Apparently there are still dedicated gamers out there. Sony stated on Tuesday that the Vita is exceeding its expectations and over 1.2 million units have sold worldwide. The Vita hit the U.S. and European market last week after launching in Japan in the middle of December 2011. Sony announced in early January at CES that only 500k Vitas sold in its home market. Many pundits and outlet stated the Vita was dead on arrival, citing casual gaming on smartphones and tablets as the killer. But don’t count the Vita out yet. It’s alive and kicking.
We found the Vita to be a satisfying device. The screen is wonderful and the possibilities nearly endless with dual analog sticks, a navigation pad, shoulder buttons, motion controls and dual touchscreens including one on the Vita’s backside. It’s impressive — at least in theory.
But it still feels like the last of its kind. The launch titles consist of a good deal of ports of smartphone games. The apps are limited, the 3G limited to AT&T, and the battery life sucks. However, the Vita is only fighting the Nintendo 3DS in the dedicated gaming space, a fight Sony no doubt feels the Vita can.