It’s no secret that the PlayStation Vita has had its fair share of problems on the general market in the last eighteen months. From mobile competition – such as iOS and Android gaming – and a perceived shortage of games, the handheld has struggled to gain a viable audience in the way Sony would’ve wanted. With that said, according to Fergal Gara, managing director of PlayStation UK, the company has reason to be optimistic about the hardware’s future.
“Vita had a good summer, the Mega Pack is one of the things that has boosted performance by more than 100 per cent. It’s now in growth year-on-year. And you’ve seen several pieces of news at Gamescom which will only help. So that means we can feel optimistic.”
Gara largely attributes this surge in sales to the Mega Pack bundle; a package that includes 8 fully-fledged Vita games and an 8GB memory card for £33.99. It was these bundles in particular that Sony focused on during their Gamescom press conference last month, even announcing a new Sports & Racing Mega Pack that became available just recently in the European territory.
Crucial to the PlayStation Vita’s existing success, though, is the significant price drop, which lowered the asking price for the portable console to £140 in the region ($199 in North America). Not only that, Sony seems to be pushing the Remote Play functionality as a major advantage for the hardcore gamer, stating that all of the 32 PS4 launch titles will be accessible on the Vita through the use of the Remote Play feature.
It’s been a tough eighteen months on the market for the PlayStation Vita, and by no means does this current sales boon signal the end of its misfortunes. But with a stellar category of upcoming indie titles, that vital, aforementioned price drop and a new optimism from Sony, it’s hard to deny the device’s humble resurgence.
What do you think? Do you believe the PlayStation Vita will always be perceived as a dedicated gaming handheld? Or do you foresee the more casual consumers being lured in by the lower RRP? Give us your thoughts below.