While some PlayStation fans still hold out hope for a PS Vita follow-up, it seems Sony has counted itself out of that part of the business. Whether this serves as a permanent or short-term decision presently remains unknown. Yet, anyone clinging to the idea that another PlayStation handheld is on the way may want to set such desires aside for the time being.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO and President, Jim Ryan, hinted as much during an interview with Game Informer. In speaking to the publication about PlayStation’s 25-year history, the Sony boss made a statement that suggests PlayStation handhelds are on ice for the foreseeable future. Ryan told Game Informer: “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.”
In all fairness, Ryan’s words do not mean a portable PlayStation device will never see the light of day again. However, outside of hybrid consoles like the Nintendo Switch, will the market ever long for another handheld akin to the PlayStation Portable? For now, at least, the jury is still out.
The PlayStation Vita counts as the Sony brand’s last foray into the Nintendo-dominated handheld space. It hit store shelves in Japan in late 2011, before receiving an international launch in February 2012. After years of ups and downs, but mostly downs, Sony ended production of the device in Japan earlier this year. Still, the Vita is a machine well worth remembering fondly. There were plenty of gems, both big budget and indie, that helped the handheld stand out.
[Source: Game Informer]
