Jack Tretton, who left Sony in 2014 after nearly two decades at the company, has been offering his frank assessment of the fortunes of the PS Vita, Sony's under-performing handheld console.
The former SCEA CEO looked back at the fortunes of the Vita when telling IGN: "Now that I don't work there anymore, I think internally it was: 'This is a great machine, it's just too late.' The world has shifted to portable devices that aren't dedicated gaming machines."
He added that it was "a nice machine", but one that launched "at a time when very few people needed a dedicated portable device."
It's a reasonable assessment of the PS Vita and its inability to thrive in the marketplace. With almost everyone having a smartphone capable of playing quality games, there's simply less need for a dedicated handheld. It's a shame, because the Vita is an excellent device and it deserved better.
Is Tretton on the money with his assessment, or do you think there's still room for a dedicated handheld device?