PS Vita systems 3G/WiFi version $149.99 Clearance @ Best Buy YMMV

[KevinMassacre]

Went to the Best Buy here in Chicago (Clark & Diversey) to pick up a copy of Black Ops 2 for Wii U for $19.99 and saw some PS Vitas on clearance. These are the ones that come bundled with the 8gb Memory Card. I just bought one on impulse. Plus if you apply for a best buy card (you don't need to be approved, you just need to apply) they knock $10 of your purchase. I walked out the door with a brand new PS Vita 3G/WiFi version with 8gb memory card for $139.99 plus tax.  

 

[BigPoeticCanine]

I was at BB yesterday before I read this post and I was just perusing the Vita section. While I can't be sure my store had it or not (Murray, UT), I didn't see anything that stood out quite like that. I own a wifi Vita already, but I have a friend looking into getting one, so this is great for her... if she can find one. :/

 

[chrislaustin]

I checked online to see if any of my local stares even have stock, and they are all GONE. I would guess that this is just clearing out the last of this inventory due to lack of sales, or discontinuation. 

I do think they need a "Slim" model, and a 199 price or less. Along with some included memory. Neither built in, or a card with purchase. This holiday would be the best time for a price drop and a newer model, just so they can promote and sale along side the PS4 wave of hype.

If they don't make an announcement at Gamesom, don't expect it this year. I'm cool either way, but anyone who thinks the Vita can't be shrunk and lighter is crazy. The PSP 1000 was good, but the 2000 was just way better. Slightly thinner, lighter, and better battery just made it shine.

 

[FreddyD]

Kicking myself for not calling earlier. Called this same store that OP used and they told me as of opening time they still had 2 left but they both sold within the hour. I asked the reason for the clearance and she told me this store is not getting anything Vita related anymore. Probably won't be the only store either, so everyone should defintely keep an eye on their local Best Buys in the next few days for slashed prices on Vita stuff.

Oh and this is my very first CAG post ever : )  Love this website and I hope to contribute as much as I can.

 

[Asmith906]

The patents are for the dev model that already exists.

Also going off what we've seen with the PSP... I wouldn't expect a super awesome new version.

PSP 1,000 - Base Model.

PSP 2,000 - "Slim", mechanical UMD tray removed (because they broke down / had UMD shooting out complaints), removed "Pandora" battery on most models, smaller battery.

PSP 3,000 - Slightly improved screen (had many issues), built in mic, PS button, supposed worse battery life (due to the screen).

PSP Go - Need I say anything?

Anyway, I don't see the Vita getting revised and released around the same time as the PS4, since it will get killed in sales regardless. Sony might revise the system down the road, but most of the PSP updates weren't really revisions as much as fixing issues like the pandora's battery.

PSP Go with CFW is my favorite psp because I can actually take it places. I now just use my psp 1000 to rip my UMD's

 

[chrislaustin]

Kicking myself for not calling earlier. Called this same store that OP used and they told me as of opening time they still had 2 left but they both sold within the hour. I asked the reason for the clearance and she told me this store is not getting anything Vita related anymore. Probably won't be the only store either, so everyone should defintely keep an eye on their local Best Buys in the next few days for slashed prices on Vita stuff.

Oh and this is my very first CAG post ever : ) Love this website and I hope to contribute as much as I can.

Congrats on your first post. All are welcome.

WOW, I wonder if they are not going to carry any Vita models or products nation wide, or if it's just that store? There are still a few games I would like to get, but I'm waiting on the 10 or less sales.

 

[FreddyD]

Thanks def appreciate it.

I would think its more on a store-per-store basis than nationwide, probably based on sales numbers. Although the store I called is relatively big and busy, in a fairly fancy part of Chicago and not far from downtown where a TON of people go to spend money. Take that for what it's worth.

 

[jkam]

As a vita owner I'm surprised it hasn't taken off. I guess the price says a lot. If it was $199 and memory was cheaper I think it would do better. The system hardware is near perfect. It might be cool to get a revamp with hdmi out or something like that but overall it's not needed. A GO style vita might be cool. Overall though I love the Vita and $150 is a steal. The game library just keeps growing and getting better and better. PS Plus is great too.

 

[GBAstar]

Thanks def appreciate it.

I would think its more on a store-per-store basis than nationwide, probably based on sales numbers. Although the store I called is relatively big and busy, in a fairly fancy part of Chicago and not far from downtown where a TON of people go to spend money. Take that for what it's worth.

Not saying your information is wrong but I highly doubt Best Buy is going to stop selling all Vita related items. If they want to carry the PS4 and other sony items I would think that they are obligated to carry it in some shape or form.

I'm guessing you're relatively new but not too long ago we had some fool swear up and down that he had an inside source at Best Buy that told him they were going to merge their gaming department with Gamestop...as in Gamestop employees were going to be subcontracted by best buy to run the gaming department

 

[chrislaustin]

Not saying your information is wrong but I highly doubt Best Buy is going to stop selling all Vita related items. If they want to carry the PS4 and other sony items I would think that they are obligated to carry it in some shape or form.

I'm guessing you're relatively new but not too long ago we had some fool swear up and down that he had an inside source at Best Buy that told him they were going to merge their gaming department with Gamestop...as in Gamestop employees were going to be subcontracted by best buy to run the gaming department

Anything a sales person says has to be taken with a grain of salt, but I have seen certain items sold only at specific stores in the past. It was never for such a main stream item as the Vita, but based on current sales, I wouldn't really call it main stream, so limited sales at specific stores could be possible.

B&M stores like BB are loosing tons of business to online only stores like Amazon and Newegg. If there are pressed for space, I could see them selling Vita stuff online only and at specific local stores. Why stock your shelves with items that aren't moving. Honestly I never shop locally anymore unless there is a deal to be had, otherwise I can get stuff tax free, better pricing and merchandise delivered to my door.

BB should be closing entire stores in IMO, not just limiting sales of certain merchandise.

 

[strait edge follower]

great deal for those who find it (which isnt gonna be many). now back to playing muramasa rebirth aka one of the top 5 best vita games !!!!!!!

 

[NismoZ32]

This is purely nothing more than a manager's special to move Vita's. I can tell you Best Buy isn't going to stop selling Vita's. My store seriously hasn't sold a Vita since last holiday season nor have we gotten any in shipment since January since they aren't selling. So I can understand why the manager of this store must of had similar results and decided to slash the price to free up shelf space but this wont be a regional thing.

Amazing deal for those who got in but for everyone else, don't even waste your time or gas driving to 7 Best Buy's near you looking for something that isn't going to happen anywhere else.

 

[guitar1god]

I got there 30 minutes after the store in the OP opened and they were all gone. I met a nice female worker inside and she helped me get a wii u pro controller for the 24.99 price it was as the deal of the day a few days ago even though it rang up full price. We talked about the games for about 20 minutes and I recommended animal crossing because she had just bought a 3ds along with Zelda 3d and Luigi's mansion. I had a good time so it wasn't a complete waste.

 

[MooseTheCorgi]

Are there any other stores doing this?

 

[Shimrra]

No go at the 1880 Broadway BB

 

[Serious McMopy]

I will admit, this is a good deal, but I doubt my local Best Buy would have this deal, and besides, I rather not buy a system with a very uncertain future. 

And before someone say "well, Sony is not going drop the Vita, they are too big of a company," keep in mind that same big company is middle of restructuring, after losing billions of dollars, and is looking to cut, and has cut divisions which are money losers.

And even if Sony does not kill the Vita officially (and to be fair, they probably will not), my two cents on Vita are this: while this system may not be the next Dreamcast, so far, it looks doomed to be the next Saturn.

 

[admiralvic]

And even if Sony does not kill the Vita officially (and to be fair, they probably will not), my two cents on Vita are this: while this system may not be the next Dreamcast, so far, it looks doomed to be the next Saturn.

Why does everyone act like a system has to be selling out on day 1, become so rare that it fetches $10,000+ on eBay and has a stream of releases on par with the PS3 / Xbox for it to be doing well?

 

[Drclaw411]

I got there 30 minutes after the store in the OP opened and they were all gone. I met a nice female worker inside and she helped me get a wii u pro controller for the 24.99 price it was as the deal of the day a few days ago even though it rang up full price. We talked about the games for about 20 minutes and I recommended animal crossing because she had just bought a 3ds along with Zelda 3d and Luigi's mansion. I had a good time so it wasn't a complete waste.

Reading this was like a punch in the gut. Damn me having to work to day.

 

[amusedtoe]

Congrats on your first post. All are welcome.

WOW, I wonder if they are not going to carry any Vita models or products nation wide, or if it's just that store? There are still a few games I would like to get, but I'm waiting on the 10 or less sales.

Well they're seriously shrinking the section, that much is for sure (though all the sections are getting shrunk as we get closer to console launches). The particular model here was a launch SKU so no surprise they were clearancing it out and I doubt they're going to stop carrying the hardware as long as Sony is producing it.

 

[Drclaw411]

Sony really is calling people's bluff here. It's almost like a buy vs price drop staring contest at this point.

 

[smokiebear]

Sony is gonna get rid of these and have another vita come out with a micro usb plug instead and the screen is not gonna be oled. They're starting to be less propietary about their stuff to cut costs.

 

[TooPoor]

Sony is gonna get rid of these and have another vita come out with a micro usb plug instead and the screen is not gonna be oled. They're starting to be less propietary about their stuff to cut costs.

Why get rid of OLED?

 

[bilbobagins3]

I bought a PSP Go for the one reason that it allowed you to connect a dualshock 3 and use it while playing games. If they just phased out the current models and did a Vita 2000 and it's only revisions were HDMI out and dualshock support I would definitely be tempted, any other improvements would just be bonus.

 

[ShadowNYC]

I'm absolutely happy with the Vita. It's a shame people are so broke not to get one, because they're really enjoyable to have. I just wish the Hori Vita grips were still available in the US -- had to import from EU to get mine. The ones available in the US are not as good and some damage/scratch your Vita.

 

[Gedemer]

I'm absolutely happy with the Vita. It's a shame people are so broke not to get one, because they're really enjoyable to have. I just wish the Hori Vita grips were still available in the US -- had to import from EU to get mine. The ones available in the US are not as good and some damage/scratch your Vita.

It's not about being broke.

The "new" price point is way to high combined with the ridiculous memory card prices. Sony states that the 200-250 price is "perfect" and they wont budge which is stupid because they have horrible sales. They are not trying to push the system sales which is a dumb decision.

 

[amusedtoe]

Sony is gonna get rid of these and have another vita come out with a micro usb plug instead and the screen is not gonna be oled. They're starting to be less propietary about their stuff to cut costs.

I just fell out of my chair laughing, this is the company that took over 10 years to start allowing it's cameras to use the long standard memory format.

 

[MR_E]

Well they're seriously shrinking the section, that much is for sure (though all the sections are getting shrunk as we get closer to console launches). The particular model here was a launch SKU so no surprise they were clearancing it out and I doubt they're going to stop carrying the hardware as long as Sony is producing it.

I think they're actually shrinking the whole videogame section, unfortunately. One of the people I know who works the videogame section at my local store said that they're actually cutting the already completely shrunken music section down to just one row or aisle and moving the videogame section into the space that's left there after they do that. No idea what they're going to replace it with in the middle of the store.

 

[amusedtoe]

I think they're actually shrinking the whole videogame section, unfortunately. One of the people I know who works the videogame section at my local store said that they're actually cutting the already completely shrunken music section down to just one row or aisle and moving the videogame section into the space that's left there after they do that. No idea what they're going to replace it with in the middle of the store.

Yeah, that too. I really don't know what direction they're going but it seems like they're really reaching. Media is a low margin thing but was always a consistent revenue driver when I was with the company. When you shrink that what are you going to throw into what's now at least 25% of your floor space that you've removed? Maybe they're just going to do more of these branded experience shops and provide a branded retail presence for some of these brands that don't want the direct burden of B&M.

 

[breakfuss]

lol so much misinformation in here. *make it stop!!* Nice find, OP. Seeing how quickly vitas go when at or below 200, makes you wonder what could have been if Sony had just priced the thing reasonably from the jump.

 

[Josh5890]

My closest BBY has the 3G model according to the website. I guess I'm going to stop by after work tomorrow.

 

[kube00]

Okay I'll have to head to my local BB

 

[Josh5890]

Anyone else snag one?

 

[ChallengeEverything]

I'm absolutely happy with the Vita. It's a shame people are so broke not to get one, because they're really enjoyable to have. I just wish the Hori Vita grips were still available in the US -- had to import from EU to get mine. The ones available in the US are not as good and some damage/scratch your Vita.

Once Sony discontinues it I'll buy one for as cheap as I got a Go from one of the stores that clearanced it. I'm more of a console gamer. Not to mention the price is a bit out there. Many people probably look at the price of a Vita and think that for another $50 they could get themselves a PS3 that plays Blu-Rays and does all of the other things it does instead of just a handheld system. That's how I look at it too.

FYI: Radio Shack is also clearancing the Vita. One model is down to $219.97 while the other is down to $249.97 I believe. Some of the games for it are also clearanced there if you can find them. For example: Uncharted Golden Abyss is $17.97 at RS.

 

[Abeja]

Was at Toysrus and they were having a big Clearence Blast. Alot of Vita stuff on sale but still overpriced.

 

[admiralvic]

lol so much misinformation in here. *make it stop!!* Nice find, OP. Seeing how quickly vitas go when at or below 200, makes you wonder what could have been if Sony had just priced the thing reasonably from the jump.

What exactly about the current price is unreasonable? A 3DS is $170 new and a Vita is $250 new. So you're at most paying $80 dollars more for the Vita, which is a OBVIOUSLY more powerful and expensive device (OLED screen, far better graphics, better online, capacitive touchscreen, back touchscreen, dual thumbstick, etc). The main reason why the Vita sales are down is almost completely due to memory. People want 32 GB (because of Plus awesomeness) and don't want to pay $100 for a memory card. Beyond that, all the negative press makes people question buying one, since all it does is cast doubt on people. Beyond that, it seems pretty fair to me.

 

[Kovorkian]

What exactly about the current price is unreasonable? A 3DS is $170 new and a Vita is $250 new. So you're at most paying $80 dollars more for the Vita, which is a OBVIOUSLY more powerful and expensive device (OLED screen, far better graphics, better online, capacitive touchscreen, back touchscreen, dual thumbstick, etc). The main reason why the Vita sales are down is almost completely due to memory. People want 32 GB (because of Plus awesomeness) and don't want to pay $100 for a memory card. Beyond that, all the negative press makes people question buying one, since all it does is cast doubt on people. Beyond that, it seems pretty fair to me.

for me, I would not pay more for a vita than I paid for my ps3 ($200 2012 Black Friday bundle) my buy price for a vita is around $150

I personally like the physical game manuals, vita games have digital, so for me, I am not willing to pay as much for them. Although the crossbuy feature is quite nice.

I purchased a 3ds for around $130 after tax (target red card and sale) and I am happy with the purchase, I do not do much portable gaming, but it is a nice handheld.

With the price point at which I purchased a 3ds, an msrp priced vita is almost DOUBLE the 3ds cost. The 3ds was worth the cost for me, but by no means an incredible buy.

for me personally the vita is overpriced at msrp, the 3ds is decently priced.

 

[ritchardf]

for me, I would not pay more for a vita than I paid for my ps3 ($200 2012 Black Friday bundle) my buy price for a vita is around $150

I personally like the physical game manuals, vita games have digital, so for me, I am not willing to pay as much for them. Although the crossbuy feature is quite nice.

I purchased a 3ds for around $130 after tax (target red card and sale) and I am happy with the purchase, I do not do much portable gaming, but it is a nice handheld.

With the price point at which I purchased a 3ds, an msrp priced vita is almost DOUBLE the 3ds cost. The 3ds was worth the cost for me, but by no means an incredible buy.

for me personally the vita is overpriced at msrp, the 3ds is decently priced.

comparing any price to a black friday price is kinda silly, but i just sold my vita on ebay for $310, included a 32 gb memory card and a couple games, just couldnt justify having 4 systems (ps3, ps4 and wii u) so i figured id get rid of it before sony did lower the price. also owned a 3ds xl, which is what i traded for the wii u. just not a handheld person and these 2 systems didnt change that for me.

 

[CheapAssHustla]

great deal for those who find it (which isnt gonna be many). now back to playing muramasa rebirth aka one of the top 5 best vita games !!!!!!!

I agree with you there. I picked up that game at launch, and I've bee having a ton of fun with it. I missed out on it when it came out for the Wii, but I wasn't going to miss out on it for a second time.

 

[Kovorkian]

comparing any price to a black friday price is kinda silly, but i just sold my vita on ebay for $310, included a 32 gb memory card and a couple games, just couldnt justify having 4 systems (ps3, ps4 and wii u) so i figured id get rid of it before sony did lower the price. also owned a 3ds xl, which is what i traded for the wii u. just not a handheld person and these 2 systems didnt change that for me.

the 2012 ps3 black friday bundle was available in my area at $200 until right around and possibly after Christmas

 

[breakfuss]

What exactly about the current price is unreasonable? A 3DS is $170 new and a Vita is $250 new. So you're at most paying $80 dollars more for the Vita, which is a OBVIOUSLY more powerful and expensive device (OLED screen, far better graphics, better online, capacitive touchscreen, back touchscreen, dual thumbstick, etc). The main reason why the Vita sales are down is almost completely due to memory. People want 32 GB (because of Plus awesomeness) and don't want to pay $100 for a memory card. Beyond that, all the negative press makes people question buying one, since all it does is cast doubt on people. Beyond that, it seems pretty fair to me.

I understand it's a more costly device to manufacture, but that's not the consumer's problem. The OLED and rear touchpad were gratuitous design additions. I definitely agree the vita is one sweet piece of kit, but is there clearly was no demand for such a device...especially at that ridiculous asking price. People are only concerned with its utility, and as it stands, a comparable device does essentially the same thing for considerably less (not to mention the larger library of games). I'm also factoring in the prohibitive memory costs.

 

[simpsonps121]

There are not enough A+ games for it.   Until Sony throws their significant studios at it, it will always be 2nd tier.  

That being said, I love my Vita...

 

[TooPoor]

1. I assume only few were actually able to replicate this deal

2. I see the HK versions (not knock offs) of Vita memory cards are considerably cheaper, I think the cards are region free, anyone have any experience with those? I'm planning on getting a 32GB, which comes down to (perhaps even lower than) 47 USD.

 

[ezgoer24]

I understand it's a more costly device to manufacture, but that's not the consumer's problem. The OLED and rear touchpad were gratuitous design additions. I definitely agree the vita is one sweet piece of kit, but is there clearly was no demand for such a device...especially at that ridiculous asking price. People are only concerned with its utility, and as it stands, a comparable device does essentially the same thing for considerably less (not to mention the larger library of games). I'm also factoring in the prohibitive memory costs.

There was no demand for 3D on a handheld but Nintendo decided to focus on that instead of providing a screen with a good resolution. At one point 3DS was $250 and you can't get more ridiculous than that, but they eventually wised up and dropped the price. Sony will too but I think its much harder to drop the price given the cost of the components. I think if Sony was the same company they were back in the PS2 era they would have dropped it by now, but financially the company hasn't been doing well so I doubt they will take losses on hardware anymore.

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

So is this the sku?  2095647
 

 

[nixmahn]

There was no demand for 3D on a handheld but Nintendo decided to focus on that instead of providing a screen with a good resolution. At one point 3DS was $250 and you can't get more ridiculous than that, but they eventually wised up and dropped the price. Sony will too but I think its much harder to drop the price given the cost of the components. I think if Sony was the same company they were back in the PS2 era they would have dropped it by now, but financially the company hasn't been doing well so I doubt they will take losses on hardware anymore.

Games sell the system. I have both the vita and 3ds. 3DS has many quality games for it, rehashes but still quality games. You can have quality games without greate hardware. 3DS still has the DS library going for it that are easy and cheap to get. Vita has plus, but those are temporary and require expensive memory cards. The DS and 3DS games can be sold off when they are done with. Old games that are bought digital on the Vita cannot be sold off.

 

[Kekthar]

I love my Vita for the price of $180 (Black Friday AC white vita and 4GB card), but I don't really blame anyone for holding out at $250 plus the ridiculous memory prices.  The sad thing is that it is a really cool piece of tech and has a lot of potential, but I bought it for one game, Persona 4 Golden, and did not touch it til Muramasa came out and to grab Dokuro on PS+ today.  

I do think they'll cut the price to $200 (WiFi) this holiday or next year, but with the amount of people holding out to buy memory, I'm not sure we'll ever see a 32gb card for less than $70 now that a few games like Dragon's Crown and Teraway are hitting this year.  These titles will not move a lot of systems, but if the demand is enough for them to have held out this long on system prices, I can't imagine they'll drop the proprietary memory card values if demand is even slightly going to increase with a few games plus rumored PS4 integration.  I definitely regret not biting on the one sale I saw on a 32GB for around $54, which I believe was earlier this year.  The recent $75 sale still seemed way too expensive.

Anyways, nice find OP.

 

[admiralvic]

I love my Vita for the price of $180 (Black Friday AC white vita and 4GB card), but I don't really blame anyone for holding out at $250 plus the ridiculous memory prices. The sad thing is that it is a really cool piece of tech and has a lot of potential, but I bought it for one game, Persona 4 Golden, and did not touch it til Muramasa came out and to grab Dokuro on PS+ today.

I do think they'll cut the price to $200 (WiFi) this holiday or next year, but with the amount of people holding out to buy memory, I'm not sure we'll ever see a 32gb card for less than $70 now that a few games like Dragon's Crown and Teraway are hitting this year. These titles will not move a lot of systems, but if the demand is enough for them to have held out this long on system prices, I can't imagine they'll drop the proprietary memory card values if demand is even slightly going to increase with a few games plus rumored PS4 integration. I definitely regret not biting on the one sale I saw on a 32GB for around $54, which I believe was earlier this year. The recent $75 sale still seemed way too expensive.

Anyways, nice find OP.

DC is only like a gig, so it's not like it will really prompt people to upgrade to a higher memory size.

 

[gordo789]

I understand it's a more costly device to manufacture, but that's not the consumer's problem. The OLED and rear touchpad were gratuitous design additions. I definitely agree the vita is one sweet piece of kit, but is there clearly was no demand for such a device...especially at that ridiculous asking price. People are only concerned with its utility, and as it stands, a comparable device does essentially the same thing for considerably less (not to mention the larger library of games). I'm also factoring in the prohibitive memory costs.

The rear touchpad maybe, but calling the OLED gratuitous is a bit much. If I didn't already have a Vita, I would be trying to hunt this deal down like nobody's business. The only crappy thing about the Vita IMO is the outrageous memory card prices. If Sony just solved that then it would be such a better value.

 

[guidecenter]

sure is alot of bitching on this thread , i just want to add that this is chicago only , only at this one store , and i got there the next day after post at 1048 AM and literally bought the last one , edging out another guy who was looking for it ather than trying to find a sales guy , i got the lady in DI cameras and hooked the last one

viva la robo-lusion ! 

 

[TooPoor]

I see the HK versions (not knock offs) of Vita memory cards are considerably cheaper, I think the cards are region free, anyone have any experience with those? I'm planning on getting a 32GB, which comes down to (perhaps even lower than) 47 USD.

Bumping this question.

 

[Enuf]

sure is alot of bitching on this thread , i just want to add that this is chicago only , only at this one store , and i got there the next day after post at 1048 AM and literally bought the last one , edging out another guy who was looking for it ather than trying to find a sales guy , i got the lady in DI cameras and hooked the last one

viva la robo-lusion !

OP posted a pic of the signage from that store another store can pm it. It's YMMV for sure but if your willing to get a warranty some stores can be flexible to get the sale. I've done this with CE's that were $100-$150 MSRP but already $35-$50 at other stores outta state.

Had Sony been smarter they could've taken over with the vita all they had to do was treat it like a cellphone. Offer a $100 down $15-$30 per month options w/32 GB mem card & 1 yr PS+. At $100 on launch alot of people would've jumped on the newest thing with the cheapest price point. Along with the AC:L & COD BO bundles Sony would've seen nice sales upfront. With the larger install base more companies would've made more games which would move more systems. The only thing missing at that point would be Sony paying for some true system selling exclusives like GTA & Monster Hunter. Offer bundles like the AC:L & there's the key to success going forward, the PS4 would also gain traction by working with the vita too.

They can still get on track if they could bundle the PS3/vita for $300-$350 w/32GB mem, games & PS+.