Is Sony discontinuing PS Vita?

PS Vita 3G prices in the US have been slashed by $100 instigating speculations about Sony discontinuing the not so successful hand-held gaming device from the firm. The Japanese conglomerate had cut down the prices in Japan recently, thus making the 3G and Wi-Fi model available, at the same price. There has been no news about reduced prices for the UK consumers.

The reduced prices of PS Vita 3G has led some technological avenues to ponder about Sony’s next step while some media sources have quoted the staff of the firm saying that Sony might be preparing to dump the model. With PS4 coming to the market this year, it could be a possibility, though nothing can be confirmed yet.

Joystiq, a gaming website, reported, “An employee at the Denver location surmised this was a permanent price drop due to a discontinuation of the model and said there was no time frame on the sale in his system, which means Sony can end the sale whenever. New Jersey and Las Vegas locations also told that the 3G model was being discontinued.”

The price cut earlier this month in Japan led to increased sales of the device, which could be the reason for the Japanese conglomerate to repeat the process in the US. The reduced pricing structure places PS Vita at $200 and in addition to the hand-held device, the package also includes an 8GB memory card and free PlayStation network game.

Explaining the reduced price of PS Vita earlier, Sony president, Hiroshi Kawano said, “Based on our research, there are two broad reasons why people who may want to try the Vita are not purchasing it. One, they want to wait until there’s a game they want to play on it. Two, the price is a little out of reach for them.”

For the complete list of stores offering PS Vita 3G at $200, visit the website of Joystiq.