The PlayStation 4:

The PlayStation 4 is a hot item this year, it’s going to be difficult to get your hands on one of these puppies during the holiday season. If you can though, this may be the system to get this holiday season. The game selection for it is a bit thin right now, but that’s something that will quickly begin to expand as the new year comes, lurching coldly over the hill. If you already have one though, there is plenty of goodies that are available now for you to put on your list, or to maybe put on someone else.

PS4 Camera:

The PS4 camera may be a great gift for someone who already has a PS4. This camera is great for party games and doesn’t run for too much money. Support for it is currently a bit limited, but the type of games that would utilize this little piece of hardware is a the kind of game you can have plenty of fun with, especially if the person using it has more than a few friends. If you take a look, Jimmy Fallon and Ice Tea seemed to be have one hell of a time with it, live on television.

New Controllers:

The PS4 just hit the shelves and for those of you who already have it, there’s already plenty of great peripherals for it already. If you’ve only got one controller and want something that’s a bit more flashy, or just a bit more unique then you should check out evilcontrollers.com. These things are really cool looking. With plenty of designs to choose from, you should find something you like. Maybe complicated and intricate patterns aren’t your thing though? Well, that’s okay too. Evil Controllers offers a variety of solid colors that are just a bit out of the ordinary. The best part about these controllers is they aren’t a custom design. The company has licensed the designs from Sony so that you’re using the standard layout and design that you’ve most likely become accustomed to.

Quality Ear Wear:

If you have a PS4 and you’re interested in online play, like many of us are, you’re probably going to want to get a new headset and microphone. While the console comes with one, which is a nice gesture from Sony, it’s a bit flimsy and really just meant to get players started. Well, we recommend picking up a nice and comfy headset, since the person using it is obviously going to be wearing it for awhile.

As long as you make sure to update your console it should work with a variety of USB headsets. The jack on the controller is also a universal type so it will accept any standard input into it, which was certainly a smart choice. If the gamer in your life wants a nice, comfortable headset that is compatible to not only the PS4, but the PS3 the 360, Wii, Wii-U, PC and even the Android OS then the Afterglow headset may be perfect for them. The best part is it is available at major retailers like Toys R’ Us and Amazon.

The Vita:

Why not spring for a Vita this season? Kids love them, there are some great games out there with an always growing library and the great remote play option available on the PS4 now makes this an even more attractive option for gamers who may also be big into traveling. If you’ve got a Vita or plan on picking one up for someone this holiday, then you’re most likely going to need some accessories with it.

Hand Grips:

If you’ve got a Vita or you know someone who does, you may notice that, that the little handheld is a bit, well, cramped. Luckily there’s a fix for people the people out there who love games but have giant hands. There are handlebar grips that connect to the PS Vita, which definitely makes things easier. These handles may make the little handheld more comfortable for the gamer, and may be just the thing for the gamer on the go.

Hard Case:

Another good thing to have would be a carrying case, however not all of them are created equally, some of these offer a few different options. There are hard cases that are great for travel, these hard cases are quite durable and is a great accessory gift for someone who already has a Vita. They’re not exactly cheap though. The Sony Vault Case is great. While you may not be able to carry every game in it that you’ve got, there are a few slots that allow you to carry the games that aren’t downloaded to your memory card.

I’ve put mine through it’s paces, and by that I mean I accidentally dropped my Vita, while it was in it’s case down a flight of stairs and there wasn’t a single thing wrong with it. Imagine if it hit those stairs without a hard case? Even the soft carrying case wouldn’t have held up well to that sort of punishment. A case is perfect for anyone who is actually traveling a lot with their Vita, and is a great, inexpensive gift for someone.

Vita TV:

The Vita TV or as I like to call it, the “TVita,” is only available to a lucky few, but if you’ve got the ability to purchase one this season for someone, you could make them a very happy gamer this holiday season. For about $100.00 U.S. gamers basically get all the power of the Vita in a portal, yet screenless option. Instead it hooks up to any TV with an HDMI cable, and works with the standard DualShock 3 controller, which plenty of gamers have laying around. There are already some incredibly good Vita games out and with the Sony console ecosystem what is is these days, there is definitely an advantage for gamers who already have all things Sony. [You have to get this imported from Japan]

Closing words:

Sony has some great products for any time of the year, but with the new software and hardware available this season may make a gamer very happy, whether it’s you or someone in your family. There’s no need to break the bank necessarily either. Even if what you’re looking for isn’t on this list, Sony has plenty of great hardware as well as their own accessories that can certainly make for some great gifts. Even a PS3 is a great choice for people who may not have one. With an extensive library of titles already available for it, there may be no reason to jump to the next generation this holiday, unless you really want to that is.

It is going to help shape the way content is streamed, shared and even played. With so much content being available digitally these days it is just another option for some lucky gamers to have. Even though Sony has no plans to bring this device to the Europe or U.S. market yet, this is still going to make some waves from across the Ocean.

Sony’s Vita TV is a small 6cm by 10cm screenless box can fit in your pocket, but can do just about all the Vita can, and at what will be incredibly affordable. The price point starts for the Vita TV, at least in Japan for ¥9,480, or less than 100 dollars in U.S. dollars. The hardware is incredibly affordable and Sony is really pushing to lower the costs of multimedia entertainment devices around the world with this technology.

"What makes the Vita more attractive, other than it being a tiny bit cheaper is that it can not only play Vita games, but also will be able to play at least some PlayStation 3 titles at it's launch."

There aren’t many of these devices available yet and the big leaders for this kind of hardware are the major consoles manufacturers and Apple TV, which runs for a little over 100 dollars. What makes the Vita more attractive, other than it being a tiny bit cheaper is that it can not only play Vita games, but also will be able to play at least some PlayStation 3 titles at it’s launch. Currently, the Apple TV doesn’t play any games for the iOS, giving Sony a distinct advantage for anyone who is interested in at the very least having a few games to play.

Gamers who have a Vita TV will also be at incredible advantage with the PSN Plus service. At only $50.00 a year of service it’s a pretty sweet deal. With all the games that are released for free yearly, having an all encompassing device that has Netflix, a slew of TV shows and movies that are offered, the PlayStation Network is an great option for traveling gamers, or just people who want their multimedia device to do a little bit more.

Sony currently has no plans to bring this little beauty to the European or American markets at the time, unfortunately. Hopefully after some time and enough support we may see this device, or another similar piece of hardware coming from over the Ocean sometime after the release of the PS4 with any luck. It’s not like we can really complain too much though, the American and European markets are getting the PS4 before Asia as it is, this may be Sony’s way of making it up to them for that.

Sony coming out with this new hardware further serves to blur the lines between consoles, handhelds and media boxes. Hardware like the Vita TV is also helping to put another nail in the coffin of physical media. Digital distribution is the way the world is going as the older broadcasting formats like Satellite and Cable Television seem to be losing ground monthly.

"The more options that are available for hardware like this the better it is for digital distribution companies and there aren’t many other’s like Sony pushing for this "across the board," media distribution like they are. While it exists in services like Netflix, Steam and Xbox Live and more, Sony has really pushed forward with all forms of entertainment. "

The more options that are available for hardware like this the better it is for digital distribution companies and there aren’t many other’s like Sony pushing for this “across the board,” media distribution like they are. While it exists in services like Netflix, Steam and Xbox Live and more, Sony has really pushed forward with all forms of entertainment. Content like Music, Movies and obviously games can all be found on the PSN. While Microsoft’s services have certainly followed suit in the last few months, Sony has really started to actively reward people for using their service with things like free monthly games. Microsoft has actually taken a page from Sony’s playbook and recently began doing the same thing, and ultimately giving gaming features like this even more attractive, especially for gamers who may be on a budget.

It’s this kind of service coupled with many forms of portable and powerful hardware like the Vita, Vita TV, Ps3 and PS4 is what will push digital distribution forward. The conventional line of thinking with this sort of technology until very recently was to either watch content from your personal computer or using your DVD or Blu Ray player to connect to these digital services. The problem with using things like computers is that you most likely have to watch sitting at your computer desk, on a small screen; a lot of times making it difficult to watch with other people. If you are lucky you’ve got a PC hooked up to your TV in the living room, but there comes a slew of other headaches with that and frankly it’s not a very affordable option. While there are a number of options to do that but you would have to worry about the usual computer issues like viruses, updates, compatibility issues and pricing.

The DVD or Blu Ray option is obviously much more simple than running the PC, but what most people who utilize a lot of digital distribution services tend to find is that they’ve basically paid for a device that works with an entire format that is slowly fading away and doesn’t offer much in the way of “future-proofing.” Physical media is simply going the way of the dinosaur, and while it can certainly be convenient for people who have terribly slow internet connections or folks who are not particularly technically savvy, these problems are slowly diminishing year-by-year.

Just think of it, you may never have to set the timer on someone’s VCR or DVD player for them ever again! The entire philosophy of digital distribution is availability of content wherever you are and that is what Sony is attempting to achieve with the Vita TV as well as the rest of their PlayStation branded hardware. While plenty of folks have access to their services from things like their smart phones or tablets, they are for the most part stuck on their small screens as well as playing simple, mobile games. Sony seems to be sincerely trying make this kind of content available everywhere, and for folks to share too.

Sony’s Vita TV is also an incredibly flexible device. It can connect to the PS3 and PS4 through Bluetooth and is completely functional with the Dualshock 3 controller as well as the PS4 controller upon it’s official release. A very nice touch that is also coming with the release of the PlayStation 4 is that the Vita TV will support remote play if you have got it within range of one of the consoles.

"Flexibility truly is the name of the game with this new piece of hardware that supplements and combines your services with your games and hardware that previously could be scattered around the house. Sony’s brought a piece of hardware to the market that is incredibly powerful and portable. "

Flexibility truly is the name of the game with this new piece of hardware that supplements and combines your services with your games and hardware that previously could be scattered around the house. Sony’s brought a piece of hardware to the market that is incredibly powerful and portable. Any TV, or PS3 controllers in the area not only gives you the ability to watch a plethora of content, but to play over a hundred Vita games but some current generation PS3 titles to share with friends. Sony wants to marry their previously separated pieces of hardware with the services they provide and support and is a strong move for them in this coming generation of consoles.

The gamers that live in Asia have an exciting piece of hardware to look forward to in November other than the PS4 which is ready to work with any other PlayStation devices. Sony’s really making a move to be the entertainment center for not only the home and living room, but even your mobile entertainment world.

Sony’s got sleek, smooth looking hardware that is more capable than a majority of other options on the market now and they’re poised perfectly for being centerpiece of digital entertainment during the beginning of this new console war. Sony not only wants you to choose their hardware to game with, but to watch movies and even listen to music. So far, they’ve got a good thing going and the Vita TV makes it all that much more sweeter for them. Even if we aren’t going to see the Vita TV being released in other parts of the world it is certainly going to get Sony’s competitors thinking about mobility and digital content even more seriously than they already are.