Sony has confirmed that it is thinking of launching its PlayStation Vita TV microconsole in Europe and the US, and has hinted at one of the extra features that might be incorporated.
When Sony unveiled the PlayStation Vita TV earlier in the month, it created a lot of positive feedback. Here was a tiny 6 x 10cm console that could play PS Vita and PSP games on your TV, as well as streaming video content like Apple TV, all for just £60.
However, Sony soon put a dampener on Western enthusiasm for the PS Vita TV by revealing that it was intended for Japan only, and wouldn’t be coming to the UK, US and Europe “at this point.”
Now a Sony representative has injected new hope into the possibility of a wider PS Vita TV launch in the not-too-distant future. We now know that the company is giving serious thought to the matter, including which additional features would be necessary for such an expansion.
Speaking to Engadget, Sony Computer Entertainment’s SVP and division president of Business Division 1 (now that’s a mouthful) Masayasu Ito revealed Sony’s surprise at the strong reaction to the PS Vita TV from outside of Japan.
“During the presentation yesterday, the European / American users showed a very strong response, more than we expected, and there has been a strong inquiry / request / demand that they want the product,” he said.
“Of course we are thinking of launching in the EU and US,” Ito added, “but in terms of timing we have to watch the timing and watch the environment carefully.”
If that sounds like the same depressingly vague line from Sony, then what Ito said next is far more encouraging. He expanded on some of the areas Sony was looking at addressing for a potential overseas launch, or as Ito put it, “If we have to add further services or not.”
“It’s not that we have decided,” he elaborated, “but cloud gaming services, how can we work on that? So we are looking at each of the possible items before launching in Europe or the United States.”
Given Sony’s ownership of Gaikai, the cloud-based gaming service that will eventually enable the PS4 to stream games over the internet, this is an interesting prospect. A Spotify-like subscription service for streaming unlimited console games on a £60 console, anyone?
Next, read our pick of the best games of 2013.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
