When you’re about to launch a brand new piece of hardware to a mostly unconvinced public, you have to control every detail of what that public sees before the device hits shelves. The basic idea is simple: ensure that everyone who touches your device has the best experience possible, and doesn’t have enough time to hit any of the snags or bugs you’re trying to get worked out. Sony was very careful about making the Vita available for reviews and previews, but now that the device has hit shelves, some of the things the company failed to announce are hitting the web.

For example, the Vita cannot charge via USB. Though the device includes a proprietary USB cable for transferring data to and from the PS3, if you want to charge the device you’ll have to connect it to a wall outlet. Obviously, this isn’t a huge problem, but it could put a damper on your experiences when it comes to inter-device connectivity.

News is also breaking across the web that many Japanese customers are experiencing problems with their Vita, with the most commonly reported problem being unresponsive touchscreens and full system crashes. Additionally, we’re seeing intermittent reports of the screen completely failing, but it’s tough to get a bead on how widespread the issue may be. You can see an example in the image attached to this post, but without numbers it’s hard to tell if this is a big deal or not. Some systems are bound to fail, regardless of the product quality.

New hardware is always tough to nail down, so it’s expected that Vita will have a few problems. We’ll keep you posted as more information rolls in – for the most part the system seems to be doing relatively well, though it hasn’t sold out in Japan quite yet. Memory cards, on the other hand, are selling like hotcakes. 

[Destructoid]

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