Sony PlayStation Vita hits the shelves in Canada

Facing a burgeoning threat in the mobile gaming industry, Sony released the highly anticipated PlayStation Vita on Wednesday, placing an all-or-nothing bet on their new portable gaming unit.

And as Dean Takahashi explains, the PS Vita could make or break the tech giant's future with on-the-go gaming.

"This handheld device is Sony's last stand against competitors such as the Nintendo 3DS, not to mention the iPad, iPhone, and all of the other mobile devices out there that have become vehicles for inexpensive or free games," said Takahashi in a Venture Beat story.

Featuring two analog sticks, a rear touchpad, vibrant graphics and a beautiful screen, the PS Vita proves Sony was thinking big when they put their chips all in.

They've made an effort to boost the portable system with PlayStation's back catalog, supported the release with the new Uncharted: Golden Abyss (only available on the PS Vita), and have thrown in a new selection of bells and whistles - a standard pack of augmented reality cards, Netflix streaming and a gyroscope, to name a few.

Check out the video below for a quick sneak peek.

"At first glance the Vita appears almost identical to the PSP," says an article in the Washington Post. "It shares nearly all of the PSP's dimensions, but the Vita couldn't be more different."

"The Vita is sleek, bold, and immediately stunning, unlike the plastic frame every PSP model has shared. The front of the Vita is almost exclusively made of glass, a design shared by Apple's iPhone 4. The Vita doesn't look like a kid's toy; it looks like a serious gadget, a futuristic piece of technology."

You can pick up your PlayStation Vita at Future Shop or Best Buy for $249.99.

What do you think? Are you interested in a PlayStation Vita, or will you stick with your current mobile gaming device? Let us know in the comments below.