'UMD Passport' application moves UMD-based PSP games to the Vita (for a price)

Sony realizes that you, Japanese PlayStation Portable owner, want to keep playing your UMD version of Nano Diver when the PlayStation Vita launches on December 17. The Japanese electronics giant last night announced its "UMD Passport" program, wherein PSP owners can download a free application to register their UMD games and receive a discount on repurchases of said games through the Vita's digital distribution store.

The repurchase price varies from game to game, but it averages between 500 and 1,000 yen ($6 to $13), going as high as ¥2,400 ($31). And to get a jump on the conversion process, Sony will be releasing the PSP app on December 6. It's unclear whether the Passport program will arrive Stateside or in Europe when the Vita launches early next year in other territories, but we expect Sony will reveal as much in the coming months.

The initial titles included in the program are detailed by Sony here, and the company apparently intends on expanding it to approximately 200 games.