Japanese Vita Sales Continue to Plunge, Drop Below 20,000

Given recent reports, it's hardly a surprise to hear that the PlayStation Vita is still struggling to move units in Japan, but the latest Media Create sales numbers (via Andriasang) paint an exceedingly grim picture for Sony's new handheld.

During the week of January 9 through 15, the Vita sold just 18,361 units, a drop of 57% over last week's figures and the system's lowest numbers yet. While all systems saw drops this week, the Vita remained in fourth place overall, behind the 3DS, PS3, and its own predecessor, the PSP.

Since launch, the Vita has only seen its sales numbers rise once, with the modest 300 unit bump it received during the first week of 2012.

With the Vita failing to pick up steam in Japan, Sony will no doubt be looking to the system's Western launch to make up a lot of ground. The Vita launches in North America and Europe on February 22, and in Australia on February 23.