It doesn't make much sense a premium model priced just $50 more than the entry level, I'd say they'll be $399 and $499, with the premium one not getting just a bigger HDD, but also more extras, for example another sixaxis controller and/or Move, maybe a game bundled too.

more money than the entire ps family. if you consider the 3ds as underperforming, then what is the vita?

Since MS is launching the XB1 at $499, I think Sony should try for $449/$549. They wouldn't be taking a big loss on this one, and the premium mnodel at $549 can come with a game or something. This would make more sense than $399 with a $200 loss, or $499 and making it expensive. 

Ok so what does having more money than the entire ps family get you nowadays? A still underperforming handheld and a pretty much dead in the water console.  Hopefully this lesson goes to show that a company making money does not guarantee it will have success in the future, especially if they do not plan and excute well, which Nintendo since 2010 has failed to do.  You can spin it how ever you want.  Sony went from losing 4 billion on their gaming division when the PS3 came around to break/small profit today, while Nintendo at its height in 2010 brought in 5 billion dollars to now losing money for the first time. cherry picking  profits/losses when consoles are successful/terrible doesnt tell me anything about the here and now.

As for the vita its doing lackluster but one of its main primary uses is about to change and I expect sales to do the same.

1. 3ds is not underperforming

2. wii u is not dead in the water just like the 3ds wasn't in it's first year. if it's still selling poorly AFTER getting it's system sellers, then it's dead.

3. ps4 x vita off play will do sh#t to help vita sales.

I do not normally talk to brick walls so if you are going to just put random statements with no explantion, do not bother to reply.

1. There have been numerous smart individuals on this site who have documented the numbers for the 3DS compared to the DS and its underperformance, I am sure you are smart enough to use the search feature to look them up as I will not do the work for you.  Iwata and Reggie both mentioned poor 3DS sales (Especially western sales ) as of July and Sept of last year.

2. You comparing the 3DS and Wii U situations is laughable enough, the console already has a massive system seller in New Super Mario Bros and its selling less than any other console that nintendo has made during its first 7 months (outside the virtua boy).  The system coming out with system sellers is not nothing new, we have seen this song and dance before.  The SNES came out with mario kart and 2nd mario, so did the n64 with mario kart and 3d mario, the same with the gamecube

3. Im sure the PS4 cross will do more for vita sale than nothing at all, which is the point of them pushing it.

1. So the 3ds is underperforming IN RELATION TO DS. i don't think selling less than the biggest success ever equals selling bad. 3ds is selling like crazy and destroying the competition, if that's underperforming to you then you'll get VERY dissapointed with ps4/xone.

2. Super mario bros (mario 2d) is a game that many people who buys the console tends to get but it is not a game that makes people buy the console. wich means: not a system seller.

3. Still irrelevant