It seems that reports of the PlayStation Vita‘s demise have been pretty exaggerated. We learned that Sony was going to end the production of new physical PS Vita games in the west earlier this week. However, that looks to be the case only outside of Japan, where Sony has confirmed that the company will continue to support the handheld in its home country.
We reported several days ago that Sony planned to end all Vita GameCard production by end of the fiscal year 2018. This means that game stores will no longer stock any physical PS Vita games after March 2019. In light of this revelation, Japanese site GameSpark asked for clarification from Sony Interactive Entertainment in an interview, which was then translated by Siliconera.
PlayStation Vita: Digital Games Still Available In The West
Sony confirmed that the production of physical PS Vita games “in the Americas and European regions will end by March 2019.” However, it’s interesting to note that the company added: “Digital games distribution will continue.” It certainly looks like we were too quick in calling out the death of the handheld console, as PS Vita players will still be able to purchase games digitally.
PlayStation Vita: Physical Games Continue Production In Japan
When asked about Sony’s support for the PS Vita in Japan, the company simply said: “PlayStation Vita cartridge production will continue in Japan.” We received a more ambiguous answer to the next question on whether the handheld console itself will remain in production. “In Japan, users will get to continue enjoying the broad lineup of titles, and we currently plan to continue marketing activities,” Sony said.
That might bode well for the immediate future of the PS Vita as it maintains a significant presence in Japan. The handheld console has always been far more popular in its home country compared to international regions. Several notable major releases for the PS Vita include JRPGs like Persona 4 Golden and even an Uncharted spin-off game.
