Sony’s PlayStation Vita handheld console will be officially discontinued in Japan next year. The company has also gone on the record to say that it currently has no plans to launch a new handheld system in the future.
The Vita launched in 2011 as the most powerful handheld console ever made, capable of providing console-quality gaming on the move, alongside a range of classic and indie games, as well as a wireless second-screen experience for the PlayStation 4.
However, the system struggled to gain traction due to a lack of big-budget titles, its high price point compared to Nintendo’s DS range (probably something to do with its 5″ OLED display, which was later ditched in favour of LCD) and the requirement of a proprietary memory card, which cost significantly more than generic storage of the same size.
The Vita disappeared from stores in the West in 2015, the same year that Sony announced it would not be producing any more big games for the system. The company attributed the console’s demise to the rising popularity of mobile gaming.
Analyst Comment
As a long-time gamer and a Vita user, it was sad to watch its potential being squandered. PlayStation 4 Remote Play never really delivered on its promise, and the memory card situation was nothing short of price gouging. Sadly, the Vita will go down in history as one of the most under-appreciated pieces of gaming hardware ever made — mostly by the company that made it. (AF)
