PlayStation Vita - Some Sales Facts

The PlayStation Vita has been facing some criticism from industry pundits regarding its sales in its homeland since its launch on December 17, 2011. We've examined the Media Create figures. You could be in for a surprise.

Here are - as per Media Create - the total Japanese handheld console sales in the first four weeks since launch.

Nintendo DS: 1,286,074
PSP: 482,252
Nintendo 3DS: 742,244
PS Vita: 482,901

Certainly Nintendo's DS iterations have been constantly beating Sony's in this period. But let's look at those Vita sales versus PSP again:

PSP: 482,252
PS Vita: 482,901

That's right. The 'failing' PS Vita has actually outsold the successful PSP over comparable four week periods since their respective launches.

So, how do those four weeks pan out in detail? Like this:

PSP: 160,019 - 85,059 - 107,217 - 129,957
PS Vita: 324,859 - 72,479 - 42,648 - 42,915

Yes, following a more impressive Week 1 than the PSP, the Vita is trending downwards horribly. This could be down to resupply issues of course. In comparison, the PSP launched initially with low and flat sales but with a constant supply to retail.

Before we go, let's look at the Nintendo's DS versus the 3DS in that same four week since launch period:

Nintendo DS: 468,883 - 198,892 - 221,625 - 396,674
Nintendo 3DS: 374,764 - 209,623 - 96,463 - 61,394

Once again we've got a downward trend for the 3DS.