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Sony will ship the 3G-capable PlayStation Vita with a Vodafone SIM card that will encourage customers to use Vodafone’s network as a preferred partner. Vodafone’s 3G data deals for the Vita will be forthcoming closer to the device’s launch date Sony says.

The deal will see Vodafone become the preferred provider of data services for the Vita not only in Australia, but also the Vodafone subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand and The Netherlands.

Sony’s Vita device – the next-gen handheld gaming device that has a whole host of new features including an OLED touch display, motion sensors and dual cameras, will launch in Australia on the February 23 next year with a price tag of $449.95 for the 3G and Wi-Fi model (the Wi-Fi only model will cost $349.95).

To encourage users to utilise the Vodafone network rather than look elsewhere, Sony will provide a voucher for WipEout 2048 once the Vita starts using the service.

However the company has confirmed that users won’t be locked to Vodafone, and will in fact be able to use any carrier (the Vita isn’t SIM-locked). But, Sony says, it won’t be able to provide the same “quality assurance” with other untested carriers with customers also to miss out on the WipEout 2048 voucher.

“It is possible to use another provider as PS Vita isn’t SIM locked,” a Sony spokesperson confirmed. “As we have partnered with Vodafone, we have fully tested PS Vita’s features on their service and therefore can assure a great 3G service right from the off. We haven’t tested with other providers’ services and therefore can’t give the same quality assurances.”

Vodafone says it is “delighted” by the announcement, and is pleased to be able to expand its range to include the forthcoming handheld gaming device.

“We want our customers to have the best choice of devices and PlayStation Vita is a great addition to our range,” Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Terminals Director said in a statement today.

“We know from our application downloads that games are hugely popular with our customers, so we’re delighted to be SCEE’s preferred connectivity partner for 3G Vita devices sold across Europe and other selected regional markets.”

However the move will likely be met with some trepidation in Australia, where Vodafone came under fire at the end of last year and the first few months of this year for continuing network woes and outages. The company has since embarked on a $1 billion dollar network revamp (adding ready-to-go-live support for 4G services as well) which it says is now well underway.

“We are bringing customers a network that delivers better indoor coverage, faster downloads and a stronger signal than before from Vodafone,” Vodafone Hutchison Australia CEO Nigel Dews said in a statement just last week. “The benefits of our accelerated investment are starting to show.”

According to the company, more than 60 sites per night are now being simultaneously upgraded to support its new 850MHz network.