You Won’t Believe the Shocking Reason the PS Vita Failed According to Former PlayStation Boss

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Summary

  • The PS Vita struggled due to technical choices like proprietary memory cards and rear touchpad, according to Shuhei Yoshida.
  • Limited resources led to prioritizing PS4 over handheld projects, hindering PS Vita’s success.
  • Sony’s interest in returning to handheld space could lead to a new full-fledged console soon.

Shuhei Yoshida, former head of PlayStation, has explained several factors that contributed to the lackluster performance of the PlayStation Vita, contrasting its struggles with the resounding success of its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Launched in 2011, the PlayStation Vita experienced a period of weak sales before ultimately being phased out in 2019.

In the footsteps of Sony’s popular handheld gaming device, the PSP in 2004, the PS Vita faced a significant challenge in living up to its predecessor’s success but had enough initial momentum to do so. However, despite these advantages, the portable console failed to gain ground in the market and struggled with sales, selling only about 16 million units during its nine-year existence compared to the PSP’s sales of over 80 million units across an eleven-year span. Although the PS Vita didn’t achieve as much popularity as Sony hoped, a segment of the gaming community still grew attached to the device due to its impressive library of games. Five years after its discontinuation, Yoshida, who left Sony on January 15, 2025, has finally expressed his thoughts on why the handheld console did not succeed as planned.

Reflecting on my conversation with Kinda Funny Games, I can’t help but share insights about the PS Vita from the perspective of a dedicated fan. Despite generating interest in indie games like Velocity 2X, the PS Vita ultimately didn’t thrive as a whole. The PlayStation veteran, Yoshida, attributed this to several technical decisions that hindered the handheld’s success.

Firstly, he considered the use of a proprietary memory card as a misstep from the consumer’s perspective. Secondly, he felt the rear touchpad, while not essential, added significantly to the device’s production costs. Interestingly, these features were implemented at the expense of a video-out port that was present in the PS Vita devkit. Lastly, Yoshida emphasized that the timing of the PS Vita’s release, sandwiched between the final years of the PS3 and the initial years of the PS4, made it challenging for Sony to effectively split its PlayStation team to support both the handheld and the main console simultaneously.

Retired PlayStation Chief Explains Why the PS Vita Didn’t Meet Expectations

Speaking about the PS Vita’s difficulties, Yoshida pointed out that there simply weren’t enough resources available at PlayStation during that time because they didn’t have a large pool of talented individuals. This led to the company focusing more on the PS4 and creating games for their primary platform, which in turn impacted numerous projects intended for the handheld. Additionally, Yoshida expressed his fascination with PC-based handheld gaming devices in today’s market, specifically mentioning the products developed by GPD and Ayaneo as noteworthy examples.

It’s been suggested that Yoshida expressed doubts about managing two distinct platforms for PlayStation, but it’s possible the current management doesn’t hold the same view. For quite some time now, there have been whispers of Sony considering a comeback to the handheld console market. With PlayStation already hinting at a streaming-focused PS Portal, it seems imminent that they will eventually unveil a fully-fledged handheld console for the PS5 era.

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2025-01-16 19:23