Ever since the Playstation Vita debuted in 2012, it’s had issues. While the handheld games console found a fair amount of success in Japan, international demand sagged for the platform. And despite the advanced OLED screen and PlayStation 3-caliber graphics, and a competitive pricing model that placed it in direct opposition to the Nintendo 3DS, the console failed to gain the traction it needed to compete with Nintendo’s dominance in handheld gaming in western markets.
The PS Vita is still around six years on, but with only middling first-party support, the Japanese market was the only thing keeping the platform afloat, and now Sony has had enough.
According to a report from Famitsu, PlayStation vice president Hiroyuki Oda made the pronouncement that the Vita would stop all production of new units in 2019. It’s not too surprising, as the console is no longer manufactured for international markets already, it was only a matter of time until the console was phased out.
While Sony does continue to focus on the PS4, it looks like the legendary company is getting out of the handheld game for now. But don’t despair too much Playstation fans, the company is still going strong, and has even announced a mini Playstation Classics console for you retro gamers.