{"id":74562,"date":"2015-04-21T16:00:13","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T14:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=74562"},"modified":"2015-04-22T12:41:14","modified_gmt":"2015-04-22T10:41:14","slug":"basic-buyers-guide-handhelds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/features\/74562-basic-buyers-guide-handhelds","title":{"rendered":"Basic Buyer&#8217;s Guide: Handhelds"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With load shedding as prevalent as it is at the moment, it&#8217;s probably a smart idea to look for an alternative to your home console or PC to game on. The hope is that handhelds should occupy you while the power is out at home, or at least for a good portion of that time. But what handheld? What should I get, and why? This Buyer\u2019s Guide should assist with the basic handheld purchasing needs, be it hardware, video games or consoles.<\/p>\n<p>So what are the most realistic and reliable options? To be blunt, South Africa doesn&#8217;t offer much in the way of variety, and exotic tech is in limited supply to say the least. So our options are generally the PS Vita, 3DS and a couple of the more capable smartphones.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">The Competition<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If we&#8217;re talking sheer numbers, smart devices like smartphones outnumber dedicated handheld gaming consoles many times over. Everyone owns one, be it an iPhone, iPad, Android device or a Windows Mobile device. In fact, there are so many to choose from that it often becomes rather difficult to decide which.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Nr0_byEB3bo\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>PlayStation Vita<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sony\u2019s current flagship handheld gaming device. The PlayStation Vita is a great piece of hardware, and sports a small yet solid library of titles, supports cross-play on the PS4, and with your PlayStation Plus subscription, you will never need to buy another game again.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Nintendo 3DS<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Also known as the \u201cNew\u201d Nintendo 3DS, with Nintendo having recently released a brand new hardware revision that boasts a faster CPU, NFC support and an analogue nub. The 3DS stays true to Nintendo\u2019s ethics and offers a very approachable OS that is a bit on the parental side. It&#8217;s games, however, are fantastic, the new 3D facial recognition software is really accurate and it&#8217;s got a few other tricks up its sleeve.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWGfQ21_b0Q\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Smart Devices<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When purchasing a new piece of hardware, it&#8217;s always important to take a few things into consideration: Price, battery, storage, etc. Let&#8217;s take the best smartphones currently on the market and compare them to their biggest competition, themselves.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table\" style=\"height: 457px;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Device<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Battery<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Storage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>RAM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Screen<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Platform<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Price<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Contract<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"68\">iPhone 6 Plus<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">Up to 10 Hour Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"88\">16GB\/32GB\/128GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"43\">1 GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">5.5 inch 1080&#215;1920 LED<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">iOS<\/td>\n<td width=\"116\">R11.399|R12.999|R14.999<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">+\/- R680 pm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"68\">Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">Up to 6 Hour Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"88\">16GB\/32GB\/128GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"43\">3GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">51 inch 1440&#215;2560 AMOLED<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">Android 5.0.2 Lollipop<\/td>\n<td width=\"116\">R11.999 |R15.999<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">+\/- R680 pm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"68\">Sony Xperia Z3<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">Up to 8 Hour Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"88\">16GB\/32GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"43\">3GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">5.2 IPS 1080&#215;1920 LCD<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">Android 5.0.2 Lollipop<\/td>\n<td width=\"116\">R10.999<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">+\/- R550 pm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"68\">HTC One (M8)<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">Up to 8 Hour Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"88\">16GB\/32GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"43\">2GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">5.0 Super LCD3 1080&#215;1920<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">Android 5.0 Lollipop<\/td>\n<td width=\"116\">R5.999<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">+\\- R500 pm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"68\">Nokia Lumia 640 XL<\/td>\n<td width=\"61\">Up to 9 Hour Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"88\">8GB\/ Micro SD up to 128GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"43\">1GB<\/td>\n<td width=\"80\">5.7 720&#215;1280 IPS LCD<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">Windows Phone 8.1<\/td>\n<td width=\"116\">R6.999<\/td>\n<td width=\"66\">N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Why Smart Devices?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are games out there that aren&#8217;t <em>Candy Crush<\/em>, believe me. iOS boasts a great library of \u201cexclusive to the App Store\u201d titles like <em>Vainglory<\/em>, <em>Pirate Plunder<\/em>, the <em>Bioshock<\/em> port and <em>Bastion<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Android has its Play Store which never fails to impress. Games like <em>Modern Combat 3<\/em>, <em>Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft<\/em>, <em>Plants vs. Zombies<\/em> and <em>Sonic Dash<\/em> are some of the games you should probably check out.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Zc6BFZ-RVao\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sure, it&#8217;s possible to stick to those pick-up-and-play titles like <em>Candy Crush Soda<\/em>, <em>Temple Run<\/em> and that darn <em>Kim Kardashian <\/em>game, but if you are looking for a more hardcore experience, know that it is available.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>App prices vary from app to app. Some apps will see you paying a good R100 for, while others will have a R20 price tag. There are also an absurd amount of free-to-play games that offer in-game purchases too. Compared to a retail video game for the PlayStation Vita or Nintendo 3DS, this would be the cheaper route to go, but if you want a more hardcore gaming experience that offers better value for money, stick with the handhelds.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/21EzMdR8jH4\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Why Dedicated Gaming Handhelds?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Then we have our dedicated handheld gaming devices. These offer a solid gaming experience no matter what you&#8217;re looking for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Device<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Battery<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Storage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>RAM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Screen<\/strong><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#CCCCCC\"><strong>Price<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"102\">PlayStation Vita<\/td>\n<td width=\"103\">Up to 5 Hours Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"104\">8GB \u2013 32GB propriety memory card<\/td>\n<td width=\"99\">512MB<\/td>\n<td width=\"102\">5 inch 960&#215;544 OLED\/ LED<\/td>\n<td width=\"91\">R2199.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"102\">New Nintendo 3DS XL<\/td>\n<td width=\"103\">Up to 7 Hours Gaming<\/td>\n<td width=\"104\">4GB \u2013 32GB Micro SD<\/td>\n<td width=\"99\">128MB<\/td>\n<td width=\"102\">4.88 inch 320&#215;800 LCD \/ 4.18 inch LCD<\/td>\n<td width=\"91\">R2999.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Games for the PlayStation Vita range from R200.00 \u2013 R400.00, depending on the game. The PlayStation Store offers a quick way to purchase titles and they are often cheaper than retail. I will be frank and say that the PlayStation Vita is now a dedicated indie console, with so many indie titles being released for it virtually weekly. You will come across the odd first party title like <em>Killzone: Mercenary<\/em> and<em> Tearaway<\/em>, games that really showcase the device\u2019s capabilities, but right now there aren\u2019t many of those. And there won&#8217;t be too many more either.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1c4xHskYHns\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A Nintendo 3DS title goes for around R400.00 \u2013 R500.00, depending on the game. First party titles in the Nintendo eShop are close to R450.00 and they will always stay at that price. The Nintendo eShop offers some great indie games to get your hands on too. The highlight of owning a Nintendo platform is the ability to play Nintendo\u2019s first party titles. There are quite a number of them, and they never fail to impress in terms of quality and substance.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Are dedicated, portable gaming consoles even relevant?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>New smartphones release with alarming frequency. It&#8217;s unfortunate, but it&#8217;s because of that, that handhelds offer longer lifespans and value throughout said lifespan. It&#8217;s funny but the relative infrequency that portable consoles are released at, something that should deem them irrelevant relatively quickly in the market place, keeps them viable.<\/p>\n<p>Reliable, predictable hardware that developers gain experience in over the lifespan of the console means continually improved performance. It also means a guaranteed audience, which means an easier investment for developers. That&#8217;s why portable gaming consoles get the good stuff, or at least for the moment anyway. Now that the 3DS has received a new, improved version, expect it to stick around for few years more. And while the <a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/news\/74566-a-new-playstation-vita-model-is-trademarked.html\">PS Vita 3000<\/a> might not be the answer to entering new markets for Sony, the console is more than good enough already. It just needs the software support.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"my-4\"><strong>The Smartphone vs. Handheld Debate<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Granted, a smartphone, or any smart device for that matter, can do a lot more than just gaming. But making your decision always comes down to what type of gamer are you? If you are happy with the odd free-to-play title, even if they lack any real substance, then a smartphone is for you. Gaming on smartphones has come a long way, but AAA smart device titles often require the same sort of monetary investment a portable console game does. But that trend will not remain that way for long. Games like <a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/news\/74183-mobius-final-fantasy-looks-too-good-to-be-a-smartphone-title.html\"><em>Mobius Final Fantasy<\/em><\/a>, from Square Enix, aim to prove that smart devices have what it takes to do full-throttle gaming.<\/p>\n<p>Given the chance and what you know, which handheld console would you purchase, and why? Or, if they&#8217;re not the solution for you, let us know. What are your thoughts on the current mobile consoles? What improvements need to be made to the next iterations? Or are smartphones just too versatile to be beaten? Let us know.<\/p>\n<p>And keep your eyes out for a more advanced guide that covers some of the other options out there in the near future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s a quick, basic Buyer&#8217;s Guide to buying the mobile gaming platform of choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213,"featured_media":74564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[153,947,3180,13612,531,527],"class_list":["post-74562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-3ds","tag-android","tag-feature","tag-handhelds","tag-ios","tag-ps-vita"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74562"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74612,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74562\/revisions\/74612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}