Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time is scheduled to be released on the Playstation 3 by the end of the year, but Sony has bigger plans for the series’ fourth installment. Alongside the console version, SCEA and Sanzaru Games have announced that they will also be bringing the little anthropomorphic raccoon to the Playstation Vita. The Vita version will take advantage of the system’s features, offering Sixaxis Motion Sensors for mini-games and Cross Platform Save capabilities, allowing you to move your save profile between your handheld and your console, if you own both versions.

To be honest, I think this is the best home for the rapscallion. While the Playstation 3 version does look promising, it lacks the impact of what most people have come to expect with a full blown retail release. Here’s hoping Sony releases it before Fall 2012, otherwise there’s a good chance they’d be sending it to die. For all we know, Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time for the Vita is Sony’s contingency plan, ensuring that it succeeds on at lease one platform.