There are rumors going around that Sony is planning a big price drop for the Vita, down to $89 from $199. That certainly sounds like they plan on discontinuing the system, after nearly two years of being on life support.
During Sony’s 2015 Investor Relations Day, Sony’s Andrew House labeled the PS Vita a “legacy platform”. Yes, in the same way that the PS2 and PS1 and PSP are considered legacy. The language here is clear: Sony no longer considers the PS Vita to be a product worth supporting.
That has been clear since their first party output for the Vita fell off a cliff after the release of Killzone Mercenary in 2013. Sony just doesn’t seem to care about making more original Vita content, likely moving most of their handheld projects either to PS4 or mobile.
This statement comes directly from Sony to their investors. Its the real deal folks. “Legacy” isn’t a term you use to describe something with a bright or even mildly lit future. This is Sony’s super-nice-please-don’t-get-mad way of telling fans and investors that they’re done with the PS Vita.
Perhaps they’ll continue to milk the Vita for a little more in Japan but I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a Japan only device. There is little reason to ship any units to NA or EU, even as they’ve repackaged it as a PS4 accessory. The PSTV probably doesn’t have much longer on store shelves either but I’m sure Sony will wait to kill it off a bit longer.
What do you think of Sony labeling the Vita a “legacy” console? Do you think that’s the end of the system in the west, if not altogether across the globe? While I’m sure some developers will still release some indie titles, it looks like Sony considers the Vita a thing of the past. Do you interpret this as Sony officially axing the Vita or is this “legacy” comment being taken for too much? Is there a silver lining here?
