PlayStation Vita Hardware is Region-Free

Vita does what Nintendont.

But won't the games be in Japanese?

^Which is great if, you know, you actually understand Japanese.

Can't you change the language?

Yeah, just like the PSP, you can set the language to whatever you want it to be. The only difference is that on Japanese hardware (PSP, PS3, and most likely Vita), O is confirm and X is cancel. Everyone else flips that.

Big news. I'm still on my japanese launch PSP-1000 and play it in Italy without any kind of issue. The button swapping is limited to the machine's interface, in game everything works just like in any western software.

O = Accept and X = Decline. Makes so much more sense.
_{why you change it for other places sony}

Games can map whatever functions they want to any button, FFVII and MGS1-3 for instance had the same figuration as Japan does.

I might just import one, depending on how full my wallet it around that time.

@1 Sony does this because people like to hack and pirate a lot, making it sell more. 3DS is region locked for a more precise and fair system.

Sony does this to avoid people hacking their systems to remove the utterly pointless evil that is region locking. Seriously, it's clear they haven't been at all hurt by having the PSP and PS3 region-free. I remain unconvinced that the lack of region locks on pre-3DS Nintendo handhelds really hurt anything either. Region locking is bad. Period.

@9: second that. Import purchases has never hurted anyone but those interested in cashing in on different prices applied to different regions.

Awesome, if only i had $300.....plus import fees.

Take note, Nintendo. This is how it's done.

I think this'll be one of the reasons PSVita is going to beat the 3DS this gen.

Great to hear. This will mean I'll end up buying a lot more games.

There's speculation that with the demand of the Vita, Play-Asia could be selling the Vita systems for upwards of $600+. Ouch.