If you check the Japanese official page of PS Vita, you’ll notice the description indicates that new shipments for the portable console will be ending “in the next few days”. Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Senior Vice President Hiroyuki Oda had already confirmed in September 2018 that PlayStation Vita will see its production end in 2019, with no successor planned, and it seems now the time is coming. That’s just a guess, but production will probably be stopping in April 2019, at the start of the new fiscal year.
It is true that very few games still release on PlayStation Vita in the west anymore for months now. While some games in Japan got their Vita version canceled, like Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, usually only their western Vita version doesn’t make the cut, like with Catherine: Full Body.
It is undeniable Nintendo Switch has already taken over multiple series or niches that released on PS Vita these last few years. The next Super Robot Wars console game is coming to PS4 and Switch instead of PS Vita. Same with the next Omega Labyrinth game. Many classic visual novels (Planetarian, Clannad) are getting ported to Switch with their English translations, and some newer, PS Vita VNs like Our World is Ended are getting remakes on Switch. You’ve got Phantasy Star Online 2’s Switch Cloud version as a portable replacement too. Most of Idea Factory’s new otome games are coming to Switch too. However, PS Vita is still quite alive in Japan, with multiple niche games still going to release on it in 2019. For example, two games I’m looking forward to this year are releasing on Vita: Kenka Banchou Otome 2nd Rumble!!, coming exclusively on PS Vita on March 14, and Eve Rebirth Terror, releasing on both PS4 and Vita on April 25.
Even though shipments will end soon, PS Vita will keep going for a bit in Japan and keep getting niche games for a while. But even in Japan, PS Vita has now entered the beginning of its end.
Following the initial September 2018 announcement, many developers had already announced their final western releases on PS Vita, like NIS America.
The PS Vita launched in December 2011 in Japan and February 2012 outside the Archipel. It will be remembered by many as a pretty good portable machine, with a nice lineup especially when it comes to niche Japanese games.
The post PS Vita is Ending Production “in the Next Few Days” by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.