PlayStation UK Managing Director Fergal Gara believes that PlayStation Vita might be the first console to forego physical media games distribution.
"Compared to PS3, Vita has had a higher percentage of games bought digitally since it was first launched," he explained. "It's interesting and it demonstrates how many people look at it as the iPod of handheld gaming. More Vita games are still consumed through physical game cards than they are through digital, but things are increasingly moving the other way. Could be that in future physical games becomes the side we do without."
Gara admitted that it is difficult for the gaming-focused PlayStation Vita to compete with the increasingly multi-functional smartphones and tablets.
"The truth is that the number of people that want the core experience [that Vita offers] is not as big as the number that simply want any sort of game available on the move and, because the likes of a tablet and smart phone are so multifunctional in their use, they will always be very appealing," said Gara. "Really, I think the reason it hasn't sold more is that it comes down to people thinking: 'Do I need it as well as these other things that are taking my money?'"
