Sony’s next-generation portable game machine, the PlayStation Vita, won’t be available in the US or Europe in time for Christmas – a crucial sales period for game console makers.
Expectations had been high the machine would be ready worldwide for the year-end holiday shopping season. Sony earlier promised a “phased global rollout” starting late this year.
Sony Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai said Thursday the PlayStation Vita will go on sale by the end of the year in Japan, and early next year in the US and Europe.
Koki Shiraishi, electronics analyst for Daiwa Securities Capital Markets in Tokyo, said missing Christmas was a serious setback, especially overseas.
“That’s when you do half your year’s sales,” he said. “This is going to prove painful for Sony.”
Hirai did not characterise the timing as a delay, but said Sony wants to be prepared with solid game software offerings timed with the hardware launches.
