PS Vita Reaches 1.4m Install Base after Successful Global Launch - News
by Miles Taven , posted on 27 February 2012 / 42,841 Views
It may have taken a while for the PS Vita to arrive on western shores, with an unfortunate delay from the lucrative holiday season into the less than desirable launch month of February and one full year after Nintendo's 3DS debut the Vita has its work cut out, alas it's finally here. With the PlayStation Vita now officially available in all major territories we can reveal first week sales and how they compare to the 3DS and last gen portables.
Due to a staggered launch in the USA, first week sales include the first edition bundle (70k units) that released February 15th, one week before the official launch. Even with those bundles factored in the Vita launch it's still one of the weakest launches for a portable in the US, over 25% less than the 3DS (as well as the PSP and the DS).
Europe seems to have embraced the Vita, (UK figures at 125k) experiencing its largest launch week numbers out of the 3 main territories. Not quite reaching the impressive PSP launch numbers back in 2005, but still above both the 3DS and the DS.
Including figures from its Japanese launch last year, the Vita clears 1 million units in its first week. This puts the install base at 1.4 million, and should top 2 million fairly soon.
A strong launch line up helps PS Vita off to a good start, certainly comparable to the 3DS. In the coming weeks we should have a vague idea on how the Vita will perform during the summer. Though if we look back to this period last year after a similar launch to the Vita, the 3DS endured a difficult start in life before getting a significant price reduction. With the holiday season a way off it's likely we're going to see something similar with the Vita. Sony however has commented that they're content with the current sales and not something they should be worried about.
Do you think the PS Vita's launch has been successful? Leave your comments below!
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Just a suggestion. Make the charts start at 0. Quickly glancing at the last chart makes it look like all other systems more than doubled vita's first week sales, when the actual difference is rather small.
Indeed. The DS looks like it more than tripled the Vita's FW global sales.
This threw me off as well.
Well PS VITA has FIFA launched with it that attracts all European gamers. Vita needs a COD to do good in America
word on the street is it will get just that
Did you say Street?
Launch is always going to have big numbers... it's the weeks after that can be a flop
The 3DS numbers ammounts for a 2 day period of sales. The Vita for 3, iirc. Glad that the Vita did so well, it is something the industry needs to confront the penetration of the low quality iOS gaming.
The Vita sold more than the DS and 3DS in their first weeks in Europe
After all the criticism, it still managed to sell well. This gives me lots of hope, but the next few months will be critical. Go PSVita!
How do you figure with better U.S. figures it would be best launch ever? The PSP beat it in all areas I see. Seems like PSP had an amazing launch.
That was way back when the PS2 was by far the best selling console.
Given how much weaker the Playstation brand is nowadays, this launch is not too shabby.
The vita really wasn't that much under the other handhelds in its first week, only 140k behind the 3ds isn't bad. Hopefully thanks to it's launch titles it will have a good momentum for the coming weeks.
It probably won't.
Install base to retailers I think they meant...
Successful? This is a week launch, even lower than PSP and we all know the PSP is dead in europe and US since years.
It took a couple of years for PSP to die. PSP was outselling DS for a while, so how is comparing the launch of vita to the decline of PSP relevant?
It took a couple of years for PSP to die. PSP was outselling DS for a while, so how is comparing the launch of vita to the decline of PSP relevant?
wow thanks Seece. that's awesome read. the overall launch looks great. i think Vita is performing well at the moment.
all i'll say is that Vita is off to a good start.
It could have been much more successful in the USA: If it had an all new Vita-specific COD game, if it had the Vita-specific popular iOS/Android games (angry birds, fruit ninja, etc.) and if there was more pre-launch marketing that showed of the hardware features and the OS features while also highlighting the new Vita specific COD, a new Vita specific Angry birds, a new Vita specific fruit ninja, etc. plus the other games (Uncharted, Escape Plan, etc.). The games that came out in the USA are not really system sellers in the USA.
a special edition cod Vita would do well in my eyes.
Without a doubt. The Vita has dual analog sticks...but it doesn't have a first person shooter ready for launch in the USA. Seems rather strange to me, considering FPSs are the best selling genre in the USA right now. I know Sony are banking on having COD ready for a holiday launch...which will boost the numbers then, but that is 8 or 9 months away from now. I am dying to play an online multiplayer FPS with the Vita...but I cant right now...seems like a big misstep.
COD feeds off multiplayer. With a smaller portable community, odds are it will not be as successful as some of you may hope.
But I reserve full judgement until it's actually materialized.
Wow, I was actually expecting lower numbers tbh... sure, with a lower price and a couple of bigger titles ( maybe some truly impressive new IPs) it could have done better, but it seems that even in worst case, the Vita is still poised to be at least a smaller scale success. Worst case we could see a GC size market for it, but if the legs hold out we could see yet another handheld cross the 50 million units LT ;-)
Don't you think it's a little bit early to talk about a possible 50 million seller?
Not bad at all, except for US. It might have been the best launch ever with decent US figures.
Should correct these numbers now that the official VGC stats are in:
US - 160K
EU - 294K
Japan - 322K
Total - 776K
The PSP started off as good and at times even better than the DS when the DS system launched at $149 compared to the PSP's $249, but that all changed when nintendo released the DS lite.
Good. This system does not deserve to do well. The industry needs less middlemen.
I am the only one seeing that this is the weakest global launch of the four handhelds? Given the smartphones competition is still a good result, but it's not exceptional.
There are too many Vitas left sitting on store shelves the day after the official launch (just like the 3DS last year)! So no, the launch was not as great as it could have been....$250 - $299 is expensive.....
Yeah I noticed that also, there where 2 3G versions and 5 normal left in one of the Wal-Marts in my area. (I should go to the on in Whitewater which has a college and see if there is any left.
Would you mind including a footnote with the source(s) for the PS Vita numbers?
Thats impressive considering the price of the system...and that is a huge factor, maybe if the price was a little lower it would of exceeded 3ds sales, i still think its needs a price drop to have steady sales in the future.
It's already sold at a significant loss (to be recovered within 3 years). I'm not sure suggesting a lower price makes much sense.
Nope I don't. Uncharted is the killer Sony IP and I don't think it will draw as much attention as Ocarina of Time remake, never mind the new and much bigger beats Mario Kart and Super Mario.
If Sony doesn't announce a few AAA exclusives for the PSV this E3, it's sales will be compromised. From what I've seen I don't think it will surpass PSP sales. 3DS is living off DS's prosperity, and PSV can't do that off PSP because let's be honest, post 2010, there was nothing on PSP. I mean PSP is being taken off store shelves, while DS, an entire year after the 3DS's release, is still seeing major software releases.
Nintendo F***ed Sony hard when they released the 3DS as $250, let Sony price their system to $250, and then cut the price. PSV is just too much for a handheld with no real games yet.
I agree with Michael-5 on everything except the pricepoint. The Vita will likely not top the PSP, probably not go beyond 40Mil.
Other than that, at least the launch is reassuring for Sony fans. I don't expect much more though.
It's okay, not amazing though, but hopefully we will get some more games coming before too long to push some more sales
Hmm, not quite as good sales as I thought. I was figuring 345k, not bad, but not terribly good either. The platform isn't dead in the water, but it isnt the smashing success I am sure that Sony was hoping for.
Solid launch figures given the high pricepoint if you include a game + accessories. I really have to get mine ASAP.
So global FW 1.1kk? I really wasnt expecting this! Amazing!
Solid launch
After all the criticism, it still managed to sell well. This gives me lots of hope, but the next few months will be critical. Go PSVita!
The more I look at it, the more the Vita reminds me of the 3DS. An alright launch, but the next 6 months will be pretty barren except for console ports.
It just so happens that the Vita ports will be more numerous than the 3DS ones.
I take it you haven't looked at the Vita library and upcoming releases?
Gravity Rush in May.
Unit 13 in a couple of weeks.
Resistance Burning Skies in May.
Silent Hill Book of Memories next month.
That is 4 new games within the next 3 months. None of which are ports.
Also currently these are not ports.
Uncharted Golden Abyss
Lumines Electronic Symphony
Reality Fighters
Escape Plan
Army Corps of Hell
Little Deviants
Where are all these ports? I remember with 3DS the first 6 months were pretty much just Ocarina of Time and Starfox 64. Not the same case here. So while it could be possible that it has more ports overall, it also has more original games as well.
Not to mention it also may see more announcement within the next couple of weeks with GDC and if I am not mistaken I hear there is something the week after right?
Also do not discount that unlike the 3DS the Vita launched with a fully functional online system and store, so don't only look at retail releases because Vita will no doubt has PSN titles popping out throughout the next few months, if not (bi)weekly.
The launches are quite different.
Remember how promising the 3DS library seemed? Between launch and Ocarina of Time 3D, we were going to have so many great new titles!
Blazblue
Cubic Ninja
Dead or Alive
Dream Trigger 3D
Punchtime Explosion
With the possible exception of DoA, none of them made the cut.
You have to assume that some of these upcoming Vita titles are going to fail. Especially new IPs like Gravity Rush and Unit 13.
@irstupid: Vita was way ahead of PSP in Japan, but I made a mistake reading the chart, sorry about that. Just OK, I guess.
It´s not surprising to see Vita doing well in Europe since it has Fifa... and Europeans love Fifa. By the way... were are the Japanese lauch numbers on this article ? It would be interesting to take a peek into them, specially now that we see the 3DS outselling Vita in Japan with a ratio of 6/1
"alas it's finally here."
Why "alas" may I ask?
It wasnt an incredible launch, but it was decent.
The real test starts now though. Will sales drop dramatically like in Japan, or will they stay healthy?
I think it was relatively successful when you weigh all the conditions up.
This is 2012 not 2005 and people are not spending money like they use to.
Smartphones now offer far more serious competition.
It was never ever going to set the world alight. Not even the 3DS mange to do that.
Comparisons always make good reading but don't necessarily reflect the whole truth, only the facts. The world has changed since the PSP and original DS launches of the past.
Looks at week's data
You Lie!
So this article's title made it sound like the writer was going to talk about the "successful Vita global launch", but the vibe I got was "Yeah the Vita sold 1.4 million units in it's first week, NOT GOOD ENOUGH".
Props to Vita, but launch sales are highly frontloaded compared to the DS line. I say frontloaded, much like many other Core purchases.
HOWEVER, the thing is a beautiful piece of hardware at a good price. Now it needs truly mass-appealing software. We'll see how it runs.
pretty good start IMO, considering the playstation brand isn't as dominant as it was back when PSP launched and Vita also has no extra hype for being the first Playstation handheld, which PSP had.
I see sony changed their prevision. I tough it was 5m. Silly.
A superbowl commercial in the States would have been nice.
i hereby declare my support towards enrageorange's suggestion!
Wow. I was not expecting such good numbers. Great news. It seems like Europe is loving this new console.
a very solid launch dispite the lack of interest
or so i thought, because i predicted much lower too
great news for gaming and Sony, shows that iShits have definitely not taken over
A good and very solid launch, now Sony just needs to show it can keep the interest going! :-)
America let it down. A shame really as the best bundles and prices were available in there. However despite all the dead on arrival articles it still done well :D the coming months will be important though.
This is REALLY GOOD news for SONY/PSVita.
A Playstation console always have a slow start but a long time appeal so expect to see the Vita battling it out with the 3DS this time out. This time both consoles will get a piece of the pie and it won't be a slaughter like it was for the PSP compared to the DS. But more than 73 million sold PSP's is a good sign for the PSVita.
Sony has solved the big trouble the PSP had.
0.68m EUA + Europe. So the Global Extrapoled will be like 0.75m or more?
Man, according to those bars, the vita is below half the others :(
Hmm.Rather interesting numbers.
it could do better but times is hard right now
Well they made it to that 1 million mark I was betting on, just too bad it has to include Japan. All those American whiny babies need to stop holding out for that "price drop". Just because Nintendo messed up with their launch price doesn't mean Sony did. The US is already getting a heavy discount compared to...everywhere. I blame all the shoddy journalism that plagues our internet. Online articles are written just to grab hits and start controversy. Where's the journalistic integrity? I've read so many misleading articles and purposefully biased reviews and product comparisons I really should have thrown my laptop down a flight of stairs.
If you're offending by the babies comment, I'm American, and I'm sick of this crap. There's been so much complaining about every detail and Sony's already made the damn concessions. The first edition bundle, only in the US. They added the 3g bundles. They priced it $60 less than those in Japan have to pay. But people are still crying death to have them drop the price? What kind of inane consumers are we? If Nintendo never dropped their price no one would have been doing this. It's displaying the immaturity of our culture. One company gives us something and we just put our hand out and ask for more over and over again like an insatiable beast. The solution to this is to let it starve, the lack of attention will finally shut them up. Don't expect a price drop this year, just some nice bundles during the holidays. The Vita is a nice system and its worth the money. Save up money if you have to have it, or just stop pretending the world owes you something. If you don't like what I have to say....well screw you. This is built up anger after wasting my time reading the garbage coming out of those damned wannabe game reviewers and having to deal with the flood of people who so willingly bought into what they were selling.
Yeah, sorry about that. It just kept coming out. This probably isnt even the best place for this, i guess im just on edge after reading so many crappy doom articles. I think the Vita is great, its a developers console and aimed at the hardcore despite having almost everything the casuals want. Im sure others had to go through this crap when tge 3ds came out too.
"Im sure others had to go through this crap when tge 3ds came out too."
Yes we did.
@ Pezus, I commend thy piety to the irresistible WOT!
How are these "1st week" numbers, when today is only 5 days past the launch date, and the data is likely from 4 or less days?
Are the 3DS and PSP numbers similar, in nature? If not, then I'm seeing some "get us some hits"-centric journalistic compromises being made, here. Lets be certain to stick to good comparisons, lest we're leading readers astray.
Are these extrapolations from a good statistical DB, perhaps? Just curious.
Sales are reported the same way first week sales are always reported.
Obvious because playstation brand is still strong in most of European territory...
No matter what it sells you will always put the device down as a failure.
