If there’s anything the PSPgo taught Sony, it’s that shipping games on physical media is crucial. While there’s a growing subset of customers embracing digital, the bulk of sales on console and portable platforms still happen at retail. Sony WWS boss Shuhei Yoshida tells Edge that he believes the time is still not right for a download-only platform, pointing to the large size of Vita titles, some of which weigh in close to 4GB — in the case of Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

“So we believe the time is still not right to go download-only as a platform. Some PS Vita titles, like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, will be close to 4GB in size, which could be too large to download for consumers 
who do not have a fast broadband connection,” said Yoshida.

He added, “Also, some consumers like shopping in retail stores, talking to knowledgeable store clerks, buying and playing games on the spot. We do not want to remove that capability from consumers.”

SCEE President Jim Ryan has similar reservations, noting that a digital model has not been embraced in certain parts of the world, making the two-pronged approach essential for a global device like Vita.

It’s a pretty safe bet that another PSPgo-like device won’t be coming from Sony anytime soon, the market clearly isn’t ready for it.

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