The PlayStation 4 may be the hottest gaming machine on the planet right now, but similar praise can't be directed towards Sony's other current-gen platform: PlayStation Vita. The follow-up to the PSP hasn't been the slam dunk that Sony had hoped for, leading to less focus on the handheld during trade shows like E3 and gamescom. In fact, some fans and media pundits believe that Sony may be trying to phase out the Vita entirely. Quite the opposite, claims Sony UK Managing Director Fergal Gara.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Gara states that even though the Vita isn't panning out exactly as planned, it's still enjoying steady sales. Sony has repositioned the machine as a companion device to PS4 and has carved a little niche where smaller indie titles and less high-profile titles can flourish. As Gara explains:
We're seeing a bit of reflected glory from PS4. So there is a traction in Remote Play, and we see the numbers there. But it's more than that. It's just found its niche. It's not the biggest niche in the world, and we've been fairly open about talking about it entered a crowded landscape with many other devices providing some sort of handheld fulfilment. But for those who want that more specialist device and a more specialist experience, it does a damn good job, and therefore it trucks along quite nicely.
The company has high hopes for the upcoming Vita version of Minecraft, as well as child-friendly properties like Lego Batman 3. What you won't see, however, are any more big "console-like" titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss or Killzone: Mercenary, at least not out of Sony's internal studios.
In short, Vita isn't going anywhere, but neither is Sony going to sweat too much about pushing it beyond where it currently stands. It's a shame that Sony is content to leave such a robust device in its current comfort zone, but with all the PS4 money rolling in, I doubt anyone is losing much sleep.