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Sony has confirmed that it is releasing a redesigned version of the PS Vita console with a slimmer form factor, lighter frame, improved battery life, 1GB of internal memory and an LCD display.

With a width of 15mm, the new edition will be 20 percent thinner than the existing Vita, and at 219g is 15 percent lighter. It will be available in yellow, pink, white, gray, lime green and light blue.

Battery life rises from five hours to six and there's 1GB of storage built-in to the machine, which will allow for game saves and small downloads without the need for a memory card — speaking of which, Sony is also launching a roomy 64GB card alongside the console.

The PS Vita's OLED display — which is one of the elements most praised at the time of launch — is out, however. It's replaced by an LCD panel, which will presumably be cheaper to produce; Sony is pitching the new model as "more affordable". However, the company has already moved to counter claims that this will result in a lower quality of image reproduction:

Thanks to the rapid progress of LCD technology in recent years, the new display provides users with the highest-level image quality, perfect for deep and immersive gaming experience that is at the core of PS Vita.

There's no word on a western release as yet, but we'll update this story the moment we know.

You can view the full specifications of the new model below.

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So what are your thoughts? Could this revised model change the fortunes of Sony's struggling handheld?

[source eurogamer.net]