Sony Believes PlayStation Vita Is Still a Viable System

Of course the vita is still alive in Japan. People are still lining up to get a shot at buying a switch for days on end, and they're playing on vitas while they wait

It is still selling games out there so it makes sense. I just hope they don't start turning off the store or anything. This, again, suggests we aren't getting a Vita 2 in my opinion.

If they made decent games for the Vita people would buy them... simple. I enjoy portable gaming and they just didn't support it enough.

The notion that overpriced memory cards capped a console at around 15 million units is mad. The pricing structure certainly didn't help, but the console clearly wasn't what the market wanted.

Still, cool little device with some great games.

I still think the lack of drive the Vita got was due to not getting something like GTA like the PSP did way back when.

Still I have tons of amazing RPGs on it, along with PS1 classics for when I travel for work. It's a great system to have in that regards.

Love my Vita. Doesn't get as much gametime nowadays but if the games were coming more regularly then I undoubtedly would be. Even with a Switch I'll still sometimes take the Vita with me instead.

That's fine by me. I don't really get into games aimed at the western market to begin with, and, as Sammy mentioned, there seems to be some profit to be had from localizing niche Japanese titles.

@ShogunRok I don't think it was any one thing. First and foremost is the lack of awareness about the Vita. The only people I know who are aware of the Vita's existence are other dedicated gamers. The average person doesn't even know it exists. Combine that with a lack of games that have a wider level of appeal and, yes, insane hardware pricing decisions, and you're left with a system that was sabotaged by Sony's own decisions.

Sure, it's viable, but I'd still like some sort of refresh. Better joysticks, better storage options, and built in L2/R2 buttons please. I still love my OLED model, but it's not great for remote play or western games.

EDIT: How about a new Freedom Wars too!!!!!!!!! Jeeeeeeeez I want to play that with my PS4 friends.

@adf86
But it hasnt out sold the 3Ds

I still use my launch vita practically every day. The perfect lunch buddy at work when you dont have any co-workers to annoy.

"But it just didn’t get over the hump in Europe and America. It’s hard to know exactly why"

i'll tell you why, Over Priced memory cards and a lack of physical release

if people can'tr afford the memory cards then they can't download games, if they can't download games then they can't buy digital only release

with nothing to play the system doesn't sell

in other words IT'S YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT FOR PRICING YOURSELF OUT OF THE MARKET!

and it's a shame because i love the Vita, it's a great little system

Vita feels like an enhanced love child of NDS and PSP to me, and arguably Switch's most recent harbinger in the "console games on the go" concept (especially with Cross-Buy/Cross-Save, Remote Play and then PlayStation TV coming along for good measure). It's a great handheld that still dwarfs many of the mobile phones' gaming by definition (imagine playing Gravity Rush or Tearaway nothing but a touchscreen plus the battery you're sharing with your GSM and Instagram) while offering a plethora of mobile ports (often with better controls) and reportedly even having an architecture not dissimilar to mobile phones. I've had my Vita for over a year and never regretted the purchase. Not to mention that with the overdue advent of 4G here and despite the multiple remote play imperfections and mobile data costs, being a Vita owner is the main and almost the only reason I'm a PS4 owner now.

Alas, Vita also ended up feeling like Sony's hardware equivalent of Disney's Treasure Planet - an awesome work that was heavily mismarketed and then denied parental support rather quickly. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not aware of Sony ever trying to resuscitate Vita's comparatively lackluster sales in the same way as Nintendo resuscitated 3DS's - although to be fair, maybe Remote Play (which PS4 came to support by default, not at developer discretion) looked like enough trying in their eyes. Well, credit where it's due, and perhaps it contributed to Vita outliving Wii U despite selling even less so far. But it's a sad story nonetheless. And what's next? Japan is still Vita's main market, but now it increasingly owes its dominance to people still struggling to buy a Switch. Nintendo's new juggernaut even had almost twice the western launch lineup under the Rising Sun, now its library is welcoming MK8D, Splatoon 2 and HD Monster Hunter XX... while Vita missed out even on the sequel to the Sony exclusive that WAS BORN on it. The Japanese origin of Gravity Rush notwithstanding. Third parties still have no qualms about porting big games like WoFF and Valkyria Azure Revolution to the eight-year-old hardware while first party won't seem to port even the LocoRoco remaster. Even in the only region where Vita and PS4 have roughly similar sales numbers.

Oh well. Vita is still getting games so far and boasts a library giving me access to many amazing games I can't play on PS3 where they originated. Yes, Switch may well hijack some of these purchases in the future (as Fate/Extella and One Piece Unlimited World Red are my witnesses), but I already owe Vita a lot of gaming memories and experiences and I expect to owe it even more.

@get2sammyb Why is it a 'commercial flop' ? Are there any numbers that even remotely suggest that is true? That wording suggests that it came with a loss, when very likely they turned a profit- no matter how small it is. How can something be viewed a 'commercial flop' when it turned a profit?

Vita games routinely outsell their PS4 counterparts.

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/04/drinkbox_people_dont_understand_the_purchasing_power_of_ps_vita_owners

Just a refresher Sammy ;D

"It’s hard to know exactly why" let me help you there...because you didn't make a lot of great games for it maybe?!

Funny to hear a company so content with their product being just "viable" instead of a "success" or something. Ah well, they have the PS4 for that.

@get2sammyb Nope. It just did what it did. 15.5million according to vgchartz (yeah, yeah, I know reliability of vgchartz). Still puts it ahead of the Wii U. That's still 15+ million people buying/bought games, use PSN & are part of the PlayStation ecosystem. That's a successs in my book.

The world just isn't black & white Sammy. There is an audience. The PSP2 is coming. Not at a E3 but a TGS or PSX. It might sound crazy to you, but Sony are crazy enough to do it .

@Fight_Teza_Fight I do respect your opinion, and I own a Vita, which I like it. But compare to the Wii U - which I do own too - isn't a good sign. Consoles with the double of sales, like the Gamecube, are still considered flops, even if they make some money.
And that's because a console isn't about money only, it's about brand awareness, and making investors smile. I can guarantee that Vita never did any of those.

And if you think that PSP2 is real, I'm really sorry but you're delusional. Sony is strong enough to don't need to fight Nintendo in a loosing battlefield.
Maybe a eventual PS5 is a hybrid, but that will make the fight against PC or a new XBox way harder, so it's a big "maybe".

I love my PS Vita but think that Sony didn't properly support it with big games that would attract the average gamer. For me it's perfect as I like niche & RPGs but I can totally understand why others didn't get into it.

I'll never understand it. .....I love my Vita.

There can be all sorts of theories (or should I say hypotheses) as to why it failed, but I think in 90% of the cases, it comes down to people (other than the super loyal Ninty fans) not wanting a handheld thanks to cell phones and tablets and, of course, the snowball effect.

As soon as the vita became the butt of the joke, it was over. There was no saving it. Anything that becomes a trend for whatever stupid reason, ends up selling well. We all know why the wii sold so well. Hell even I bought one and regretted it later one. We also know what happened to xb1 and wiiU.
Vita never stood a change with every website making fun of its sales before it was ever released in the West. Idiotic "analysts" saying it won't even be released in the West, didn't help either.

A similar thing happened to Playstation All Stars Battle Royal. It was labelled a rip-off (mostly by ninty fanboys) and it was written off by most gamers.

@get2sammyb the launch lineup was strong for sure but the battle for handheld superiority is a race not a sprint. There are some great titles but I haven't bought anything for the VITA for sometime. I keep hearing of PS4 releases daily and nothing decent for the Vita in the last few years. I would expect Sony to make more announcements for forth coming Vita games.

@get2sammyb I agree. People have a very selective memory. It launched with an Uncharted, for Christ's sake. It doesn't get much better than that.

I still believe, though, that games like God of War, and mostly Gran Turismo would have helped a lot. Maybe even a deal with Rockstar for a GTA game.

@WillMerfi I don't think so. Arrogant Sony was 2006/7-2009. September 2009 on, it changed its image completely. By 2012 when it launched, it had so many great exclusives, most people (even the haters) had come around.

@Jenny_Jones
They kind of did with Uncharted, Killzone, Little Big Planet, Wipeout, Tearaway (a new IP that was much talked about), Resistance, and Japanese games like Gravity Rush (initially a ps3 game), Hot Shot Golf, Soul Sacrifice, and Freedom wars.
They could have done more, but they did try even with first party games.

@adf86 Problem is, they all didn't do very well critically and weren't seen as great efforts.
Uncharted: GA was considered the worst Uncharted. It looked great but wasn't made by ND and for many it felt like a chore rather than a fun game to play.
AC:L The critics didn't love this one either. They saw potential, but that's all.
COD:D received terrible scores and was seen as a rushed job, which it was.

So maybe proper games like Uncharted 2 (as in, that good, not the game itself) would have been better to judge if it's worth investing in?

The vita is a great system. However now with the Nintendo switch out, there needs to be a vita successor. The switch is selling well in the USA so if Sony releases a good product and actually supports it, it should sell well outside Japan.

@adf86 I'm not so sure about that. Street Fighter V did so bad because of bad reception by gamers and critics. I'm sure there are more examples.

The PSVITA became something very strange, which I really like. It has become some kinf of heaven for :
1) Retro gaming. Dude, all this PS1 classics, ready to take the plane with you ! I got all the Final Fantasy on it from I to X-2, just in my pocket !
2) Indy gaming. All these little masterpieces are a thrill.
3) Otaku gaming. If you're into japanese niche game (and I am !), this is a beautifull place to be.
Plus It got Uncharted Golden Abyss, still an incredible looking game to me.

PSN + googleplay android phone FTW on PSP2 pls. Clash of clans, soul hunters, candy crush, Facebook, music player, dual SIM, whatsapp, retina camera, snapchat, final fantasy, eBay, Amazon, heartstrings, persona, physical controls, micro SD, dual screen, fast charge, £300.... ah one can fantasize...

@ShogunRok
Pricing, lack of advertising, the rise of mobile and the presence of 3DS all screwed it, imo. Still built up a heck of a library so I can't complain and until the Switch it was the place to play indie games, imo.

@get2sammyb - err, not exactly unbiased with Nintendo Life, are we?

Sammy, to say that Sony did support the system is ludicrous - even by your standards 😬

Yes, Uncharted on launch - but not ND. Obviously like people who actually own the system and can vouch for its multimedia excellence it's a powerhouse of a portable and wipes the floor with Nintendo - especially as I stopped playing Game Boy like 30 years ago.

No offence, but if I wanna play basic, badly made games like Pokemon I'll buy a 3DS.

But watching films in HD, downloading PS1 games over wi-if and watching the faces of astonished gaming fans whilst I show them Killzone: Mercenary? Priceless 😏

Let's be clear about this; Sony hamstrung the system with lack of marketing support and awareness - then pulled the plug on AAA support. Yeah, memory cards were pricey, but like all quality products it didn't stop me buying them to download dozens of games. Why? Quality of product.

I would absolutely buy a Vita 2 as unlike the Switch or Nintendo in general, like a lot of readers on this site I prefer games for the adult gamer who prefers the likes of Horizon to yet another Mario game which piqued at Mario 64.

So in the interests of those of us who bought, played and adored their Vita - and still do - let's be accurate in relation to its abandonment from Sony with lacklustre marketing.

I see a similar thing potentially going on with Playstation VR, they need to pull out all the stops at E3 and announce AAA dev for complete experiences, especially given the price of hardware.

And let's not forget the still world-beating hardware that Vita houses, or the gaming experiences a la Mercenary / Gravity Rush / P4G provided to the discernible, hardcore gamer who didn't want a 3-colour palette and kitsch-central themes in every portable game they left behind with Game Boy!

It's a shame because it could have been amazing. Still a successful product, though, if only minorly. A bizarre lack of support including the price and the actual godawful name of the product meant it was never going to reach for the stars from the get go. I still intend to get one on ebay, not the newer horrible lcd version but the original OLED version. Just waiting for the right bargain to come along. Leave it to Nintendo next time eh Sony?