AT&T to offer two data plans for PlayStation Vita when it launches Feb. 22

January 9, 2012 — 8:35pm ET | By Sue Marek

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LAS VEGAS--AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), which will exclusively provide the mobile broadband connectivity for Sony's highly anticipated PlayStation Vita portable gaming device, announced Monday that it will offer consumers two data plans for the device but not require a long-term contract. Sony plans to release the device in the U.S. Feb. 22 and charge consumers $249 for the Wi-Fi-only version and $299 for the 3G/Wi-Fi model.

Speaking at the AT&T Developer conference held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show, Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T's emerging devices unit, said that there will be a $14.99 plan for 250 MB and a $25 plan for 2 GB.

By not requiring a long-term contract, AT&T may be hoping to attract consumers that would not be as likely to adopt the device if they were required to pay for an additional data plan every month. According to recent analyst reports, the majority of tablet customers connect via Wi-Fi, and not cellular.

According to a December report from NPD's Connected Intelligence unit, 65 percent of U.S. tablet buyers only connect via Wi-Fi, up from 60 percent in April. Interestingly, the firm in April reported that 5 percent of users planned to upgrade their Wi-Fi connections with cellular connections, but those plans appear to have been scrapped during the intervening six months.

Last year Sony announced its plans to launch the Vita, the first portable gaming device embedded with 3G cellular connectivity. While handheld gaming devices have long been discussed as a prime example of how cellular connectivity can enhance consumer electronics devices, Sony is the first to make that vision a reality.

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