What's in the Box — Unboxing the PS Vita

The PS Vita Wi-Fi Model Box

Aside from the obvious fact that it's a PS Vita box, notice the bottom right-hand corner. That's where it tells you which model you're looking at (in this case, the Wi-Fi only model). You'll also see a little picture of a PS Vita memory card, with a note next to it. This note is important: it tells you whether or not a memory card is included. In this case, it says (in very small type, with the important bit in brackets) "sold separately." If you happen to have purchased the pre-order version, it came with a memory card and a game.

The Back of the PS Vita Box

On the back of the box, you'll find a bunch more important and/or useful information. First of all, you may notice that this particular box has French and well as English — that's because I'm in Canada. Aside from that, all North American boxes should have the same information.

The most essential information is this: the box contents, and the region. The contents are listed right under the pretty pictures and let you know that you should find a PS Vita, a USB cable, an AC adaptor, a power cord for the AC adaptor, and some printed materials. If you're missing anything that is listed on your box, take it back to the store immediately, or contact PlayStation Support. The region is shown at the bottom right — it's the black icon with a globe and a number. In this case, the system is region 1, which is North America. That means this PS Vita will only play region 1 and region-free games (alas, unlike the PSP, the PS Vita is not region-free).

The PS Vita Box Opened

Right on the top of the box is a package of printed materials. They consist of an information sheet on Sony's PlayStation Protection Plan, which extends your warranty to 3 years, and an info sheet on games and accessories. There will also be a Safety Guide in there (two, if you're in Canada — one English, one French). It has all the usual stuff about epilepsy, radio waves, and safe handling of the device. You've probably read it all before​ but read it again anyway as a reminder. Safety is important, after all.

Finally, you'll find a package of AR cards, which can be used to play free augmented reality games, downloadable from the PlayStation Store.

The First Layer

Once you remove the top package of printed stuff in its neat little plastic bag, you'll discover... more printed material. It's a different size and shape, so I guess it didn't fit in with the other stuff. This printed stuff is your Quick Start Guide (again, in Canada you'll get separate French and English versions). Unlike the original PSP, there's no printed manual, just this little guide. If you need more information, though, you can access the full User Guide right from your PS Vita's home screen (once you're set up with an internet connection). It's a thin little booklet, but it has everything you need to get started and get online.

The Second Layer

Remove the last of the printed materials, and you finally get to the PS Vita, nestled in a cocoon of that soft, plastic-y padding. And see how neatly the box is divided into two compartments? Doesn't it make you want to keep using it to keep things in? Okay, so I'm a fan of packaging design. There's not much else to see here.

The PS Vita Revealed

Remove the white protective wrapper and pop open the cardboard compartment and the rest of the box's contents are revealed. Here's where you want to check and make sure that everything the back of the box promised is actually in there. In this case, we've got the PS Vita itself, and the three components of the charging-and-synching apparatus (USB cable, AC adaptor, and power cord. And that's everything.