Sony does not plan to reduce the price of the PS Vita in North America to match their upcoming Japanese price drop, Sony Worldwide president Shuhei Yoshida told multiple media outlets.
Last week Sony revealed plans to drop the retail price of both PS Vita models in Japan from ¥29,980 ( USD $323) for the 3G version and the Wi-Fi version launched for ¥24,980 (USD $269) to ¥19,980 (USD $214) beginning February 28th. Sony had already confirmed that the console would not recieve a European price cut.
Yoshida said that the value of the yen was the primary reason for the price shift. The new price will actually bring the price down to relatively comparable with the North American price. In North America, the wi-fi model Vita retails for $250 and the 3G model costs $300.
"One answer could be when you compare the pricing on PS Vita across regions, because of the yen value," said Yoshida. "In Japan, the system had been priced the highest. We had been selling for 25,000 yen; that's more than $250 when you compare the exchange rates."
Sony announced yesterday that the PS Vita will serve as a second-screen companion device for the PlayStation 4. According to Sony, the Vita will be able to play PS3 and PS4 games the console's Gaikai-powered streaming capability.
