While the dust settles in the aftermath of Sony's PlayStation 4 announcement, the company let slip that the PlayStation Vita will not see a price cut outside of Japan.
Earlier this week, Sony announced a Japanese price cut for the handheld, dropping the price of both Wi-Fi and 3G models to 19,980 yen (that's around $215).
Exchange rates and expectations
The new Vita price in Japan is now much lower than the price overseas, so price parity through the exchange rate is not the only factor at work.
Hiroshi Kawano, president of Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan, recently admitted that Vita sales in Japan are "a little behind the numbers we originally pictured," in an interview with Famitsu magazine.
So why not a price cut in North America? While Vita sales in North America have not exactly been much better than Japan, the price cut could be a matter of expectations.
Sony's previous handheld, the PSP, saw considerably higher sales in Japan than North America, which may have influenced Sony's projected sales for Vita.
With higher expectations for Vita in Japan, the price drop was necessary to boost sales closer to expectations. North American sales may also be under-performing, but with lower expectations Sony is afforded more wiggle room before resorting to a price drop.
With the PlayStation 4 announcement, Sony gave another reason to own a Vita through a Wii U-like remote play feature.
However, with the PS4 launch not slated until the end of the year, Sony's more immediate Vita plans for North America are still in question.
Via Polygon