The Sony PS Vita is a solid effort by Sony to try and capture the handheld market, which last we checked seemed to be dominated by the Nintendo 3DS, thanks to its host of strong first-party titles and huge library. However could Sony be slowly letting the PS Vita die and fade into obscurity?
While we can’t say that with certainty, a report from Dutch website Tweakers (via Attack of the Fanboy), they are reporting that sales of the PS Vita in the Netherlands have stopped. The publication has reached out to many retailers around the country, many of whom have replied claiming that there are new PS Vita units in stock or arriving anytime soon.
Sony’s rep in the Netherlands gave a comment when asked about it, only going as far as saying, “Nothing to report,” although the lack of denial could also be taken as a form of quiet admission. However note that the PS Vita is still being sold in other parts of Europe and the world, so maybe it could just be the Netherlands that aren’t getting new stock.
At the same time, we reported last year that Sony did not have plans for a PS Vita successor and that if you wanted one, you might have to wait a while. SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida admitted that mobile games are becoming more popular given that many people already own a smartphone, not to mention some games on mobile devices are free, thus lowering the barrier of entry.