Sony has announced that it will release the slimline version of its PS Vita console in the UK on 7 February. Originally launched in Japan last autumn, the re-designed handheld device is 216g and 15mm thick, making it 15 percent lighter and 20 percent thinner than its predecessor. It will retail at the suggested price of £180.

The design of the console has also been tweaked to include rounder corners, which Sony claims makes it more comfortable to hold and use. Although six colours are available in Japan, it looks like only the default Black version will be available in the UK at first.

Sony reckons the battery life of the refreshed Vita has been increased from four and a half hours of gameplay on the original iteration to six hours. The company has also included 1GB of built-in storage memory for downloadable games, although players will probably still need to buy extra Vita memory cards if they're planning to buy most of their new titles digitally.

The Slim Vita will also arrive in a 'Mega Pack' bundle, which offers the console together with ten popular indie games including Hotline Miami and Thomas Was Alone.

There are two more controversial alterations however. The original OLED screen is being replaced by a presumably cheaper LCD display, which some feel will result in a dip in picture quality, especially for darker games where a richer contrast and deeper black tones are required. Also, the 3G capabilities of the console have been removed, so that the Slim Vita is Wi-Fi only.

So far, the Vita has sold a modest 7m units since the Japanese arrival of the original version in 2011. However, Sony hopes that it will become a popular companion device to the PlayStation 4, thanks to the Remote Play feature. This allows owners of both machines to play PS4 titles on the Vita screen, as long as both are connected to the same Wi-Fi connection. It's likely that PS4 titles will also use the Vita as a second screen or a specialist controller. It's likely Sony will sell the devices together in a new bundle deal now the slim version of the Vita is more widely available.

It's not yet clear if, and by how much, retailers will discount the slim Vita's £180 price tag. That is currently how much stores like Amazon and Argos are charging for the original unit.