The recently announced PS Vita TV may be a bit of an unusual gizmo, but it’s quickly becoming a desirable product for PlayStation fans. The miniscule machine includes the full PlayStation Vita operating system, but outputs to a television, allowing you to watch movies, enjoy select portable games on your plasma screen, and stream PlayStation 4 titles to another room. Despite all of this, the platform holder has been taken by surprise by the West’s response to the device.
Earlier in the week, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida told impatient consumers to “stay tuned” for release details overseas, and that’s something that SCEJ executive Masayasu Ito reiterated in a roundtable interview with Eurogamer.net earlier today. “Of course we’re thinking of launching it in North America and Europe,” he clarified. “But when it comes to the timing, we'll have to watch the environment and identify what other services are available.” Ito’s presumably referring to specific services for each region, such as the BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Jumping into the conversation, group gaffer Andrew House admitted that the company’s been very encouraged by the response to PS Vita TV overseas, but explained that it’s launching in Japan first because it feels that there’s a gap in the market. “There isn't really a competitor here that's staked out a claim,” he explained. “And frankly, in my own view, Japan is a little behind the adoption curve in video streaming services.”
That could be about to change, though, as the device has supposedly already sold out in Japan. As for Europe and North America, House agreed that there’s potential – but that the firm needs to carry out more research first. “The landscape is different elsewhere,” he said. “We need to look at each of those markets and how we approach them." In other words: cross every single appendage that you've got.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 17
It will come to the West.
They could release it over here with just You Tube and iPlayer apps and grow the services over time with updates. Every single comment I've read on this thing has been positive so I'm pretty sure that with just those plus the ability to play Vita games and do Cross Play it would still sell very well.
I think this would do very well in the us. Plenty of people would pay an extra $20 over a roku to have access to the PS Vita catalog.
I don't know why they're surprised, all over the net I see people asking if there is a way to connect their Vita to a TV.
@HeroOfCybertron - Yeah really Sony is surprised that Americans w/ our 50", 60" and 70" tvs want to play our Vita games on them? I'm not sure what there is to be surprised about.
As for competition, the Chromecast is only $35, so they may be talking about that.
http://www.amazon.com/Google-Chromecast-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B00DR0PDNE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379681431&sr=8-1&keywords=chromecast
The most desirable feature of Vita TV, is being able to stream PS4 content to an alternate TV, and plug in a DS4. It is worth the price for that alone.
I wish Sony would support the Chromecast with the Vita's Netflix and Youtube apps.
@rjejr chromecast? So can it stream ps4 or play ps vita games? Case closed. Rather buy another game
@Sanquine - There's a lot of things Chromecast can't do, and a lot of confusion.
How many people do you think would buy a Vita TV and think it streams from their Vita to their tv? A lot of unhappiness when they find out they can't use the front and rear touch controls or the camera.
Chromecast can't play Vita games? Well Vita tv can't play these Vita games either:
http://www.destructoid.com/impressions-ps-vita-s-free-ar-games-222526.phtml
And how is Vita tv going to play these games:
http://playstationstuff.co.uk/playstation-vita/ps-vita-games-that-use-the-rear-touchpad
There are only so many ports on peoples tvs, maybe Sony feels having Chromecasts and Apple TVs and Rokus plugged in is enough so people wouldn't want ANOTHER one. It has nothing to do w/ Chromecast being unable to stream Vita games. That thing can't even stream Android games.
Good point; Japan's a lot smaller in size and pop than all of Europe or USA. Way bigger bandwidth requirements etc. Don't worry, we get the real console anyhow! I'm really happy they're not making it exclusive to J
http://i4.minus.com/iblle2jDUvkaTu.png
I still may get it.
I like games on the big screen anyway.
If the Vita TV gets Roku/Apple TV like support then I am on board... I will need some TV watching/video streaming apps to make it worth the buy otherwise I will just get a real Vita and skip it. I'm getting a PS4 so I'll have my big screen gaming device. And while the remote play on a second big screen is definitely attractive I'd rather spend the extra $99 for a real Vita device and play on the go, on the couch or in bed with the Vita's smaller screen.
@rjejr Gamers, will buy it!
Well will the DS4 be useable w/VitaTV? If so then maybe thats a clue as to how the Vita TouchPad-based games will work.
@Malouff Chromecast won't let you plug in a DS4 and play.
Sony would be a fool not to consider a western release of PS Vita TV, since it's a amazing to sell Vita games to Anti-Handheld ppl
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