ps vita production

Time to Say Goodbye, as Sony Will Halt PS Vita Production Soon in Japan

In September 2018, SIE Vice President Hiroyuki Oda announced that plans were underway to halt PlayStation Vita production in 2019. Sadly, it seems such a time is nearly upon us. Production of the handheld could end in Japan in the next few months. According to Gematsu, product pages for the final two Vita SKUs in production in Japan (Black and Aqua Blue) note: “shipments are scheduled to end soon.”

While an official end date remains publicly unknown, it’s possible the PS Vita will go dark before the summer months begin. As Gematsu reported, prior to the end of PlayStation 3 production in May 2017, a notice similar to the one mentioned above had been posted two months previous. That in mind, saying goodbye to the Vita may come sooner, rather than later in the year.

Despite getting all of Sony’s love and attention for a relatively brief period of time, the PS Vita lived a long, promising life. The handheld hit Japanese store shelves in December 2011, two months ahead of the device’s February 2012 launch in the West.

Unfortunately, it appears this may be Sony’s last go at the handheld space for the foreseeable future. When revealing the end of Vita production, Oda also explained, “currently, we do not have any plans regarding a new handheld device.” It seems that going forward, hardware-wise at least, the company’s focus will be squarely on its home consoles and the PlayStation VR.

PS Vita owners shouldn’t fret much, however. Firmware updates for the handheld still go live every so often. Plus, Vita support of some kind, according to SIE CEO John Kodera, is planned until at least 2020.

[Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment via Gematsu]

TRENDING
X