Hirai: PS Vita Catering To 'Completely Different' Market Than Smartphones

Sony Corp.'s deputy president and SCE Group CEO Kaz Hirai believes PS Vita isn't in direct competition with devices like Apple's iPhone and iPad, and recently shared the company's strategy in tackling the growing mobile market with PS Suite. Though the past couple of years has seen the rapid rise of gaming on smartphones and tablets -- resulting in many consumers abandoning dedicated handhelds for mobile gaming -- the executive argued that PS Vita won't be threatened by that trend. "We're catering to a completely different market," said Hirai in an interview with The Guardian. "I don't see the PS Vita being in direct competition with smartphones and tablets." He added, "However, I do recognize that that's a growing market as well, and that's why we announced the [PlayStation Suite] initiative where we are bringing the PlayStation experience to Android-powered smartphones and tablets." The PS Suite program, introduced by the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play last month, is a framework allowing certified Android-powered devices to download and run PlayStation content released by Sony. "We're doing it in a uniquely PlayStation way where we certify the hardware devices as PS Certified," said Hirai. "That means you can enjoy Sony experiences the way they're meant to be enjoyed."