Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has elaborated on comments about Sony's handheld strategy, arguing the company should have released a PlayStation Portable 2 instead of the Vita. He said the Vita included too many new features that raised costs and reduced sales.
Layden told Eurogamer that a PSP2 would have simply added a second analogue stick to the original PSP design. He noted the main complaint about the PSP was its single stick, which became frustrating after players grew used to dual sticks on PlayStation consoles.
The Vita added features such as a back touch panel, an OLED screen and proprietary memory cards, Layden said. These raised production costs without enough added value for buyers, he argued, and broke compatibility with existing PSP media.
Layden also discussed Sony's recent decision to close the Vita and PlayStation 3 online stores. He described it as a financial choice driven by low activity rather than a plan to limit access to older games.
PSP lifetime sales exceeded 76.4 million units by 2012, while Vita sales estimates range from 10 to 15 million. Layden left Sony in 2019 after 32 years.
