No More Physical Copies of PS Vita Games? It Seems Like Sony is Heading That Way

It appears that we may not see new physical copies of games for Sony’s handheld PS Vita soon, according to a report that was found on the internet.

No More Physical Copies of PS Vita Games?

Sony’s latest handheld, the PS Vita, has had quite the history over the past few years. While the system continues to enjoy support from audiences seeking Japanese titles and indie games, the stream of new, physical releases for the title seem to be coming to an end.

According to a report from Kotaku, Sony appears to be ramping down the production of physical game cards for the PS Vita by next year, putting a beginning to the end of new releases at retail for the handheld, as confirmed to the outlet through a Sony spokesperson.

This news comes from a reported message to developers from the American and European divisions of Sony that plans to “end all Vita GameCard production by close of fiscal year 2018.” As Sony’s fiscal year will end on 31st March 2019, Kotaku indicates that “final purchase orders” for physical games for the Vita will be taken through February 2019. At that point, the production of new physical game cards for the PS Vita will end.

While this means that physical games for the PS Vita will be rare to find, Kotaku noted that Sony will continue to support the digital distribution of PS Vita games through PlayStation Network. This should at least give PS Vita owners some peace of mind that games will still come for the system for the time being, such as the recent news of Stardew Valley‘s upcoming release for the system.

Though Sony has not officially (or publicly) announced details on the future of physical game cards for the PS Vita, this indication isn’t exactly a surprise given how the handheld gaming machine has performed in the market in its 6 year lifespan.

Since its launch in 2012, Sony has largely relegated the handheld to a secondary device compared to its more popular home consoles. Despite Sony withdrawing official support from the handheld over the years, it did find a small but passionate audience through its diverse array of Japanese games and RPGs, niche titles, and indie games.

Source: Kotaku

Pokdepinion: Well, it makes sense that for something that’s meant to be easy to use and bring around for it to solely rely on digital downloads. Memory cards aren’t expensive anymore anyway. However, I don’t think the handheld will last long at this point and perhaps, we can look forward to a new one by Sony sometime in the future.