PROS:
- Incredible gaming
- Solid construction
- Brilliant screen
- Dual analogue sticks
CONS:
- There's a learning curve
- No internal storage
- Proprietary-tastic
- That browser!
Update: The PlayStation Vita is languishing. In a recent interview Sony senior vice president Masayasu said that there are no first-party titles in development for the PS Vita .
Original review below...
The PS Vita is the most powerful, dazzling and impressive handheld games console ever built.
It packs not one but two quad-core processors, a sparkling 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, dual analogue stick controls and games that go way beyond what any other portable device is currently capable of.
PS Vita starter kit
PS Vita Starter Kit
That includes the Nintendo 3DS , which may wield 3D optics as its trump card, but nonetheless simply cannot compete with the Vita in terms of graphical fidelity. What the PlayStation Vita offers is more akin to a home console experience on the move, and that puts it in an elite class of one.
Of course, whether or not there is a big market for such a device is an interesting question, and we're in the process of getting some early answers. A sluggish start in Japan has been followed by some less-than-stellar sales figures in the first weeks of its International launch. It doesn't come as much of a surprise.
After all, it's a luxury item launching post-Christmas into a Western world ravaged by financial floundering, and further hindered by Sony's desperate need to make money at a time when the strength of the Yen makes exported Japanese products very expensive.
Take a look at PS Vita gameplay footage, the new interface and touch controls in our vide
The dual analogue sticks are perhaps smaller than you might imagine - especially if you're used to the DualShock 3 controller - but they're easy to master and offer the kind of very precise inputs that most hardcore gamers will demand.
Combine this with the ability to literally move the console around in the air in order to change your in-game view, and you've got a device that will respond to the smallest twitch of your thinnest muscle fibres.
sammyg
It's not all about the hardcore gamer though.
Take a game like Escape Plan. It has a dark children's cartoon vibe as you guide little claymation-type characters past a series of slicing, electrocuting death traps. What stops it becoming a simple platform puzzler are its lovely animations and touch controls that have you jabbing and swiping at the screen. You can even 'pinch' the little heroes using the front and rear pad together to make them run.
Rear touchpad
And that brings us on nicely to that rear touchpad. It's one of the things that makes the Vita unique - basically you can control many of the games by touching the back of the screen with your fingertips. It's an idea that's not been tried before and takes a good bit of getting used to.
vita
In truth, we're not totally sold on its ability to enhance rather than confuse, but we do think that this is more to do with the launch games' implementation of the input rather than the design itself.
For instance, in FIFA Football, if your player is in a shooting position, you can choose to shoot in the normal way by lining your player up and using square or circle to send the ball goalwards, or you can touch and hold your finger on the rear touchpad.
ps vita fifa football
The idea is that you imagine the entire rectangular touchpad as the goal, and you put your finger on the spot you want to aim for, and hold it there for however long you think will charge up the right amount of power. It's not easy to master. At all. But when you get it right, it's very rewarding.
For any FIFA players used to the traditional controls, it's a very big change and we had to force ourselves to use the rear touchpad instead of going with what we were used to. The lack of finger triggers under the shoulder buttons is also jarring for anyone playing familiar PS3-like titles so whether it be FIFA or Uncharted, you'll be needing to learn and get used to some new control methods.
But we imagine that as developers gradually get a handle on their new craft, the implementations of these different inputs will be refined to the point where each game makes the best use of the hardware available, instead of using a bit of everything just for the sake of it.
uncharted
For example, in Uncharted: Golden Abyss , to give a buddy a boost up to a ledge, you'll need to swipe up on the front touchscreen. And because the screen is so big, that will usually mean letting go of the other controls with one hand. Stretching your fingers to the correct points on both touch surfaces can be a bit of a challenge and will be more so the smaller your hands are. It's a pain.
We'd prefer to not have to use the touchscreen for things like that as it felt more like a chore than fun. Remember though, that's a criticism of the game, not the console.
And we're not saying that most of the games are frustrating and unplayable, either. Far from it. Uncharted is one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive game ever released on a mobile device. The graphical fidelity of its jungles nearly rivals those even in the first Uncharted game (Drake's Fortune) on PS3 - which is admittedly looking very dated now compared to its two sequels.Storytelling, voice acting, graphics, sound effects, music, score - it's all absolutely brilliant and the mind boggles at what might be possible with this console further down the line.
Some people will tell you you'd be better off just buying an iPod touch and playingAngry Birds , but if you want to play epic games like this, there's only one console in the running and it's called PlayStation Vita.
The PS Vita is the most spectacular mobile games console ever conjured by humankind.
It improves on its PSP predecessors in every conceivable way and has a lasting appeal that has perhaps been lacking in the Nintendo 3DS since its launch.
PS Vita starter kit
PS Vita Starter Kit
Much depends on the games of course, but as a hardware device the Vita is spectacular. We don't think it's even that expensive. That sentence might get under some people's skin, but have you seen how much the iPhone 4S costs right now? It's £500 for the 16GB version.
Mobile devices are expensive. This is cutting edge technology we're talking about here, and you get what you pay for, it's as simple as that. It's a massive shame that lots of every day folks can't afford to snaffle one (us included!) but compared to many devices, the Vita is not that pricey.
It's already been discounted online to £209.99 and you can bet that price will drop further if they don't fly off the shelves, so if you think the price is a little high, bide your time and it'll come to you.
We liked:
The hardware is as cutting edge as it comes. There are some extremely powerful innards at play here, and as soon as you fire up a copy of Uncharted, you'll see what your money has bought you.
The screen is a joy to behold and we love that Sony went for an OLED panel instead of an LCD. The colours are more vivid and the brightness is stunning. In a couple of years time, the extra cost will have been worth it for sure.
The build quality is also first rate - it would take some serious abuse to harm the Vita, though we'd advise you buy a protective case anyway - a set of keys in the wrong pocket could ruin that lovely screen quicker than you can say "ain't no Gorilla Glass!"
The launch games are numerous and on the whole excellent. FIFA Football will delight any fans of the franchise and no doubt some PES gamers will be lured in as well. Uncharted is the undoubted launch king though, and you really should think about picking up a copy at some point - we hope the price comes down soon.
We disliked:
Battery life is the main one. It's a tough debate because with that much power on board, what are you going to do? Reduce the power of the system or just put up with charging it more often? Sony has found some kind of balance, but ultimately there is no escaping the disappointment on this score.
The lack of internal storage is another black mark in our book. Sony is really letting its loyal fanbase down here - it sucks that the Vita comes with a hidden cost. We can only imagine how many people will buy the console without realising they'll need to buy a memory card to get the most out of it.
The web browser is the other biggy. It's a software problem though, so we can only hope that Sony will sort it out as soon as possible. We'll update the review as soon as the magic firmware update arrives that solves this little bug but until that day arrives, the browser remains a bit of a stinker.
Verdict:
It's an absolutely brilliant handheld gaming console, held back from true greatness by a few small niggles. Said niggles will no doubt become less of a big deal over time - and the likes of Amazon are already selling the console for less than its list price.
Hardcore gamers with cash to spend should snap this monster up and fire up the big launch games with great haste.
For anyone else, it's a case of working out if you think it's worth it. If you just want to play 99p puzzle games, by all means stick to your mobile phone or tablet. But don't be fooled into thinking that your iPod is anywhere near capable of what the Vita can offer, because it's not. Vita is one of a kind.
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