The latest Media Create sales numbers are out, spelling more bad news for the PlayStation Vita amidst continued strong sales from Nintendo's 3DS.
In its fourth week of availability, the Vita moved just 42,915 units. That's a slight improvement of last week, reversing a trend of sharp declines that's persisted since launch. Even still, the Vita finished behind every other active platform on the market (save for the perpetually unsuccessful Xbox 360) and even its own predecessor, the PSP.
These new figures bring the total number of Vitas sold up to just over 482,000, slightly lower than the half-million Sony claimed during their CES presser.
The 3DS by contrast, moved an impressive 240,819 units, up more than 20% from the previous figures.
As is frequently the case, the differing fortunes of the two handhelds can be attributed to software. The 3DS owned the top four slots in the software chart, with Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and Monster Hunter 3G all past the million sold mark. The Vita, by contrast, hasn't had a single game place in the top 20 since the week of its launch.
Still, the enduring sales strength of of the PSP and newfound success of the 3DS makes it clear that the Vita is hardly doomed for failure. If Sony can build up a strong library that appeals to Japanese gamers, the system's prospects will almost certainly turn around in the long run.
