Announced earlier today in Japan at Sony’s pre-TGS press conference, Sony plans on launching a new set-top box that plays PS Vita games without actually owning the Vita. Approximately the same size as a deck of cards, the PS Vita TV allows you to play Vita, PSP and PSone classics on a regular sized HDTV while using a standard DualShock 3 controller.

In addition, you will be able to play PlayStation 4 games over your home network using the Remote Play feature. The streaming functionality also works in the opposite direction allowing PlayStation 4 owners to play Vita games through the PS4. This type of feature is definitely ideal for homes in which the PlayStation 4 is hooked up to the home theater. Someone can simply hook up the PS Vita TV to another TV in the home in order to continue playing a game while the TV in the living room is used for something else.

On the actual PS Vita TV, Sony has included a memory card slot in addition to a slot for Vita games. Similar to set-top boxes like the Roku 3, users can also watch streaming video from services like Hulu Plus and Netflix through PS Vita TV. It’s likely that any streaming video application currently on the PlayStation Vita will work on the PS Vita TV.

Although Sony has only announced the PS Vita TV for release in Japan, it’s likely that North American audiences will also have access to the device in the future. The base unit will go on sale in Japan on November 14 for approximately $95. In addition, the company is selling a version of the device bundled with a memory card and DualShock 3 controller for about $150. Check out an intro video as well as more shots of the device below:

Shut Up And Take My Money: PS Vita TV