I’m a sucker for docks when it comes to purchasing new gadgets like my iPad or PlayStation Vita. In my mind, there is something very Feng Shui about devices having their own place on my desk and even better when the dock is capable of charging and synchronizing the gadget with a Mac or PC. Enter the PlayStation Vita Cradle from Sony. This simple and sleek dock is designed to give people like me, who hate having cords laying around on their desks, some sanity. Priced appropriately at $19.99, the PlayStation Vita Cradle is a very minimalistic dock with no lights and no buttons. Instead, the metallic brush finished dock opts to display a PlayStation logo on the front with a USB 2.0 and line out on the back.

The dock itself serves a few different purposes, with the most simple one being the capability to watch movies on your PS Vita at just the right angle. In order to get more milage from your dock, you’ll then have to plug in the USB cable and power brick which came with your PS Vita. Once plugged into an outlet, the PlayStation Vita Cradle can then elegantly power your Vita, perfect for having it next to your bed and or in an office setting. Still, my favorite feature is to skip out on the power brick all together and opt for using only the PS Vita’s USB cable. When the PlayStation Vita’s Cradle is plugged into your Mac or PC with a USB cable (which came with your Vita), you can now charge your device and synchronize content back and forth with the Content Manager Assistant program from Sony. Milage from that program will vary but that’s for another article. While on the topic of the dock itself, Sony also took into consideration the weight and size of the Vita and has appropriately weighted down the dock, giving it a solid feel.

Those with a receiver or set of speakers around will also be happy to know that the PlayStation Vita Cradle also gives you a line out which enables you to take audio out from the device, much like you would from the Vita’s headphone jack. When docked and plugged into an appropriate device with line-in capabilities, the Vita’s audio can now be heard from your device of choice which probably has better sound then the small, internal Vita speakers. This is handy for watching movies from Netflix or PSN, though chances of you sitting around the Vita’s screen, watching a movie and taking the audio out to a better set of speakers is probably on the low end. However, the capability to have your Vita sit on the dock with audio running out so that music can be played throughout the house or office is an attractive one, especially given the Vita’s capabilities to take music from your computer. In the near future, Sony will also release the Music Unlimited app for the Vita, giving you access to millions of songs.

In the end, the PlayStation Vita Cradle is a superb and must have accessory for your Vita if you hate having cables all over your desk or if you want a dedicated place to charge your new handheld. It’s a bummer that an extra set of cables were not provided in the box but seeing how it’s only priced at $19.99, we can see why. After the jump, our score and video unboxing.