We Do Have PlayStation Vita Games in Development, Says PlayStation Exec

Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's Worldwide Studios, has discussed the future of PlayStation Vita, addressing recent reports the company does not have any first-party titles in development for the handheld.

Speaking during an interview at Paris Games Week 2015, which you can read in full here, Yoshida was asked if the absence of Vita titles during the PlayStation press conference was an indication of reduced commitment to the platform. In response, the exec noted that limited time meant it had to focus on specific areas of the business and highlighted key upcoming third-party Vita games as Severed from DrinkBox studios, Vlambeer's Nuclear Throne, and Volume.

Pressed on the level of support Sony intends to provide, he admitted the focus had shifted, but also indicated it hadn't completely abandoned first-party Vita development.

"I've been pretty honest saying our focus has shifted to PS4 and PlayStation VR, it's not like we don't have any development at all. We do, but our focus is on PS4 and PlayStation VR, and we are happy to see third-parties and indies support it."

Asked if he think the Vita business will continue into 2016 and beyond, Yoshida said "Yeah I do, but we have to see."

He continued: "Nowadays, still people are excited and using Vita very frequently, it's a great portable gaming system. As long as there is a demand, why not?"

In October, Sony's senior VP Masayasu Ito stated the platform holder is leaving PlayStation Vita game development up to third parties as its focus shifts to its other platforms.

"Currently, first-party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita," he said. "Since third parties are working very hard on PS Vita, SCE's own strategy is to focus on PS4, which is a new platform.

"At the beginning, the PS Vita did not resonate with age targets under 20, but now the situation is changing and the popularity with younger demographics is increasing. Minecraft: PS Vita Edition has provided a boost. In addition to that, a variety of third-party games [are] also planned for the future, and in order to further accelerate that flow, we decided to release new colors for the PS Vita this fall."

Sony has previously admitted that sales of the Vita weren't as strong as it hoped. Although it reaffirmed its support of the platform in September 2014, saying it had found its niche, it hasn't delivered many first-party titles since.