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PSP Says B-Y-E As Sony Discontinues Handheld In Japan
The PSP has sold close to 80 million units worldwide, and as it nears its 10th birthday, it’s time to say goodbye. Sony, which has already discontinued shipments to North America, is sunsetting the system at home.
The Vita hasn’t found the same success yet, and Sony has been quiet on sales numbers. The company did share that sales of the handheld spiked 163 percent following the launch of the PlayStation 4, but without a baseline for comparison, that statistic is hard to contextualize. Sony has admitted recently (via an interview in Play) that the Vita has not lived up to expectations and likely won't reach the PSP's level of success.
Our Take
The spirit of the PSP lives on in the Vita (or at least the games that work on it). I’m still hopeful that Sony will put some muscle behind its handheld, but without marquee first-party titles, I fear it will be relegated to companion device status rather than a platform with its own legs. For more, check out an analysis piece on Vita.
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