PS Vita Off to a Slow Start in Japan
By Kyle Mann | December 28, 2011 | News | No comments | Share
While the PS Vita packs enormous hardware advantages over its competitors, including a quad-core processor and a 5-inch OLED 960×544 display, its second week on sale in Japan was disappointing for Sony. The big Christmas sales push resulted in only 72,479 units sold, nearly 80% lower than the console’s first week on store shelves. That’s certainly troubling news for Sony.
For comparison’s sake, the Nintendo 3DS sold close to 210,000 units its second week in stores and 482,200 units last week. Even the aging PSP, Wii, and PS3 managed to outsell the sleek piece of hardware, as the Vita did not sell through its initial 500,000 unit shipments. Even though it seems rough for older hardware to be outpacing a hot new item, remember that Nintendo’s had a great software holiday with Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Monster Hunter 3G for its handheld. In contrast, Sony didn’t have an abundance of highly sought-after software for the Japanese market in time for launch.
Don’t get all glum though, as the Vita still has plenty of time to make up ground. The 3DS got off to a relatively slow start over its first few month, but has been able to turn things around with strong software and a big price cut. A similar price drop could things around for Sony as well but is unlikely due to the unit’s high cost and expensive hardware.
