PlayStation TV, known in Japan as PlayStation Vita TV, is not doing so well. Just last week in its home country, it sold a disappointing 678 units, according to chart tracker Media Create. Rather than let the PS TV rot on shelves, Sony seems to have plans to boost interest in the ailing microconsole. It's just too bad this particular plan is likely the most short-sighted idea in the company's entire history.
According to the Japanese news site Inside-Games as translated by NeoGAF, Sony will be releasing Dekavita 7 in Spring 2015. What is Dekavita 7? It's a controller shell for PS TV that has its own built-in monitor, turning the combined unit into a handheld machine that greatly resembles the Wii U GamePad. It has a 7" screen and a 5-hour battery life, and since it sports an HDMI connection in the back, it can be used as an external monitor and controller for the PS3.
In other words, Dekavita 7 turns a PS TV, itself a non-portable model of PS Vita, back into a portable. A portable which, by the way, is not compatible with the entire Vita library as it lacks the front and rear touch panels. Oh, and the shell itself will cost 23,000 yen (about $199), although its pre-order price has been discounted to 19,800 yen (about $171), and it still requires a PS TV to function. Meanwhile, an actual PS Vita in Japan currently costs just over 19,000 yen.
Sony has found a way to make an ill-selling product even less attractive while at the same time increasing the price astronomically. It's quite amazing.
