The Vita of tomorrow
Despite its relative salvation as a PS4 accessory, could the Vita still improve? No question about it.
An even lower price, perhaps via PS4-Vita combination bundles, would encourage higher adoption rates. A hardware revision with a second pair of shoulder buttons would make the existing PS1 library a snap to play and could encourage greater PlayStation Now compatibility, should Sony's streaming service grow in popularity.
The Vita may not be the system Sony expected it to be; a system you'd play on public transportation and attract attention due to its PS3-quality graphics. Instead, it's the perfect portable to take anywhere within your own home, whether it be on the couch to dive into an epic RPG or in bed to continue your progress by streaming The Last of Us Remastered.
But the question remains: Does Sony see it that way? Is there any support from top-level North American publishers? Is there any chance the Vita will outsell the 3DS at any point in the future? It's tough to say yes to any of those.
While the few hardware issues probably won't be fixed and many big-name franchises won't ever be Vita-exclusive, a reduced price and steady slate of indie and Japanese games with great PlayStation 4 interactivity could give the Vita life in the coming years. Even if it's not a particularly high-profile one.
It's fitting that Vita means "life" in Italian, because life found a way for PlayStation's portable system to continue in a far different form than originally expected.
