Sony has denied earlier reports that the company has stopped all first party-game development on the Playstation Vita.

In a lengthy interview with Gamespot during Paris Games Week, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida discussed the handheld gaming device's future in the Playstation family.

'I've been pretty honest saying our focus has shifted to PS4 and PlayStation VR, it's not like we don't have any development at all. We do, but our focus is on PS4 and PlayStation VR, and we are happy to see third-parties and Indies support it.' Said Yoshida.

When pressed on whether or not the Vita has a future in 2016 and beyond, Yoshida responded saying: 'Yeah I do, I do, but we have to see. Nowadays, still people are excited and using Vita very frequently, it's a great portable gaming system. As long as there is a demand, why not.'

Two weeks ago, Sony Computer Entertainment senior vice president Masayasu Ito told Japanese site 4Gamers (via IGN) that the company had ceased all in-house Vita development to focus on the Playstation 4.

"Currently, first-party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita," he said. "Since third-parties are working very hard on PS Vita, SCE's own strategy is to focus on PS4, which is a new platform.

"At the beginning the PS Vita did not resonate with age targets under 20, but now the situation is changing and the popularity with younger demographics is increasing. Minecraft: PS Vita Edition has provided a boost."

"In addition to that, a variety of third party games is also planned for the future, and in order to further accelerate that flow, we decided to release new colors for the PS Vita this fall."

The Vita launched in 2012 as the successor to Sony's PlayStation Portable. Despite its robust tech specifications and gaming pedigree, it's failed to gain a foothold in a mobile market dominated by smartphones and tablets.