Japanese Vita Sales Plunge in Second Week

The latest batch of Media Create sales rankings (as translated by NeoGAF) paint a grim picture for Sony's recently released PlayStation Vita. Following launch figures that were slightly below expectation, Vita sales plummeted sharply in the handheld's sophomore week, down to just 72,479 units.

Those numbers — a 78% drop over launch — reflect the lowest second-week sales of any console in history. If you're wondering just how bad things really are for the Vita, the brand new system was outsold by the PSP, its seven-year-old predecessor.

That kind of decline would look bad under any circumstances, but it's made worse by the fact that the period in question was the week leading up to Christmas. While the holiday might not be as popular in Japan as it is in Western countries, the holiday season still provides a boost to retail sales, as evidenced by the strong showing of other consoles.

Nintendo's 3DS, by comparison, had its single highest sales week ever, moving a whopping 482,200 units. Bolstered by an increasingly robust catalog that now includes Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and Monster Hunter 3G, the 3DS has now sold more than 4 million units in Japan alone.

As apocalyptic as this news might seem for Sony, there are a few glimmers of hope here. First off, there's a chance that the Vita's plunge could be attributed, at least in part, to supply issues. While the reported sales are about 100,000 units shy of the half-million that have shipped to retailers, Media Create figures aren't broken down by SKU. If the cheaper Wi-Fi only model is proving hard to come by and people are reluctant to shell out more money for the 3G-equipped Vita, they might be holding out for another shipment.

Secondly, the Vita's launch lineup might be holding it back. At the moment, there are very few standout games, and even fewer geared towards the tastes of the Japanese market. While that not seem like a comforting thought, the 3DS has seen its sales skyrocket with an improved software library, and the Vita might pull into a similar trajectory as more quality franchises hit the system.

For the time being, though, it looks like Sony will have to count on a much stronger showing when the Vita launches in North America and Europe on February 15.