The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012. The eighth generation began with the release of Wii U. The PlayStation 4 was announced on February 20, 2013. It was released worldwide on November 15, 2013. Microsoft announced the Xbox One on May 21, 2013. It had its first regional release on November 22, 2013. For handheld game consoles, the generation began in February 2011. The first handheld was the Nintendo 3DS. The PlayStation Vita was released in December 2011 in Japan. It was available for the Western countries in February 2012.