3DS and Vita "will fade out in the next two to three years" in the west

NIS America believes both Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita will "fade out" in the west within the next two to three years.

Speaking with MCV at gamescom this week, NIS America CEO Takuro Yamashita feels publishers are smart to be transitioning from last-gen home consoles to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but there's still life left in the handheld space, so it shouldn't be abandoned.

“Generally speaking about the West, I think the right time has come for major game publishers to shift their line-ups to PS4 and Xbox One,” Yamashita said. “Talking about the handheld devices in the West, PlayStation Vita and 3DS will fade out in the next two to three years.”

Yamashita added that smaller publishers could take advantage of the increased concentration of triple-A firms on the home consoles, with fewer big games coming out in the handheld space to compete with.

“There is still a chance for Vita or 3DS games in the West,” he said, adding that smaller publishers would do well to take advantage of the current focus on home consoles by concentrating on the handheld market which has less competition.

“I bet you that the small publishers can benefit without having strong competition if they continue to publish games for Vita and 3DS," he said.

Nintendo released its first 3DS system in 2011 with the larger, 3DS XL coming out a year later. In 2014, the firm released New 3DS and New 3DS XL models in Europe and the US in 2015.

Sony's Vita handheld arrived in the west during early 2012.