New Vita hardware raises the platform's profile massively

Say what you like about Sony's performance and current Vita sales, the announcement of new hardware has given the whole Vita ecosystem a bit of kick start. Getting the ball rolling, PS Vita TV was trending around the world on Twitter yesterday, and now the topic is only below today's iPhone launch on Google's news.

While this doesn't guarantee any great sales in future, the boost to the brand, consumer knowledge and general awareness cannot really be underestimated. Especially as this was a Japanese event, with a western unveiling likely to come later. The news could also change the opinions of tech news sites who haven't really noticed the Vita since its post-launch struggles which will also help boost its visibility among the mobile-obsessed.

I'll maintain that the Vita will likely never sell like the PSP or Nintendo's handhelds, but it is carving out its own niche in the world, helped by the indie surge and is far from doomed as the endless troll parrots keep saying. When these new devices arrive, it could easily move from "struggling" to "doing okay."

Even reasonable sales should attract more development, particularly from mobile devs seeing massive piracy on Android and a swampy glut of games on iOS. There's also still the promise of some big name games to come. If the timing is right and new hardware and a AAA title coincide, the Vita could be on for quite a ride.