Sony PlayStation Vita Sells Out During Japan Pre-Order Period

The long anticipated Sony PlayStation Vita portable gaming system will finally hit Japan stores on Saturday and the company has announced that the system is sold out thanks to strong pre-orders.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. President Andrew House the company moved the portable systems “extremely quickly.”

In the meantime Sony officials are hoping that the North American and European launches on Feb. 22, 2012 will go just as smoothly.

According to House the company plans to solve shortage issues quickly:

“I’m pretty confident … that there will not be major challenges in meeting demand, even though there may be short-term.”

The new gaming console release is the first new offering from Sony since they debuted the PlayStation 3 nearly five year ago.

Sony is betting big on the handheld system after posting a projected financial loss predication of $1 billion for the fiscal year through March 2012.

Buyers of the Sony Vita will receive a touch-interface with motion-sensitive controls and connectivity to cellphone networks and Wi-Fi hotspots alongside GPS tracking.

The Sony PlayStation Vita also features front and back cameras, a touch pad on the back and two knob-type joysticks that allow users to play against each other using the PlayStation 3 console with their system over the PlayStation Network.

Buyers of the new system will also have access to more than two dozen titles at launching including “Uncharted: Golden Abyss,” “LittleBigPlanet,” and “Wipeout 2048.”

Several models are being made available for U.S. buyers including a Wi-Fi only model for $249.99 while the Wi-Fi and 3G-enabled model will run $299.99.

It’s still unclear what type of effect the rapidly expanding U.S. Smartphone market will have on Sony PlayStation Vita sales.

Do you plan to run out and purchase the Vita when it reaches your area?