A while back, I wrote a piece called ‘Dear Sony: Either Support PlayStation TV or Kill It’. That piece is just as relevant (and worth reading) today as when I first wrote it; I argued what the future of the small connected box could have been:

 the ultimate trojan horse for Sony. If you have a PS4, perfect. With PS TV, you can now extend that experience to other parts of the house. Don’t have one? No need to worry as you’ll be able to enjoy everything that PlayStation embodies today like PlayStation Vue, PlayStation Music, PlayStation Network (TV shows, Movies, Trailers) 

Of course there is no reason to limit PS TV to just entertainment content.

 From there, Sony has an extensive electronics arm which ranges from cameras to speakers. Imagine being able to stream from them to PS TV or easily viewing the photos you just took with PlayMemories Online, Sony’s semi take on iCloud photo library. All this with of course a UI designed for television. As Apple has proven time and time again, a single product can have a massive halo affect on the company. For that reason alone, with a $99 price tag, PS TV is an easily attainable product that could open the door for consumers to purchase other Sony products that it complements like PS4 or subscribe to any of the mentioned services. 

Of course history has proven that during that time, Sony has given little to no thought to PS TV and that its days are likely numbered. Details after the jump.

In Japan, Sony has officially labeled PlayStation Vita TV (which we call PlayStation TV) as “出荷完了,” which translates to “End of Shipments.” This isn’t a surprise, seeing how little Sony has done with it, resulting in a 185,452 units being sold in Japan since the console launched in November of 2013. It’s likely that sales haven’t been much better here in the States either.

Sadly releasing a good product with little follow through and vision isn’t something that’s new to Sony. Just look at all the ups and downs Sony Mobile has faced. In the end, it seems like Sony’s heart was never in this product and it’s for the better that they kill it off. With PlayStation’s future squarely in North America, we’ll hopefully get better satellite products around PS4 that have a clear focus that will extend beyond simply launching the product.

Sony has yet to confirm the console’s demise in the West but seeing how Vita related products have always been more popular in Japan, don’t be surprised to see this get the axe worldwide.

Discuss:

Are you sad to see PlayStation Vita TV get killed off?

[Via PlayStation Japan]