PS Vita is an amazing console.

[Zoid]

The week Bloodborne came out they decided to fumigate my building. My family and I stayed over a friend's house for about 3 days. I brought my PS4 and my Vita. Hooked up the PS4 and remote played Bloodborne. It's not how I wanted to experience the game but it had just come out and I couldn't not play it. So I constrained myself to clearing Cainhurst Castle and then helped others get through it.

The Vita will always have a special place in my heart for that. It was a great console with a lot of potential. But Sony wasted it.

 

[Caspar]

It has its flaws but ultimately it's a genuine portable that lets you play the likes of FF Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Vagrant Story, Suikoden II, Ridge Racer Type 4 and Persona 4 on the go, on an OLED display. It's absolutely essential for that reason.

 

[squall23]

I got a used PSTV + games bundle for $40 CDN 3 years ago. That's what I was willing to pay for P4G alone, but eh, a good deal's a good deal.

 

[.exe]

It was a great console with a lot of potential. But Sony wasted it.

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Yeah... There are so many factors that may have made a difference. Not marketing it as a console-like experience, using regular SD cards for storage instead of proprietary memory, having internal storage from the start, a more competitive price, getting rid of that rarely used rear touch pad, etc. I don't know. I want to believe a high-end handheld experience could still be popular. It's my preferred way of playing games, and I wouldn't mind another option aside from the Switch.

 

[Mechaplum]

Hahaha, no.

The analog nubs are horribly placed and caused me instant pain and cramping and I hated the feeling of playing that thing.
I never understood the literal worship that console had - some good games were released but so much stuff was badly designed.

Horrible ugly UI, incredibly expensive memory format, non native resolution on most games... I'm sad murasama and it's DLC are stuck on this.

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Almost as if people's hands can be different.

 

[nny]

Still use it on a daily basis (got a new game in the mail yesterday) - lot of games to go through still. It's also a great piece of tech.

 

[HellofaMouse]

its all fine and dandy until you try using the back touchpad as trigger buttons

 

[Baron Von Beans]

Congratulations, you just got one of the greatest devices made. I use mine daily, still, going all the way back to launch. It's my fave.

 

[Pandora012]

Favorite handheld. Still if there is the option on playing a game on it or switch. It's always gonna be vita. Vita is part of the reason why i love dungeon crawlers and VN games.

 

[fiendcode]

Amazing dpad, but literally everything else regarding controls is a step down from Switch. The memory card mess and significant (and hidden) downclocking really held the system back too. It's native library is okay but also a step down from Switch and really well behind every other 3D capable handheld too (PSP, 3DS, DS). I dunno, homebrew helps some of these issues (mSD storage, overclocking) and makes it a great little emulation/homebrew machine. On it's own merits though it's probably the worst major handheld console platform this century.

 

[Zool]

Amazing dpad, but literally everything else regarding controls is a step down from Switch. The memory card mess and significant (and hidden) downclocking really held the system back too. It's native library is okay but also a step down from Switch and really well behind every other 3D capable handheld too (PSP, 3DS, DS). I dunno, homebrew helps some of these issues (mSD storage, overclocking) and makes it a great little emulation/homebrew machine. On it's own merits though it's probably the worst major handheld console platform this century.

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It's common knowledge that 6 year newer hardware is better than the old device haha

 

[Deleted member 8861]

The Vita is glorious, and its d-pad makes it single-handedly the best way to play GB/GBA/NES/SNES games. It's my favorite console of all time, mostly thanks to its own titles. If you like portability and don't need a game to be exclusive to play it on a Vita, it is great.

 

[Hate]

it was and always will be.

 

[fiendcode]

It's common knowledge that 6 year newer hardware is better than the old device haha

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I'd argue even within the context of their day only both PSP and Switch did everything Vita aspired to much better.

 

[Oniletter]

It honestly has a better screen than the switch

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Neither the 2000 and especially not the 1000 had a better screen than any Switch model. Objectively so.

 

[Sedated]

Best handheld i've ever owned. Not the best in terms of games though. A vita like pc handheld would be nice to see.

 

[Nano-Nandy]

Too bad you bought it 1 month ago instead of when it actually could've matter.

:p

It is a great device. Made it to use SD2Vita and it fave more life to mine since I can install way more games now.

 

[Tabby]

Went from being a great handheld to the best handheld after getting it to work with SD2VITA.

That first generation OLED screen is beautiful.

 

[fiendcode]

Neither the 2000 and especially not the 1000 had a better screen than any Switch model. Objectively so.

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Yeah, brightness, contrast, refresh and color accuracy are all way better on Switch than Vita 2k's LCD. Like no comparison.

I never played with the OLED original model so I can't comment on that.

 

[Deleted member 51539]

You're god damn right.

 

[Oniletter]

Yeah, brightness, contrast, refresh and color accuracy are all way better on Switch than Vita 2k's LCD. Like no comparison.

I never played with the OLED original model so I can't comment on that.

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I have the 1000 and and a first generation Switch with one of those Japan Display panels to compare and they aren't even in the same stratosphere.

"Dat OLED" was better than what the 3DS' came with, but it wasn't even all that great compared to LCDs from 2012 and it's straight trash compared to modern displays like in the Switch. The insane Mura effect by itself should disqualify the screen from being considered good.

 

[Deleted member 16876]

Best handheld ever and it is a shame Sony killed it. I still play it to this day and love everything about it.

I bought a switch a while back and I still feel impressed that the Vita feels more advanced in everything other than the library and missing buttons.

Such a shame they did what they have done after the GOAT that is the PSP. Vita had almost everything I wanted from a PSP 2 but Sony had to fuck it up so bad that we might never get a third. What a shame.

 

[John Frost]

It really is, my favorite handheld.

 

[catboy]

Best handheld ever and it is a shame Sony killed it. I still play it to this day and love everything about it.

I bought a switch a while back and I still feel impressed that the Vita feels more advanced in everything other than the library and missing buttons.

Such a shame they did what they have done after the GOAT that is the PSP. Vita had almost everything I wanted from a PSP 2 but Sony had to fuck it up so bad that we might never get a third. What a shame.

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i don't think that's a "might"

 

[Deleted member 16876]

i don't think that's a "might"

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Eh I wouldn't say it wouldn't happen.

Depending on Sony's plans and how streaming technology advances, I can see them making another handheld. It probably won't be a traditional handheld if it ever happens.

 

[squeakywheel]

Best pure handheld. I love the controls on it plus the oled was amazing at the time. Shame about the lack of Sony 1st party support after Year 1.

 

[Weltall Zero]

I love the Vita so much. I'm pretty much only playing Shovel Knight on Vita lately. :)

 

[Skyfireblaze]

Honestly a Vita 2000 with a OLED screen, L2, L3, R2 and R3 would be even more amazing.

 

[Aadiboy]

Vita has the goat d-pad, fuck the Switch d-pad buttons.

 

[Jon Carter]

I really liked it when I first got it, at launch, but I was so disappointed by the library as time went on that I grew to have a negative view of it. The hardware is great, and I enjoyed a handful of games on it. And though this is a minority opinion, I ended up preferring 3DS/Vita multiplats on the 3DS due to the brighter screen and 3D effect. I'm sure the vast majority of people preferred the nicer graphics and OLED screen, but I just found I was enjoying those games more on the 3DS despite the lower-quality graphics.

I bought a Vita at launch based on my experience with the PSP, but if Sony had made a Vita 2, I wouldn't have bought it unless I knew it was successful and was gonna get a similar library.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Eh I wouldn't say it wouldn't happen.

Depending on Sony's plans and how streaming technology advances, I can see them making another handheld. It probably won't be a traditional handheld if it ever happens.

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Sony gave up on the portable market when they still had a good shot. It's not going to happen unless Nintendo somehow manages to destroy all the incredible momentum they have with the Switch and its eventual successors, and I frankly don't think even Nintendo is capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of such a complete, airtight victory.

 

[Deleted member 16876]

Sony gave up on the portable market when they still had a good shot. It's not going to happen unless Nintendo somehow manages to destroy all the incredible momentum they have with the Switch and its eventual successors, and I frankly don't think even Nintendo is capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of such a complete, airtight victory.

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But the thing is I am not thinking a pure stand alone handheld. More like a side project device that supports PSNow and Remote Play.
I don't see that happning anytime soon but maybe in a decade or so when streaming and the technology in general gets more advanced that such a device can work reliably.

 

[fiendcode]

Eh I wouldn't say it wouldn't happen.

Depending on Sony's plans and how streaming technology advances, I can see them making another handheld. It probably won't be a traditional handheld if it ever happens.

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I feel something more like a PocketStation 2 is more likely than a PSP3.

 

[Matemático]

Sony couldn't support 2 consoles. Even Nintendo couldn't.

 

[Chackan]

That back touchpad, propriety super expensive memory cards, and lack of L2/R2 were big downsides, but other than that it was an amazing handheld with great games!

 

[Weltall Zero]

But the thing is I am not thinking a pure stand alone handheld. More like a side project device that supports PSNow and Remote Play.

I don't see that happning anytime soon but maybe in a decade or so when streaming and the technology in general gets more advanced that such a device can work reliably.

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I think Stadia has made clear how much the public cares for streaming-only consoles. And we're not going to get affordable, stream-capable, on-the-go wireless in the span of a decade.

You can already stream games from PC to Vita or phone, so a dedicated console that can only do that doesn't sound terribly exciting to me, even given a nearly sci-fi mobile infrastructure.

 

[Deleted member 16876]

I think Stadia has made clear how much the public cares for streaming-only consoles. And we're not going to get affordable, stream-capable, on-the-go wireless in the span of a decade.

You can already stream games from PC to Vita or phone, so a dedicated console that can only do that doesn't sound terribly exciting to me, even given a nearly sci-fi mobile infrastructure.

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I would personally prefer a PSP3 but I am just thinking that if hypothetically, Sony were to return to the handheld gaming, that it would be this way. A very cheap device made to be used with your PS6 or 7 for those that want to play on the go. Not something to be a huge seller. To make it more interesting they can add PS Now support so that people can buy it to play on it without a console (that is, if PS Now does become a huge service).

If I had to compare it, think of it like the paddle accesory for the dual shock 4. It is not necessary but an option to those that want more ways to play.

Who knows though, we might get something like this to use with the Switch if the survey they had is any kind of hint. That might be their way of returning to the handheld gaming without "returning".

 

[Scias]

Yes.

 

[John Frost]

Vita has the goat d-pad, fuck the Switch d-pad buttons.

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It feels so good!

 

[Hexer]

I initially bought mine in hopes of playing PSO2 on it (lol). Ended up playing Soul Sacrifice and a little bit of P4Golden and some other random games here and there. Both games are really great, especially Soul Sacrifice. It's probly my fav Vita game. Glad to see SS Delta is in your list OP. Would LOVE a PS4 or PS5 version, it deserved so much more.

 

[Staticneuron]

It's 8 years old and it has 1600 games. It's end of life, but has an enormous amount of games. The 1600 are only native games, then you have: Playstation Mini, Playstation Portable and Playstation 1 games. Could be 2500 in total? Or even more?

I think it has a looooot of good games.

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This is true. I feel like people just repeated this lie so often that the perception of it became truth. Anyone who owns it knows it is totally different. I have awesome Vita titles, PSP games and PS1 games right now on my Vita, it is the best when on the go.

Neither the 2000 and especially not the 1000 had a better screen than any Switch model. Objectively so.

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Outside of resolution, you are damn sure that Oled screen is better. I am still playing on it. The only thing the switch had for it was the size and resolution and even as such, I felt better carrying the vita around because of the size. It is wild because I remember complaining about it before, then the switch came out.

 

[entremet]

I would not call it amazing. I had tons of fun with it, mostly a Spelunky machine for me.

The biggest weakness was that 1st parties never got on board long term (I understand why after the sales results). The launch was great but it never found a dedicated audience. Moreover, unlike the Wii U, Sony did a hard pivot as an indie machine. So we never got a ND game for it. And they were not even interested! At least with the Wii U, we got Nintendo's premier teams on it for a good 4 years.

And recently, my memory card died, losing tons of hours P4G. I later heard that those are notoriously unreliable and cheap (quality not price!). Which sucks since they are expensive and propriety. I'll need to check out the modding options for SD cards.

So it has a mixed legacy for me. Great hardware, so so software support, and a terrible memory card solution.

I honestly don't see how any can prefer it to the Switch. The Switch has big boy third parties (Bethsada, CD Projekt, SNK, Square Enix). It's not perfect obviously. Missing EA and others. But then you add Nintendo's first-party and a very healthy indie scene. It has 4 shoulder buttons, bigger screens, and so on.

The Switch (yes, even the OG big one) is my favorite handheld system by far. It's hard going back to the Vita after getting used to those big Switch screens.

Vitas do feel a bit more solid. They had proper BT support! And much better online. So the Switch is far from perfect.

 

[LightKiosk]

What you detailed sounds more like the PS4 is the amazing console here, and the Vita was simply used as a mirrored screen with controls.

Something that's now capable with our phones and a controller paired to it.

 

[CielYoshi]

I love both my PSVita and my PSTV, with the latter being my go-to for playing PSP games on a big screen.

 

[Spork4000]

Best handheld design, period. The ergonomic is much better than the Switch.

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switch, sure, switch lite? Debatable.

On topic, recently booted up my vita again also. I liked it a lot, but I went back to my switch pretty quickly, I have a pretty big backlog on that, my PS4 and my PC to get too. I'd like to go back to finish some of the games I had it, but only so many hours in the day.

 

[AusGeno]

The lack of L2/R2 triggers was a hardware limitation that could never be truly overcome imo and had more impact on it's success than the proprietary memory imo.

The Switch is the real Vita 2.

 

[mrkapawutzis]

And the fact that you can pair your Bluetooth headphones without needing a dongle makes it perfect for portability.

 

[MegaManTrigger]

This is true. I feel like people just repeated this lie so often that the perception of it became truth. Anyone who owns it knows it is totally different. I have awesome Vita titles, PSP games and PS1 games right now on my Vita, it is the best when on the go.

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It is exaggerated, but so is the post you responded too. Saying 1600 games as if they're all 100% quality titles, is disingenuous at best. The issue with the Vita is that it doesn't have the quality of library that Nintendo Switch has (or the 3DS for that matter), so it's not going to appeal to a wide audience. In fact, a lot of the Vita releases in recent years before discontinuation were either indies, anime games, or ports.

I love my vita but even I admit that I wish it had better ergonomics or that Sony had better quality games for it.

 

[Deleted member 60989]

Ah... my Vanillaware and MGS trilogy-on-the-go machine. 😍 The 2000 design is so good, and that clicky d-pad... 🤤

 

[Elephant]

This console was SO close to being great. It should have been great. Unfortunately no one bought it for various reasons (Memory card price was a big one!)

If people bought it, it would have been supported from a software standpoint, but Sony shot themselves in the foot.

A damn shame, because it's a damn fine console.