I have a confession; I’m a gadget whore. If it plugs into a wall, it’s shiny, and has an “on” switch I probably have bought it or lusted over it at some point. Handheld systems fall into this realm and I’ve owned just about every one since the Game Boy. The problem is - I never give them the love they deserve - despite every intention of getting my money’s worth. I think part of the problem I’ve always had was most "portable" games just felt like an incomplete package and the systems they ran on a bit shallow. My expectation of them was too high as I wanted the console like experience. Sony’s PlayStation Vita may be a game changer for me, it feels like a portable console and the games have the same quality and swagger as their bigger console brothers.
It’s hard to play the Vita and not think, “ya know, this is what the PSP was originally hyped up to be.” Perhaps technology just wasn’t quite there back in 2005. Perhaps Sony was trying too hard to compete with Nintendo. It’s clear that the Vita isn’t trying to compete with iPod games or even Nintendo 3DS titles. Phone games are a completely different market, quality and price point. Instead Sony has done what Sony does best, make an incredible sexy piece of hardware and filled it with the technology to support it.
My physical launch line up. Notice the plastic wrap on a certain game? Yeah.
The screen is obviously the center point of the system and it’s absolutely gorgeous. While the screen might not feature an HD resolution, I’m not sure you could tell the difference, everything looks crisp on it. Colors are vibrant, viewing angles are solid, and the touch screen responsiveness is exactly as you’d expect. While your eyes are assaulted with beauty your ears should be pleased by the system’s speakers, which pump out some pretty decent spatial sound.
Sony is touting the dual analog stick functionality of the system as the second coming, and as great as that is, it should be expected from gamers. Modern console games simply require this kind of input, so to omit it from the design would have been a have been a huge mistake, just ask any 3DS owner who had begrudgingly purchased a Circle Pad Pro. Overall the layout of the controls are comfortable, though there is a baffling decision when it comes to the touch screen - namely it’s the only method of input on certain things. This goes for the main interface and the menus of several games, forcing you to take your hand off the controls, move it to the touch screen to navigate, and then back to the controls. Honestly, it’s a minor thing, but supporting both d-pad/stick navigation along with the touch screen just seems more natural.
The game's launch pages includes some slick options like one touch web search.
The OS itself is fairly impressive, supporting a light level of multi-tasking and including a notification system similar to Android phones for things like friends, Trophies, and Near notifications (more on that later). In the top right there’s a little bubble that’ll tell you of any impending notifications, simply touch it to display a scrollable list with actions tied to the items in it. While the touch bubble navigation leaves a bit to be desired in terms of looks and functionality, the Vita uses a more blade-like approach as you launch your games and apps. You can simply swipe through tiles that represent games and applications to see what’s running and touch again to launch. This works great for games themselves, which allow you to press the PlayStation Button to pause it at any time - go to another action - then come back and resume right where you left off without even a hiccup or slowdown. Another slick feature is the “home” tile for each game which displays links to the manual for the game, some recent actions within the game or challenges presented from online, as well as a screen of the state of the game in which you left it.
It's easy to see what friends have been doing (if you want) with the notification bubble.
The OS itself has a few “native” apps worth talking about. The first is the Party App - which is extremely similar to Xbox Live’s party system. It runs on top of everything else, allows up to eight friends to chat via voice and text, as well as allows them to play the same or different games while socializing. This is a hidden gem in the system for co-op gamers. Why? Every system is equipped with a built in microphone, this means you’ll be able to voice chat in ANY GAME and ACROSS games - something that is one of the greatest criticisms of the PlayStation 3.
I had quite a few people with Vita's already in my suburban Pennsylvannia neighborhood.
The other application that’s great for co-op gamers is something called NEAR. Near allows you to see what people around you are doing or playing. Think of it like Street Pass meets 4Square. You check in with Near, it uploads what you’ve been playing and your location and then gets everyone else within a few miles that’s doing the same and tells you where you match up. Games can support extensions of Near by allowing you to trade items or leave gifts for other folks. Best of all it’s an easy way to see gamers that are close to you for Ad-Hoc or online gaming.
Speaking of online gaming, our Vita unit is the 3G/Wi-Fi combo unit - but I’m not quite sure yet what the 3G is actually for other than GPS check-ins and getting friends list info on PSN. Most games don’t allow you to play via 3G and most items won’t download over 3G because of a 20MB cap on them. So if you were hoping to squeeze in a few races of Wipeout 2048 on your train ride to work, you can forget about it. On top of this, it should be noted that you’ll need to pay at least $15 a month for data access. I just don’t see how this feature is really warranted at this point.
Size comparison left to right: Vita Game, Vita Memory Card (in retail packaging), US Penny
The games themselves are all available digitally on PSN or via retail. The retail games come on an SD-like card and cost around $40 while the digital versions are stored on Sony branded media and are about 10% off the retail price. This media is a lot like micro-SD but is on average about twice as expensive. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Sony has done this again with one of their devices, but they did. Basically you are paying more just because they want to keep this proprietary.
There’s a few other bells and whistles included. There’s a front facing and rear facing camera, both which takes pictures and video in pretty low quality. I’m kind of surprised there’s no video chat app built in, but with video recording just being added via firmware, it’s probably only a matter of time. The system also offers a web browser, but it feels a bit slow and clunky. While webpages seem to load at acceptable speeds, the actual rendering of the pages is choppy.
The web browser is functional, but not great.
Battery life is always a bullet point when it comes to mobile gaming. The Vita claims about 3-5 hours of battery life. I managed to squeeze 4 hours plus on a single charge with the Vita, and that includes playing some four player co-op Dungeon Hunter Alliance via PSN for 90 minutes. For the most part, it feels like a solid 5-6 hours of use between gaming, browsing, chatting, and just using the system.
And finally we've come to price. It's the deciding factor for a lot of folks and you've got two models here two choose from. Like we said earlier, right now we're not sure if the $50 premium Fees make the 3G model worth it at $299.99, but at $249.99 the Wi-Fi only model is a solid deal. Of course you are going to need to tack on the cost of at least one memory card, as most games require it, bringing your total closer to $300. $300 for a handheld might seem like a lot, but in the days of expensive smart phones and tablets, the sting somehow feels a bit less.
Ok, so what’s the bottom line with the Vita? It’s my absolute favorite handheld by far. More than my DS, my PSP Go, and even my iPad. The system feels like a modern gaming console should, the graphics are absolutely a treat in almost every game, and the online functionality offers a ton of potential. I find myself bringin my Vita to work everyday to play during lunch breaks. There’s a solid launch line up out there and the next few months looks spattered with some truly solid titles. If you’re a console gamer that’s always been turned off by portable gaming, the Vita is going to change your mind.
Game Reviews (Co-Op)
Game Reviews (Non Co-Op)
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Super Stardust: Delta
Lumines: Electronic Symphony
Wipeout 2048
Amazon.com Widgets