The weekly ad chronicles sales for the week of August 18 through August 24, so whether or not the Vita will continue being only $199 past the 24th remains to be seen. The Vita did receive a price drop in Japan this past February, marking it down to a $213 price tag for both the WiFi and 3g versions. The extension of this price drop did not reach European or U.S shores. According to Shu Yoshida, Sony’s World Wide Studios president, the Vita price drops are only region based. Meaning that a worldwide sale for the system isn’t a reality. Sony has reported that there is no current price drop for North American customers due to exchange rates.
A price drop makes perfect sense for the struggling handheld as it has yet to find a commercial market for itself, much like Nintendo’s Wii U. Whether or not Sony will announce a permanent price drop for the system come Tuesday, at Gamescom, remains to be seen. Perhaps that is one of the many surprises in store for us in this exciting new week.