PlayStation Vita TV review: Sony's first mini-console has some growing pains

Sony had a tiny surprise to share just ahead of the Tokyo Games Show: the PS Vita TV, appearing from inside SCE President Andrew House's jacket pocket. Having already announced a new, slender PS Vita handheld less than an hour earlier, Sony showed off this minute console -- roughly the same footprint as a smartphone -- that plays Vita games, PlayStation games and streams video content, as well as music and video from Sony's own store. It can also connect with multiple PS3 DualShock controllers, allowing for proper, responsive gaming -- something we're not quite used to getting from something so tiny.

You could see it as a brutal counterstrike from the PlayStation team against the cheap, mini-console likes of OUYA and GameStick, even Huawei. Aside from contemporary Vita titles and indie games, you can also tap into an ever-increasing catalog of hits from yesteryear -- something that the Android and iOS platforms also dip their feet into, but with the peace of mind (read: stability) of PlayStation hardware, and the ability to steer the action with a DualShock controller. Sound like something you'd like to try out? Well, unfortunately, unlike the new PS Vita, this is currently a Japan-only deal. What's more, availability in Nihon is directly tied to compatibility there, too; you'll need a Japanese PSN account to even use it. We're still getting a vague line from SCE on whether it will eventually arrive outside of Japan. (It would be a convenient bit of hardware to sell alongside Sony's PlayStation Now streaming-game service, set to launch in the US later this year, right?)

So, is this just a tenuous experiment or a whole new console line for PlayStation? Or, given that it's practically got all the same internals, would you be better off just buying a Vita?

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 review: impeccable performance and versatility make this cam an industry leader

To many photographers -- amateurs and professionals alike -- digital SLRs represent quality. The fact that you can remove the lens and swap it for another is inconsequential to those who never buy a second optic, and it's that segment of the market that Sony's targeting with its Cyber-shot RX10. Everything about the RX10 is DSLR-like -- its form factor, built-in EVF, focusing performance and image quality are all on par with many higher-end SLRs -- but its mighty 24-200mm lens is permanently attached. By opting for this comparatively inflexible design, Sony's able to deliver a constant f/2.8 aperture and very high-quality optics in a comfortable package, with a price tag far below what a similar removable lens would command, were it to exist in the first place. The result, put simply, is spectacular, but as $1,300 is at the high end of even deep-pocketed consumers' budgets, you'll want to catch our full review before making a purchase.