Featuring a 5-inch capacitive multitouch OLED screen (with 16 million colors), the device will be 7.16 by 0.73 by 3.28 inches.
Despite rumors that Sony would skimp out on RAM, the Vita has 512MB memory and 128MB VRAM in its graphics processor.
The rear camera will be capable of 60fps and 640x480 resolution or 120fps at 320x240 resolution.
Sony says the Vita will playback MP3, AAC, WAV (Linear PCM) files and MPEG-4 video including H.264 AVC encodings in high, main, or baseline profiles.
Prices $250 for Wi-Fi-only, $300 for 3G, and a 2012 launch date in U.S. and Europe.