Ito states the response was “strong… more than we expected.” The only thing that is holding back the decision to launch is the other alternatives currently available in the West and Europe. “But when it comes to the timing, we’ll have to watch the environment and identify what other services are available in the US and Europe and whether we’ll have to add other services,” Ito said.
CEO Andrew House further details Sony’s decision concerning PS Vita TV. “The reason we wanted to launch PlayStation Vita TV in Japan first was because we think that there is a significant gap in this market even for a pure streamed TV box,” House said. “There isn’t really a competitor here that’s staked out a claim. And frankly, in my own view, Japan is a little behind the adoption curve in video streaming services.”
PS Vita TV will launch with the cheap price of 9,480 yen, or $95. The hardware will also come bundled in with a 8gb memory card and a DualShock 3 controller for about $60 more. The device is set to make its debut later this year in Japan only.