The 3G-enabled PlayStation Vita has a new DataConnect plan with AT&T that gets you a game and three months of PlayStation Plus for free.
Sony is doing everything it can to bump the sales of its PlayStation Vita. Until September 22, when purchasing a DataConnect Pass Plan, Sony will throw in three months of PlayStation Plus membership and the game Super Stardust Delta in which players control a starship orbiting a planet and destroy enemies. AT&T DataConnect Pass Plans include AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots. AT&T is offering two plans for a limited time: 500MB for 6 months at $25 and 1GB for 12 months at $50. Otherwise, the cheapest plan is 250MB for $14.99 per month. The Super Stardust Delta game is valued at $9.99. With the price drop, both the PlayStation Vita with WiFi and PlayStation Vita with 3G and WiFi cost $199.99, matching the price of the Nintendo 3DS XL. Because of the price cut and the DataConnect offers, Sony is trying hard to boost the sales of the 3G-enabled Vita specifically.
Because the WiFi and 3G options for the Vita had a $50 difference — not to mention also adding in the price of paying for a 3G data plan only through AT&T — the WiFi option has generally been the wiser choice. The DataConnect Pass allows non-AT&T customers to buy prepaid mobile broadband data and requires no service commitment. However, Sony and DataConnect will only send a game voucher code redeemable for Super Stardust Delta after a month has passed since the activation of DataConnect Pass.
Smartphones already have 3G and 4G enabled, so it’s always been hard to make a case for buying the 3G Vita, and 4G is expanding coverage now. With monthly data plan costs, Sony might have to try more than a free game and three months of PlayStation Plus to convince consumers to buy the 3G Vita.
