Yoshida: "I think we can still pursue handheld market" with Vita

The president of SCE Worldwide Studios has perhaps for the first time admitted that question marks hang over the long-term future of PlayStation Vita.

The console has failed the replicate the (criminally under-reported) success of its predecessor and continues to sell in low numbers across most key territories.

However, speaking to CVG Shuhei Yoshida has admitted the he thinks” the machine still has a future in the handheld market.

"Yeah I think we can still pursue it, and I don’t think we have to make that decision now,” he stated.

"Also, the distinction between the portables and mobile is [blurring], because there are all kinds of hybrids, different form factors and operating systems can still be conceived, in terms of how we characterise portable and mobile. We still like PS Vita and we know people who buy it really like it."

That doesn’t sound like rock-solid backing, does it? Although it should be noted that Yoshida is that rare breed of exec who often chooses to actually answer the questions put to him rather than avoid issues with marketing sound-bites.

As CVG points out, Sony only expects combined PSP and Vita sales of 5m units in the current financial year. That’s down from the 7m sales it achieved in the previous fiscal term, and that itself was significantly short of the 16m sales it had previously predicted.

The machines managed only 600k sales in Sony’s most recent quarter.