The recent announcement of the PS Vita TV micro-console has caused quite a stir — so much so that it has promptly sold out of its pre-order allocation over at Amazon Japan.
It's not just the Japanese who are getting excited about the dinky new console — western players have reacted very positively to the news, too.
However, players outside of Japan hoping to see this device under their TV set any time soon might want to look away now, because SCE president Andrew House has stated that the PS Vita TV isn't coming to the US or Europe — at least not yet, anyway:
SCE will release the PS Vita TV in Japan Nov 14, 2013, and in other countries after that. The reason why it will be launched in Japan earlier than in other countries is that there is no leading company in Japan's video streaming market. The company is planning to sell the PS Vita TV in China, South Korea, etc, but not in the US and European market at this point.
House also revealed that the Vita TV is part of the company's strategy to attack the potentially lucrative Chinese market:
In the Asian market, SCE has high hopes for the Chinese market. This is not limited to the PS Vita TV. This applies to all of SCE's products. At this point, the Chinese government prohibits the sales of home-use game consoles, but we expects [sic] that the prohibition will be dropped.
So, if the sales of home-use game consoles is permitted in, for example, the free trade zone of Shanghai, it will create a big business opportunity. We have high expectations for that.
Finally, House spoke about the incredible library of titles that PS Vita TV will bring to the table, and mentioned how long the device had been in development at Sony:
At this point, more than 1,300 titles of games in various categories can be played. They have a wide price range, making it easy for users to buy them. With the lineup and prices, we can reasonably expect that the PS Vita TV will gain in popularity.
The PS Vita TV was developed mainly for those who have fun with contents with family members in a living room. The concept of the PS Vita TV was created in about August 2011, four months before the release of the PS Vita. After that, SCE discussed it many times and started the development of the PS Vita TV in earnest about a year ago.
We're sure the Vita TV will make its way to the US and Europe in the fullness of time — the positive reaction from western fans will have secured that, surely — but for the time being you'll have to look at importing a unit if you really want to get your hands on one.
[source videogamer.com]
Comments 31
Does they come with english launguage because I might buy 1 from Play Asia if they are not region locked and the price is not too high.
"We're sure the Vita TV will make its way to the US and Europe in the fullness of time"
Right after the West gets the PSX? (props to @MadchesterManc, it was his idea that inspired my lack of confidence)
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/09/sony_enters_the_micro_console_arena_with_ps_vita_tv_the_smallest_playstation_yet
Hey Damo is Sammy on vacation AGAIN? The guy posts every day for 5 years and then he turns into Derek Jeter.
FYI for non-sports fans everywhere:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2013/09/11/derek-jeter-yankees-injury-season-over/2801329/
I think, they'll realese it next year spring along with those new pesky Vitas.
I want it now, get it released over here before playTV and googleTV start taking up market share.
Sony are sooo slow sometimes.
This console makes a lot of sense but the fact that it plays Vita games is its strangest feature. No Vita games have local multiplayer and any vita game that uses the unique vita hardware will not be compatible. I guess its more of a "why not" play vita games scenario
@rjejr Sorry mate! Im still a little bitter about the PSX. When the Ps2 magazines were covering its launch at the time in Japan I actually started to save up for one :/ It sounded like such an awesome device back then & looked quite sexy. Took me about 15 months of denial to finally accept it wasn't coming westward lol I have a feeling the PsVita TV won't go the same way tho as these micro-smart-tv-android-apple-device-gizmo's tend to sell fairly well. Im interested in one, then again I was interested in the PSX lol
You can't really be to upset about it- we get ps4 3 months before Japan does. The PS vita TV is their consolation prize..
Well the press release says: "PS Vita TV will be available first in Japan
prior to any other regions, on November 14, 2013" [http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/130909c_e.pdf]
It could just be that they're referring to a release in China, but I won't be surprised to see the device appear in Western markets. It looks awesome.
@MadchesterManc - Yeah, sorry to poach on your earlier PSX post, but it seemed appropriate. I definitely remember all the coverage of the PSX and the promises of 1 box for DVR, cable, games, everything.
I finally bought one of these for about $500 to sit next to my PS2.
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMR-E80H-Progressive-Scan-Player-Recorder/dp/B00009KXA3
The thing still works, but since it's SD and the rest of my world is HD it doesn't get used much anymore.
This system I think could definitely find a nice audience here in the West but I'm not surprised it hasn't been made official yet. With PS3 still going strong, Vita already on the market and PS4 set to launch, there would just be too many 'PlayStations' at one time this holiday season and the success of PS4 is hugely important and Sony needs to focus strictly on advertising that right now. Mid-Januay after the holiday rush would be the time to announce the Vita TV, March or April the time to release it.
@Gamer83 Or E3 to be the time to announce it
Okay, don't forget that we get ps4 the next day, and Japan has to play freakin' psp games all winter. I wouldn't rather trade circumstances.
@lvnlavitaloca oops what he said
@charlesnarles and this is why I love this website so much more than Kotaku, IGN, 1Up etc... Everyone who comments on the articles here are so nice to each other.
@lvnlavitaloca I know right?
Anyway, I'm not fretting, I'm lucky enough to be able to import this as well. Going to be fun to see how the upscaling works.
But yeah this is a odd scenario for Sony.
Concentrate on the PS4, lose market to IOS/Android boxes or spam the market with PlayStation marked goods and just lose focus.
All I know is Sony really needs to release Vita TV in Europe and North America, and they'd be dumb not too.
I would buy a Vita TV at launch if it came over to the West
@lvnlavitaloca Agreed. When I tire of the flaming, trolling etc. etc. I like that when I come to this site people are making good points and are for the most part very polite and friendly. Plus the articles are very well written and the writer(s) participate in the discussion as well.
I want to get an actual Vita. I have been putting it off due to the PS4 launching but next year I plan on getting one (especially if the redesigned units make their way here) but if this drops here in the States, I might grab one of these first. I already have several Vita games on my PS+ account so I'll have those to play BUT the PS4/PS3 streaming HAS to work for me to get one.
I have the original Vita, and I don't think I want the redesign. You trade the OLED screen for a gig of storage and a smaller device at the same price. I like the screen.
@LDXD So far in japan both models are going for roughly $200 U.S. The OLED looks awesome. So much so that the OLED TVs go for about 5x the price of LCD.
@LDXD I am definitely excited for Vita TV. It looks like a nice piece of hardware.
Why keep the PS Vita TV out of the West? I believe this beauty will sell like crazy over here.
Will definitely pick this up when it comes to the States. I'm not sold on the Vita and having this as an option would give me access to it's very solid library (mainly Persona 4 Golden ).
I would presume a JP PS Vita would work in EU also.
How I ever I don't understand, why they don't have plans to releasing it in EU or US
Once this hits the states im buying it and the vita, it has pushed me to finally buy one, just as soon as vita t.v. comes out
I think they'd be preparing for apps for the device right now. To compete with Roku and Apple TV, they're going to need as many as they can get. It's not as big of a scene in Japan (or so I've heard, correct me if I'm wrong) so they wouldn't need as much support over there to garner interest.
Also, yeah, we're getting this. "No plans right now" basically means "we can't tell you yet"
@hydeks
Vita TV will be released in NA and Europe, it makes too much sense for Sony not to do it. First it has to make sure PS4 sells well out of the gate though, it can't afford to have that system flounder like PS3 did early on.
I just hope I can play Uncharted and Gravity Rush on this thing. I want it.
What crazyness is this...
@rjejr I'm back now.
@get2sammyb - Well that's more than Derek Jeter can say.
Only you would come back on a Sat. night. You're still young, shouldn't you be out at a pub? It's Sat. afternoon here and I'm going food shopping for my family of 4. Tonight I'll be cooking them dinner. Then we'll all watch DBZ, the Ginyu Force is about to show up, so at least there's that.
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