Sony is targeting families with the PS Vita TV

Wants to take on Chromecast and Apple TV

As much as I want a PlayStation Vita for the current crop of indie games that have taken over the system, the appeal of the PS Vita TV is not lost on me. It’s a micro-console that will let you play some, but not all, of the Vita library with a DualShock 3 and it supports services like Hulu. That’s to say nothing of the remote play potential with PS4 and cloud streaming of PS3/PS4 games. I’ve been meaning to get another Roku for a while. Not anymore.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House, the original concept for the Vita TV dates all the way back to August 2011, and it won’t necessarily be targeted at folks like us. (Though a fair few of us are already sold on the concept as it stands, I’m willing to bet.) Sony considers devices like Google’s Chromecast and Apple TV to be direct rivals.

While Japan is getting the Vita TV first — the video streaming market is less crowded there, says House — I can’t fathom Sony not bringing this thing to the West. “[W]e are just saying “PS Vita TV [is] releasing first in Japan,” tweeted Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. He even threw in a smiley face, so you know we’re in the clear here.

[Interview] SCE President Speaks of PS Vita TV [Tech-On!]