Vodafone announced as partner for PS Vita 3G connectivity in EU

SCEE have today announced a partnership that will see Vodafone become the preferred provider of 3G connectivity for the PlayStation Vita in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and France.

The PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model in the selected countries will include a Vodafone SIM card so users can immediately get connected online. Customers connecting with Vodafone will receive a PlayStation Network voucher to download a free game 'WipEout 2048' from the PlayStation Store. Vodafone are set to announce their 3G tariffs and data plans in due course.

“Partnering with Vodafone will enable PS Vita users in the selected countries to always be connected with their PlayStation life, friends and games, wherever they are.” said Jim Ryan, President & CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

“We know from our application downloads that games are hugely popular with our customers, so we’re delighted to be SCEE’s preferred connectivity partner for 3G Vita devices sold across Europe and other selected regional markets. Using the device over Vodafone’s high-performance network with extensive 3G reach and market leading download speeds brings a reliable ‘anywhere anytime’ dimension to gaming.” said Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Terminals Director.

The 3G connectivity for the PSVita will still remain unlocked, so gamers who dont wish to use Vodafone will still be able to choose a different network provider, Vodafone is just the 'preferred' network by Sony.