Japan PlayStation Vita sales at lowest ever weekly total

Although Gravity Rush Vita makes a splash.

Image credit: Eurogamer

News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief

Updated on Feb. 15, 2012

PlayStation Vita has floundered to its lowest ever week of hardware sales in Japan, according to new figures from chart company Media Create (via NeoGAF).

Sony sold just 13,939 Vita units from 6th to 12th February, despite the release of new Vita exclusive Gravity Daze.

Sony-developed Gravity Daze still managed to perform well, however. It secured second spot in the software chart with decent sales of 43,462 copies.

Vita's hardware numbers were low enough that it slipped back below weekly sales of the PSP. Vita's years-old portable predecessor shifted 15,860 hardware units, while new PSP game Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki claimed the software chart's top spot.

The PSP continues to be popular as it remains a well-supported platform, Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida explained this week to Venture Beat. "Looking very objectively at the market situation there in Japan, especially on the portable, PSP is still very popular. You can see, when you see the new software calendars, every month publishers are launching good product, new products on PSP.

"And also, they're still announcing new products coming later this year. PSP is still very alive, still a viable business platform for third-party publishers."

Too popular, perhaps?

Sales of Nintendo's previous handhelds have flatlined since the 3DS launched. Nintendo's portable pumped out another 67,558 units over the same weekly period, out-selling the rest of the console chart combined.

Japanese hardware chart 6-12th February