A recent consumer survey shows the Steam Deck sold between 3.7 and 4 million units, well behind the PlayStation Vita’s 12 million units sold over the same period. But the Steam Deck leads the PC handheld gaming market by a wide margin over its rivals.
Steam Deck vs. PlayStation Vita: Sales Comparison
The Steam Deck initially launched on February 25, 2022, with an OLED version later appearing in November of 2023. Created to provide a handheld PC gaming experience, the system gained heavy early interest, selling out its initial reservations in one day. Nevertheless, while the Steam Deck’s sales are large compared to that of most consoles, its overall sales are a fraction of PlayStation Vita’s three-year figures.
Based on IDC research done for The Verge, Steam Deck sales will be 3.7-4 million units while the PS Vita was at 12 million units as of 2015, three years since its Western release. This translates to three PS Vitas bought during its launch time for every Steam Deck sold.
Steam Deck vs. PS Vita: First Three-Year Sales Estimates
PlayStation Vita: 12 million units
Steam Deck: 3.7-4 million units
While Steam Deck sales may appear tiny compared to that, it is an enormous success in the PC handheld space. Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 6 million PC gaming handhelds were sold, with a further 1.9 million to be sold in 2025. Of those, Steam Deck represents about two-thirds of sales, making Valve the uncontested leader in the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw.
Will Sony ever go back to handheld gaming?
PlayStation Vita is the only dedicated Sony handheld console it has ever released, and there is no rumored follow-up promoted. In 2015, former Sony boss Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that mobile gaming pushed a sequel Vita off the table. Since then, Sony has concentrated on virtual reality with the release of PlayStation VR in 2016 and its second-generation equivalent, PS VR2, in 2023.
Even while PlayStation fans have been wondering if Sony would bring a new handheld, the company has shown no desire to return to the market. The Steam Deck is currently the PC gaming handheld market leader, as even its sales struggle to keep up with the heights that the PS Vita reached at its peak.
