If it wasn't before, it's clear now that the PS Vita is on the way out. Sony has revealed plans to wind down production in Japan soon, essentially condemning the handheld to death. There's no precise date for this halt to production yet, but the PS Vita's days are certainly numbered regardless.
Yesterday, Nintendo announced that a new Nintendo Direct broadcast centered around upcoming games for the 3DS and Switch. The original plan was to premiere the Direct today, September 6, at 3 PM Pacific/6 PM Eastern. Unfortunately, Nintendo has decided to delay the debut of this Direct due to a earthquake that hit Hokkaido, Japan last night.
It's the end of an era for Sony and the PlayStation 2, as the company has revealed that it will be ending its PS2 repair program in Japan. That repair program is being ended nearly two decades after the console first launched, which is pretty ridiculous when you think about it. Then again, the PlayStation 2 found unprecedented success, so the idea that Sony would support it for so long after release shouldn't really come as a shock.
Apple is making a very generous offer of good will for its customers in Japan. The last month has seen the country's southwestern region plagued by flooding and landslides caused by heavy seasonal rainfall, resulting in millions of evacuations, damage to buildings and homes, and over 200 deaths. As a way of extending its sympathies to Japanese residents, Apple has announced free repairs for any iPhones, Macs, iPads, and iPods damaged in the flooding.
It appears that Japan's private rocket industry still has ways to go before it catches up with the US's SpaceX and Blue Origin. On Saturday, the Japanese startup Interstellar Technologies attempted to launch its MOMO-2 rocket, only for the vehicle to come crashing down in the seconds after liftoff and burst into flames. The incident took place on the northern island of Hokkaido, was the second launch attempt by Interstellar Technologies.
![Japan found a cube rock in space [WATCH: LIVE FEED]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dice.jpg)
Japan's space mission Hayabusa2 just got real close to an asteroid whose shape becomes more interesting with each new view. On June 3rd, this spacecraft was 3100km away from this asteroid, and today Japan delivered a photo from just about 40km. The asteroid was code-named Ryugu by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and today we're seeing this die-shaped rock up as close as any human's ever gotten before.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be powered entirely by renewable energy, the organizing committee behind the event has announced. In addition, the organization has committed to using services that will ultimately result in 99-percent of goods from the games being either reused or recycled. Assuming these ambitious goals are fully met, it will be an unprecedented change for the Olympics.
Some cars simply epitomize their makers, and the Toyota Century is just such a vehicle. The Japanese-only luxury sedan has become a mainstay of executive transportation since it debuted in 1967, a singularly unique play for very specific local tastes. Now, Toyota has given the Century its first complete redesign in more than two decades.
It's possibly every traveler's worst nightmare: that perfect, affordable Airbnb you booked gets unexpectedly cancelled. Now it's the headache facing thousands of visitors to Japan, with Airbnb forced by the government to axe upcoming reservations over a new registration process.
The Nintendo Switch is so popular that your sibling or maybe even your parents might want one of their own. Especially with the family subscription for the Switch Online service nearly in full force. But with one Switch already in the family, the purchase of additional consoles could easily get out of hand. Nintendo's solution is a more affordable "second set" Nintendo Switch bundle that lacks some essential accessories. Unfortunately, there might be too many caveats to make it worthwhile for some aspiring owners.
Earlier this week, Sony dealt a blow that we all knew was coming. The company revealed to developers that it will stop producing physical game cartridges for the PS Vita, a move that marks the beginning of the end for the handheld in a lot of ways. While Sony might be ready sunset the PS Vita in the US and Europe, it looks like the handheld is being saved from a similar fate in Japan.
Almost everyone knows how popular Nintendo's NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Edition have been over the last two years, with the miniature, pre-loaded consoles selling out almost as soon as they hit shelves. It seems Sega has finally wised up and decided to get in on the trend, as the Japanese game company has unveiled the "Mega Drive Mini," a tiny version of its iconic 16-bit console — known as the Genesis in the US.