller wasn’t clear on whether downloaded titles would see lower prices than their retail counterparts. Sony previously confirmed that all PS Vita games would be available as both digital downloads and at brick-and-mortar shops.

Memory cards, long a point of contention for Vita fence-sitters, will weigh in at slightly less than what GameStop predicted last month. The Texas-based retail chain had posted the following sizes and prices to its website: a 4GB card for $30, an 8GB card for $45, a 16GB card for $70 and a 32GB card for $120. Koller confirmed the actual MSRP, from smallest to largest, is $20, $30, $60 and $100.

The full list of peripherals, release dates and prices can be seen here. The PS Vita launches in the U.S. and Canada on February 22.