by ted2112, HSM team writer

At this year’s Tokyo game show, which ran from September 19th-22nd, Sony wasted no time rolling out its latest creation: the Sony Vita TV. Just to let you know how seriously Sony is treating this new device, it has it own booth at the Japanese version of E3. We have heard bits and pieces about this new wonder box for a while, but never have had a chance to actually see and use it. Now the wait is over.

The Vita TV is not just a simple TV and movie streaming device — it does much more. This sleek silver box with Ethernet, USB and HDMI connectors and a SD card slot will play games from the PSN, Vita, PSP and PS One catalog using your PS3 or PS4 Dualshock controller. Well over 1300 gaming titles are available so far, with much more planned.

If that’s not impressive enough, get this — the Vita TV will stream PS4 content as well. That’s not a misprint: the Vita TV will act as a portal where you can stream content from your PS4 to different TVs, using them as a second screen or simply because the TV that your PS4 is hooked up to is unavailable.

Sony also used the opportunity to update the Vita, making its handheld thinner and lighter and redesigning the buttons, making them more responsive and intuitive. The Sony Vita TV will only cost about $100 USD. For now, it is only available in the Japan Region, but release dates for North America and Europe are coming soon.

With the Vita TV, Sony has doubled down on the concept of the handheld while at the same time making a bridge that spans four platforms. Sony has been seriously talking about legacy lately, and with this device they are putting their money where their mouth is. I love the fact that with one box I can play tons of games, without it really mattering what platform they were originally released on.

I also feel that the Vita TV will be an excellent proving ground for the Gaikai streaming service, because the very heart and soul of the new platform is first and foremost a streaming device. It’s easy to see the wheels turning over at Sony, as they get their metaphorical ducks — their past and future games — in a row. The first thing I thought of was a potential and comfortable landing place for streaming Home after the PS3 is phased out many years down the road. But as adamant as Sony has been about making PS3 content available to stream, we still don’t know exactly what content from the PS3 generation will be chosen, and if Home will be among them.

A good game is a good game, pure and simple. And one can’t help but feel that Sony is getting back to that concept. With the PS3, there was so much emphasis on new technical specifications that past games were left in the dust. To be fair, the PS3 did make advances with the PSN, porting some legacy games to the new platform. But the Vita TV really pushes the concept right to your living room as a stand-alone bridge that seems compatible with just about everything.

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