SCE Boss: 3DS Sales Prove Demand for Gaming Portables

Sure, Japanese PlayStation Vita sales might be down in the dumps these days, but Sony Computer Entertainment head Andrew House isn't worried one bit. Why? Because his competition is doing so well.

Odd as it might sound, House told the Official PlayStation Blog that the recent success of the 3DS is a very good portent for the Vita, as it proves there's still ample room for a dedicated gaming handheld in the age of smartphones.

"Normally, we don't really reference the competition a lot when we talk about the PlayStation business, but in this case it's perhaps a little salutory that the sales of the 3DS — having the advantage of releasing a little bit ahead of us — have been exceedingly good. I think that shows that there is, in general, a lot of demand for a gaming-primary portable device."

As you'd expect, House's kind words towards Nintendo were short-lived, and he went explain the things he believed would eventually give the Vita leg up over the 3DS.

"Our device, in contrast, has just so much more to offer. What I think we've done is point to a market that really has started out with potentially casual games on other devices, but now wants a deeper or better or more premier gaming experiences."

The Vita launches in the US and Europe on February 22.