Side Quest, Episode 37: Why Did PlayStation Vita Fail? (And Why Does Nintendo Switch Succeed?)

Thank you for your support. Welcome back!

Colin Moriarty

Glad to be back as a Patron of Colin. Great content and happy to be able to support him again. See you all on the boards!

Brandon Kirzeder

Thank you for watching! And I agree... why cede any hill to your competitor?

Colin Moriarty

I recently recorded a podcast episode on the mobile market. It seems crazy to think that both Sony and Microsoft would just concede the entire market to Nintendo. Especially considering that Microsoft is working to make Xbox more of a platform that a console. Why not push the idea that with the Xbox platform you can play on a console, PC or handheld? Thanks for the great content.

Joshua Holt

It was terrible. Just a way to make more money. Especially strange since they were apparently clearing almost $100 in profit per Vita sold, as-is.

Colin Moriarty

I truly believe a new PlayStation handheld is possible.

Colin Moriarty

If Sony cared about it, they would have made its PS4 integration a central component of selling it. Why they didn't do that is literally anyone's guess.

Colin Moriarty

LOL.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you! Shoutout to GBA. Awesome handheld.

Colin Moriarty

It was a runaway problem. You're definitely right.

Colin Moriarty

I concur. I was shocked that Golden Abyss didn't make the jump to console (though it was in the cards for a time, as far as I understand).

Colin Moriarty

For $500, they could make a beast of a handheld. But that's twice as much as any handheld should cost, max.

Colin Moriarty

I don't sell hardware, ever.

Colin Moriarty

It's certainly very confusing. It's not even like they treated it like it didn't exist. They treated it like it didn't matter. And that's somehow way worse.

Colin Moriarty

It may need to be, but I don't know that it CAN be.

Colin Moriarty

Those proprietary memory cards were truly ruthless.

Great episode , I'm still happy I got my vita ! Having it for Uncharted golden abyss and kill zone mercanary alone was worth it ! I think the release of the switch and it's a success is a very good thing , maybe Sony will see that success story and learn from it and give us the vita 2 .......hey a guy can dream can't he ;-) anyway very much enjoyed the episode and can't wait for sacred symbols tommorrow

Matthew Perry

I love the Vita. I got it a few months after it came out. You made some really good points especially about using it to play PS4 games. It is an underrated feature that I used a lot. Sony just screwed it up, and I love the Switch but it just isn't the same.

strawhatninja

“I’ve given you the Vita now it’s up to you to keep it.” Ben Franklin circa 2011. Alas we couldn’t keep it. RIP Vita. You were too beautiful for this world.

Josh in Tampa

Great episode Colin. I love my Vita dearly and it’s right behind the GBA as my favorite handheld console of all time... but damn those fucking memory cards

Craig Carter

The memory cards really did them wrong. When a console starts to fail, stores start carrying less stock of the games. This was pretty noticeable at my local Targets. And physical games were the only way to avoid memory card troubles. So with stores carrying less games, and memory cards being expensive, you had people buying less games for their vitas way more early on compared to other failed consoles. Nobody wanted to buy a second memory card. And that internet speed was piss poor too, even compared to the PS3. I wish it could have done well. The decision to not do a video out accessory with that og port at the top of the system also hurt them. It could have been what the switch is today. I feel like there are talks at Sony about a new handheld, but some people there are just not convinced. I don't blame them.

Nicholas Swanson

Haha Near 👎

Tony Colton

Thank you! Yes.

Colin Moriarty

It's never too late to grab one!

Colin Moriarty

Indeed.

Colin Moriarty

Love my Oled Vita such a great console and Uncharted was a AAA experience that deserved more love like it's PS3/PS4 brothers.

Alex Tittensor

Could a handheld be made powerful enough with a good battery at a decent price now($500)? I haven’t picked up the switch yet so the vita is my go to road gamer and it’s feeling very long in the tooth these days.

James Galos

I could never let go of my vita, it will retire to the bookshelf but shall remain in my possession.

I love Vita. I got mine in early 2014, solely based on hearing about it all the time by you and the rest of the Beyond crew. I got two games along with it, Dragon’s Crown and Need for Speed Most Wanted. I’ve put well over 150 hours into Dragon’s Crown since, and have enjoyed many other games (Velocity Ultra FTW!). What I just can’t seem to understand is why Sony just let it die like they did....that’s just so strange to me. I wonder if there would’ve been a difference if they waited to launch it a year later, so that they could talk more about its functionality with PS4 as far as remote play, etc. I’ve used Remote Play many many times, and it was and is so cool to be in a hotel hundreds of miles away from home and still be able to hop onto Destiny and have a decent experience. Such a shame it didn’t catch on like it should’ve.

Zack E

I loved my Vita. I got it in summer of 2012 and just recently finally traded it in to go towards a PS4 Pro. Resogun, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Person 4: Golden, Gravity Rush, Freedom Wars... if Sony just made a real effort to support it. BTW I never knew what the fuck Near was either.

Alex Ball

The success of nintendo portables was the variety of games for every type of person from kids to grandparents, and pokemon. Vita needed to be more than for hardcore gamers.

Hose A Contra Razz

Another great episode Colin. A topic that I've wanted you to cover for a while. You've said in the past that you think Sony are fucking crazy enough to go again on the handheld front with a successor to Vita. Do you still think they are bat shit crazy?

Tony Colton

Looking forward to this. I've never had one but I know it has a cult following.

Marcus Brown

Oh Vita, you had so much potential <3

Jon Cordeiro