The PS Vita gas been with us for some time now, after releasing to strong reviews from the likes of Engadget and TechRadar in early 2012.
But at just over R2,800 for a 3G and WiFi enabled version, is it worth buying yet?
We look at what the handheld platform has to offer and the direction it might be heading in the future in a bid to help those of you who are on the fence about which handheld system to purchase.
The Good
Powerful hardware
The PS Vita is a powerful gaming device and boasts all the bells and whistles you could hope for from something that fits into your pocket.
It comes with a 5-inch touchscreen, back touch pad, dual analogue sticks, and a punchy 4-core processor.
The visuals the Vita produces are stunning, with a crystal clear display, and great multi-tasking capabilities.
PlayStation Plus
Another positive with the Vita is that, with PlayStation Plus, you are guaranteed to get free games every month.
The games have been pretty good so far, with Sony avoiding dishing out titles that received largely negative reviews.
This month’s free games for the Vita are Muramasa Rebirth (78 on Metacritic) and Everybody’s Golf (7/10 on Eurogamer).
The games
That said, while the platform hasn’t been delivering as many must-have titles as we’d like, the Vita has had some great titles on it, including LittleBigPlanet (88 on Metacritic) and Tearaway (87 on Metacritic).
If you are into Indie games, though, this platform is a must have – there are currently over 40 Indie games in development for the Vita.
The Bad
Storage restrictions
One of the problems I have encountered with the Vita is that my storage space ran out very quickly, even with a 32GB card.
The games are around 1.4GB – 3.3GB in size, excluding patches, updates and DLC.
Killzone: Mercenary, for example, takes up 3GB of space, thanks to 2 post-launch updates of 1.5GB each. This means that after you accumulate 5 games, it’s time to delete and transfer data.
The only option is to buy another card, and they are not cheap: a 32GB costs just over R700.
Living in the shadow of the PS4
The line-up for the Vita at the moments is looking rather dry.
Yes, Borderlands 2 is a must-have, but in terms of exclusivity, there is not much on offer.
The focus of developers at the moment is set on the next-gen consoles, and there is no guarantee the Vita will ever see much of the spotlight again.
The Remote Play feature is nifty, but it does not make the Vita a must-have. What Sony has planned for the handheld system, we cannot say for sure.
The Verdict
Buy if you:
- Like Indie games;
- Have a PS4 and want to use Remote Play;
- Want to reap the benefits of the PS+.
Don’t buy if you:
- Expect great games to be released frequently;
- Are deciding between as Vita and a PS4 (get the PS4);
- Don’t like indie games.
What do the PS Vita owners have to say about their pint-sized gaming platform? Let us know in the comments and forum.
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