Sony believes that its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita consoles can do what the Wii U does. Earlier this year, as a response to the Wii U, Sony announced “Cross Play”, where players can use the Vita as an extra screen for their PlayStation 3. This is the second time Sony makes this soft of claim. Back in June, they had the audacity to suggest the Vita was better than the Wii U.
This time, Sony’s John Koller doesn’t think the Wii U is anything special. He believes the combination of a PlayStation 3 console and a Vita can offer the same functionality. He said, “What the Wii U is offering is something that Vita and PS3 can do quite easily”.
After Nintendo revealed the Wii U at E3 2011, Microsoft and Sony started their copiers and within a year, Microsoft had “SmartGlass”, and Sony had “Cross Play” — both technologies mimic the Wii U’s use of a tablet touchscreen controller. But unlike the Wii U, both SmartGlass and Vita Cross Play are gimmicks, as we pointed out in our in-depth article earlier this year. Even Nintendo said that they found the competing technologies from Microsoft and Sony “flattering“.
For Sony to claim that their PS3 and its overpriced handheld little brother can do what the Wii U does is complete nonsense. First of all, developers cannot depend on gamers having a Vita, so any functionality built into it can never affect gameplay in any meaningful way. Secondly, a PlayStation 3 and Vita combination costs a lot more than the Wii U — the Vita alone retails for $250.
Not to mention that the Vita is probably the most failed Sony console to date. Since its launch, it has only sold about 2 million units, while its competitor, the Nintendo 3DS, has sold almost 20 million.
