The PlayStation Vita is probably dead — at least for now.
Game Informer recently ran a massive article to celebrate 25 years of PlayStation. Sony's foray into the console gaming market started off a bit shaky, but they soon catapulted to the top of the industry and successfully released four core gaming consoles (upgrades and sidegrades notwithstanding).
While Sony's done well with consoles, their take on the handheld market hasn't gone so hot. With the development of PlayStation Vita games all but nonexistent and little to no news about future developments, many had wondered whether or not Sony was giving up on making any more handheld consoles. For now, the answer seems to be a rather disappointing "yes".
PlayStation Vita: 'A Business We're No Longer In Now'
The fate of the PlayStation Vita more or less boils down to the following quote in the Game Informer piece.
"PlayStation Vita was brilliant in many ways, and the actual gaming experience was great, but clearly it’s a business that we’re no longer in now." — Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan
Sony execs were "reluctant" about getting into the handheld space in the first place. Nintendo absolutely dominated the scene — although competitors like the Game Gear and NEO GEO had popped up over the years, none of them had managed to maintain the momentum of the Game Boy and 3DS handheld console lines, both of which are now redundant with the release of the Nintendo Switch.
Ken Kutaragi more or less anticipated the rise of the smartphone and he had his concerns about whether or not Sony making a portable console was a worthwhile endeavor. After several iterations over the last decade and a half, it seems that the answer is a regrettable "no".
What do you think of Sony getting out of the handheld business? Do you think we'll see the return of something like the PlayStation Vita from Sony? Let us know in the comments below!
