We all knew it was coming. Sony's ill-fated handheld has been winding down slowly, but the PS Vita has continued to sell relatively well in Japan. However, in 2019, the platform holder will be pulling the plug on production in Japan.
This comes from a report issued by Famitsu, which Gematsu has translated. Sony Interactive Entertainment senior vice president Hiroyuki Oda confirmed to the Japanese publication that Sony will stop making the portable console next year. "In Japan, we will manufacture PlayStation Vita until 2019. From there, shipping will end."
Oda also commented on whether a new Sony handheld is on the way. In short, there isn't -- not right now, at least. "Currently, we do not have any plans regarding a new handheld device," he told Famitsu.
So there you have it. The PS Vita is being phased out in Japan, and Sony isn't interested in a follow-up. Again, it's not exactly a surprise, but it'll surely come as disappointing news to some.
[source gematsu.com]
Comments 20
One of the best handhelds ever created.
A valiant run for an excellent device that should have been dead and buried three or four years ago. We will miss you!
they were still making it. wow
Hopefully they will still support it for a good few years to come.
You know that music in Predator... When Mac is saying his goodbye to Blain... ðŸ˜
I almost want to snag a back up to have for the inevitable day that my original OLED 3G Vita dies. I still have games on it that I want to play.
If they don't want to keep supporting the Vita, they might as well port every Vita exclusives to the console then, like Soul Sacrifice, Freedom Wars, Oreshika, Killzone Mercenaries, Uncharted Golden Abyss, to name a few.
I love Killzone Mercenaries and Soul Sacrifice, and it would be very disheartening if they suddenly shut down their online support. Especially when the former is the only good shooter on the Vita.
@Th3solution I've been thinking the same of late.
Battery life hasn't dropped off massively yet and the cell is replaceable easily enough. But should something happen... 😲
Was thinking about near the other day. It really was a great idea. Streetpass was better implemented in lost ways - but I miss getting stuff through it.
@get2sammyb
*could have.
Never forget the power of the could!
@crazykcarter They'll probably do what they did with the PSP and force use of the store through a browser.
@Neolit Very wise!
Well despite Sony's best efforts (or lack of) the Vita survived a lot longer than predicted and is still getting new releases, if not the AA titles we were promised at the start. I'll keep using mine until the console (or more likely the memory card) dies because it's a lot better than the overrated 2DS.
Goodnight, sweet prince.
(port Persona 4 Golden to PS4)
No more life for the Vita. Rest in peace, I hardly knew ye.
i really have to look after my vita with care now that production has stopped, the prices will go sky high now including the memory cards.
@KALofKRYPTON they really need to add vita support on the ps4 i've been saying this for a long while, the fact that in order to transfer games to the console you have to use a ps3 to transfer them is frustrating.
@huyi You can use content manager from a PC too.
I haven't played my Vita for the last 3 or 4 month at all. But then again I haven't played many games at all this year compared to just 2 years ago.
It just seems time has finally caught up to me and I'm now so much out of sync with the general gaming taste, that there simply seems to be next to nothing of the new stuff coming out, that appeals to me (I will get REMake 2 though).
I will however return to the Vita and 3DS from time to time to replay some the classics (AND my backlog). I might even seldomly return to some of the best games on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but I doubt I will buy many (if any) new games in the future.
Does it bother me? Not really; I save money and I believe I have enough classics to scratch my gaming itch from time to time.
@KALofKRYPTON i hardly ever used it, once or twice at most, it seems to be a bit buggy on newer windows versions and hasn't been updated in a while too.
I'm still waiting for them to port over Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Persona 4 Golden to PS4...nothing else on Vita I care to play.
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