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PSP2, Switch 2 and an Xbox handheld... a brighter portable future?

PS Vita sales show one thing, it should have launched in US/Europe first

The latest Japanese sales figures show the PS Vita dropping to a new low, while the PSP charges happily on, with a PSP game at No. 1 and lots of high quality titles still to come for the older format. Which means pretty much one thing:

Sony should have launched the Vita in the west first where there is next-to-no demand for the PSP. Sure there is only a couple of months in it between launch dates, but the western market is far more likely to have lapped up the portable with high profile titles like Uncharted likely to appeal to the western audience.

Sony will never admit it screwed up, but unless the Vita gets a serious rebound in Japan thanks to the likes of Ragnarok and Tales of Innocence, there will be increasing questions about a price cut, which will stall sales further.

And now, in the west, Sony is launching at around the same time as the iPad 3 and Samsung's new tablet which will attract a whole lot more media attention and if Apple does play its gaming gambit, with big name titles from console developers, the whole portable ship could sink on launch.

Sure, this is a long-term game for Sony, but impressions are everything and you really have to question the value of a decision where your shiny new product is selling less than a quarter of what your seven-year old one does. If there ever is a next time, Sony - launch here first! Back in December, its biggest new competition would have been the Kindle Fire - no contest! Thoughts and opinion welcome on this one.

Currently playing on my Vita/PS4/PS5