Playstation Vita

[Gamereviewgod]

Okay, so we're just making a visual assessment. Just making sure that I wasn't missing something in the OS that would report stats of what resolution the game was running at.

No, nothing internal. Wasn't anything I picked up on until I saw something running native.

[Bojay1997]

No, nothing internal. Wasn't anything I picked up on until I saw something running native.

Hasn't Eurogamer among other sites been doing their own analysis using external devices? I'm pretty sure you're visual analysis is similar to what they found.

[Slipdeath]

Hopefully I get a quick response (before GS closes), I need the opinions of the Vita guys. I've decided to purchase a Vita, but not whether to save some money by buying it used or buy it new. What are some pros and cons of both?

[NayusDante]

A used one might have cosmetic damage. Also, make sure it includes the charger and (if you care about them at all) the AR cards.

Don't hold me to this, but I think GameStop has a pretty good return policy on used hardware. Check with them on that before you buy one. If you find out that one of the analog sticks is dead or the rear touchpad is always registering input, you don't want to be stuck with it.

Also, see if it has a screen protector already on it. If it does, look for any scratches underneath it without actually removing it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

A used one might have cosmetic damage.

Yeah, and the Vita's mirror finish plastic scratches pretty easily.

I had mine in a case that had those elastic bands that stretch over the system to keep it from falling out and they rubbed some fine micro-scratches into the finish ... which prompted me to snip them out with a scissors.

So, if the previous owner doesn't treat the system with a delicate touch, expect the potential for scratches.

[WCP]

Well, I ended up getting a Vita today. A guy on Craigslist was selling a 3G Vita for $250. I offered him $190 and surprisingly he accepted. I honestly didn't want a 3G vita, I just wanted the regular Wi-Fi. I'm slightly concerned about battery usage in regards to the 3G models. I know that you can turn the 3G off, but sometimes there is still a slight drain of the battery in regards to that, and that would really suck. 3G's weigh slightly more than the Wi-Fi models, but it's imperceptible. At least it appears to be. Still, $190 straight up isn't a bad deal. The guy took great care of the thing. It was absolutely immaculate. He said that everything was perfect with it. I tried all the buttons out and everything appears to be working just fine.

Unfortunately, that $190 deal didn't include anything else. Just the Vita and the charger cable. No memory card or anything else.

The good news, is that I had found this other guy on Craigslist that was selling a 32 gig Vita memory card for $80. I offered that guy $69, and he accepted. I met this other guy about 15 minutes after just getting the Vita from the first guy. Got the memory card, which was brand new, factory sealed. Popped it into the Vita just to make sure it's legit, and everything was cool. Dude somehow ended up with a second 32 gig card that he didn't need. $69 is a lot to pay for a memory card, but considering they go for $100 on Amazon, saving $31 is nice indeed. I honestly won't be purchasing all that much in the way of downloadable games (I like to resell things), but I like the fact that I have the big 32 gig card, and I can download tons of demos and not have to be worried about erasing things, etc, etc. The 4 gig cards kinda seem like a waste, and the 8 gigs are pretty small too. The 16 gig is way overpriced, imo.

Anywho, I'm currently downloading all the demos and can't wait to try some of the games. :)

[NayusDante]

My 8Gb card seems to stay about half full. A lot of the demos are only 200Mb or so, and I delete them when I'm done. I have two demos, Motorstorm RC, Killzone Liberation, Little Big Planet, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War (thanks PSN sale), and I have 3.5Gb free. That's more than enough for me to carry around. I'm sticking with retail box games as well, so all I need a card for is PSP games and demos. Heck, I could get by with a 4Gb card. If I ever run out of space, I may just get one of those for cheap.

In agreement with a lot of the reviews I've read, it seems to be designed for people who already own a PS3. If you DO download all your games from PSN, just keep them on your (most likely) larger PS3 hard drive and only take with you what you're playing at the moment.

I don't know about you guys, but I think Remote Play is still useless. There's not much you can play, and it's too laggy to play anything well. I can't play Mega Man X4 with off timing. It's a neat gimmick, but it's not as polished as it could be. If the Wii U controller streaming doesn't perform better, then I'm worried. Scaling seems off too. My biggest complaint so far is the lack of scaling options for non-Vita content. I just want centered, unscaled output options, like the PSP had for PSX games.

People complain about the buttons being too small, but I don't have a problem. The D-Pad, on the other hand, might be a little small. Unlike other Sony D-Pads, it's not "segmented." For fighting games, I preferred the segmented pad. It makes it easier to hit the direction you want, without worrying about rocking it toward a diagonal. When you DO want to pull off a diagonal, it's great. I just keep getting diagonals when I want to press down.

[WCP]

Now that I've had my Vita for a full day, and tried out a TON of demos, here are my current impressions:


1. The screen is gorgeous - Obviously, this is the first thing that jumps out at you. It's a big screen, and it sure is purdy. I did try a Vita at a Best Buy and a Target, and wasn't unbelievably impressed with the screen, but much of that is probably due to the overhead fluorescent lighting kinda washing out the screen. You get this thing home, in a normal home environment, and the screen is a show stopper.

2. The Vita is a pretty big device - Sliding this thing into a pocket is going to be pretty difficult. I think the size of the Vita could end up being a problem long term. It's almost too big to be a portable game machine that you constantly take with you, but it's a bit too small when compared to 7 inch tablets. So, it's kinda in a no-mans land. It's perfectly fine for me, because I won't really be taking it everywhere with me. I'll use it mostly at home, and whenever I go on a trip out of town or something.

3. The buttons are tiny - The buttons and the D-Pad are really small. No getting around that. Looking at the overall size of the device, because of that huge 5 inch screen, they had to cut some corners somewhere, and the size of the D-Pad and buttons got shrunk as a side effect. The X button is VERY close to the right thumbstick.

4. Ergonomics are so-so - Ergonomically, it's not the most comfortable device to hold in your hands. I thought that because it was so much larger, it would actually be more comfortable than a PSP, but that doesn't really seem to be the case. I think part of it is the back touchpad. I'm almost wishing the back touchpad didn't exist. I think they could have more of a contoured back to rest your fingers on, but they had to be mindful of that back touchpad.

5. Memory card prices are redonkulous - One of the most difficult things about selling the idea of the Vita to friends, is the memory card part of the equation. The PSP Go had 16 gigs of internal memory. I think it would have been absolutely trivial in the grand scheme of things for Sony to have included the same for the Vita. But, it seems that they hope to supplement any lack of profits in the hardware by gouging people with the memory card prices. A 4 gig card is almost not even worth bothering with. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much it would suck to constantly have to erase demos, and clear space, just to download another demo. The 8 gig card is a little better, but still overpriced. The 16 gig is really overpriced. The 32 gig is WAY overpriced, but in the long run, might be the best value.

6. No TV out is criminal - Look, I know a big part of the reason that it doesn't have a TV out, is because of the touchpads. You could link a DualShock 3 controller with bluetooth, and have your Vita sitting right next to your plasma or LCD display, but what about games that require the use of the front or rear touchpads? Still, you'd think that you could just use the Vita as the controller (not as ideal, but....), and just have a long wire running all the way to the TV.



As far as the games go, I've tried a TON of demos. Right now, my favorite games are: Wipeout 2048, Fifa Soccer, Hot Shots Golf, Uncharted, Stardust Delta and Unit 13. I was especially impressed by Hot Shots Golf. Talk about freaking gorgeous. The thing is, I have Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 on my PSP, and it's amazing game, even to this day. I still think that game looks kinda next gen on a PSP. So, when I heard about Hot Shots on the Vita, I kinda poo-poo'ed the idea of playing it again with a slight bump in resolution. Well, I was certainly mistaken. Hot Shots Golf on the Vita is a stunner. At least what I can tell from the short demo. Might be one of the most graphically impressive Vita games I've seen so far. You might wonder what the heck I'm talking about, because it's just a golf game. Well, there is just so much detail and crispness to everything onscreen, all the indicators and swing meters and everything. It's just so freaking vivid. I give it MUCH respect.

I'm still just barely scratching the surface with all the various Vita demos, so I'm sure I'll have more to talk about in regards to the quality of games. The good news, is that there are at least 6 or 7 outstanding Vita games, and that's more than enough for an early adopter to settle in with. I ended up buying Fifa Soccer and Wipeout 2048 from a guy on Craigslist. Got Fifa for $24 and Wipeout for $22. My next mission is to get a copy of Hot Shots for around 20 beans. I plan on getting Stardust from PSN at some point, but I have more than enough to play around with for now, so I'll hold off of that temporarily. I'm also hoping to find a used copy of MLB 12 The Show on Vita. I love playing sports games on portables for some reason....

[Slipdeath]

So, right after DP was hacked I found this on craigslist. The whole set was brand spanking new, despite coming with a few useless accessories. It ran me 320, but the upside was that I went into walmart and returned the unwanted accessories and walked out with a starter kit and some change. I'll post my initial thoughts--I will say I'm loving it though.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/7006502683_1afdba083d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kida90/7006502683/)

[Bojay1997]

So, right after DP was hacked I found this on craigslist. The whole set was brand spanking new, despite coming with a few useless accessories. It ran me 320, but the upside was that I went into walmart and returned the unwanted accessories and walked out with a starter kit and some change. I'll post my initial thoughts--I will say I'm loving it though.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/7006502683_1afdba083d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kida90/7006502683/)

Probably not a good idea to post about committing return fraud here or anywhere for that matter.

[Slipdeath]

I forgot to mention that the bundle had originally been purchased at Walmart.

[Gamereviewgod]

Hasn't Eurogamer among other sites been doing their own analysis using external devices? I'm pretty sure you're visual analysis is similar to what they found.

I remember seeing a teardown (mentioning how it's easy to repair if need be), but that's it. Does anyone have a more technical link? I'd love to see it.

[Bojay1997]

I forgot to mention that the bundle had originally been purchased at Walmart.

Still return fraud. You're not the original purchaser and obviously the person you bought it from didn't give you the receipt or they would have just took it back to Walmart themselves. Nice try though.

[WCP]

So, right after DP was hacked I found this on craigslist. The whole set was brand spanking new, despite coming with a few useless accessories. It ran me 320, but the upside was that I went into walmart and returned the unwanted accessories and walked out with a starter kit and some change. I'll post my initial thoughts--I will say I'm loving it though.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/7006502683_1afdba083d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kida90/7006502683/)


Doesn't the usb cable and the AC Adapter thing already come inside the box? What's the point of having separate versions of them?

[dairugger]

Doesn't the usb cable and the AC Adapter thing already come inside the box? What's the point of having separate versions of them?

a reason for wanting just the usb cable would be if you just wanted it to charge via usb computer port or transfer files onto a pc, maybe someone doesnt always want to unplug it from the power brick and take it to work. or maybe you lost or broke the one that came with the system and just needed one of the parts.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Doesn't the usb cable and the AC Adapter thing already come inside the box? What's the point of having separate versions of them?

Since modern portables like 3DS and Vita need to be charged after each session, I personally like to keep an AC adapter/USB set up as a charge station.

One of the earliest purchases I made for the Vita was a second USB cable for PS3/PC data transfer and travel charging so that I don't have to constantly disconnect/reconnect the one that I have set up for home charging.

[WCP]

The only accessory for the Vita that I'm interested in at the moment, is a travel case that I can fit my Vita into. Yeah, I know that there are tons and tons of cases out there, but I currently have the PS Vita Trigger Grip thing attatched to my Vita...


http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PS-Vita-Grip.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/PSVita-Trigger-Grips-Sony-PS-Vita/dp/B0072A4JVW


I bought it off Amazon for $15 shipped. It makes the Vita experience much more comfortable, but I would like to find some kind of travel case that will fit my Vita snuggly, even with the Trigger Grip attached to it. I might try to find a Kindle Fire tablet case that would work for it. Or something like that. I could take the thing out of the Trigger Grip and put it into a regular Vita case, but then I'm still carrying around the trigger grip thing as well, so what's the point?

[kupomogli]

but I currently have the PS Vita Trigger Grip thing attatched to my Vita...

I usually don't think accessories like grips that change a portable into being like a controller, but I think this would work well for the Vita due to the back touch panel.

[NayusDante]

I had a handle grip for PSP1000, but it wasn't as much of an improvement as I thought it would be. It didn't help that you couldn't pocket the system anymore without taking it off. I'm actually surprised that Sony hasn't tried making a more ergonomic handheld to begin with. I wouldn't mind a slightly smaller screen if it meant that the console were easier to hold. Multiple third-party grip solutions at launch says a lot to me.

I will say that the official leather case makes it a little easier to hold if you're not using the rear touchpad. It makes a sleeve for your fingers, relieving some of the weight they'd normally be supporting.

[substantial_snake]

The only accessory for the Vita that I'm interested in at the moment, is a travel case that I can fit my Vita into. Yeah, I know that there are tons and tons of cases out there, but I currently have the PS Vita Trigger Grip thing attatched to my Vita...


http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/PS-Vita-Grip.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/PSVita-Trigger-Grips-Sony-PS-Vita/dp/B0072A4JVW


I bought it off Amazon for $15 shipped. It makes the Vita experience much more comfortable, but I would like to find some kind of travel case that will fit my Vita snuggly, even with the Trigger Grip attached to it. I might try to find a Kindle Fire tablet case that would work for it. Or something like that. I could take the thing out of the Trigger Grip and put it into a regular Vita case, but then I'm still carrying around the trigger grip thing as well, so what's the point?

I used to use really cheap portable hard drive pouches as a PSP and DS cases and they worked great at protecting they systems from falls and scratches and what not. If you can find a larger scaled case you could probably make it work with a little modification to fit both the vita and the grips snugly. I used these for both console and although they worked great for even the 3DS with extended battery they are far too small for the vita.
http://www.amazon.com/Caselogic-Neoprene-Portable-Case-Gray/dp/B000YOTGNO/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1332718081&sr=1-11

I also think a good set of grips would help with the ergonomic issues of the vita but I'm still holding out for the Nyko Battery Grips if they ever get around to releasing them.

[WCP]

I think I mentioned earlier that I bought used copies of Fifa Soccer and Wipeout 2048. I just discovered that Wipeout has an Online Pass. The previous owner used the online pass. (The guy didn't mention anything about an online pass, and I didn't ask him, because I hadn't heard anything about online passes with Vita games). So, I've decided to put it back up on Craigslist. (I'll be sure to tell the next buyer that the online pass is used). I could buy the online pass for an extra $10, but I remember that Amazon once had brand new copies of Wipeout 2048 going for $29.99, so I guess I'd rather wait for that deal to come around again.

Surprisingly, the Fifa Soccer game doesn't have an online pass.


Vita games that require an online pass:

Wipeout 2048
Hot Shots Golf
MLB 12 The Show
Unit 13




This is the first time I've been affected by the whole "online pass" thing. I'm not really a first person shooter guy, and I normally wait to buy games at ridiculously cheap prices, so this really hasn't been an issue up till now. I paid $22 for Wiepout used, and if I bought the online pass, that would make it $32. I could have bought a brand new copy of Wipeout via Amazon for $29.99. So, it just doesn't make sense for me to buy any game that requires an online pass for anymore than say 5 or 10 bucks, because if you feel like you really need to buy the online pass, then you might as well buy a brand new copy when it's on sale, because it will likely end up costing you less in the long run. This whole online pass thing kinda sucks, but I guess they have to do what they have to do, to try to put a monkey wrench into the used game market.

Live and Learn.

[NayusDante]

I mentioned this before, but do any retail Vita games include manuals? The only retail title I have so far is BlazBlue, and there is no printed manual. Heck, even the software manual is bare bones. It says I have to go online to see the full manual. There's a clip to hold a manual in the case, like PSP cases had, but which games do and don't have manuals?

[Gamereviewgod]

This whole online pass thing kinda sucks, but I guess they have to do what they have to do, to try to put a monkey wrench into the used game market.

Live and Learn.

No, they don't, because the used market isn't an issue, but that's another thread.

Note that the MLB: The Show and Unit 13 online passes both came with headaches for their customers. Digital versions of U13 didn't come with mulitplayer unlocked, and The Show was unlocking multiplayer for the PS3 version. In other words, passes affect both new and used customers.

Also, a Gamefly account might benefit you too. As I said (way) earlier in this thread, all Vita games have so far been $28 to buy once rented, and the online pass is valid.

[Gamereviewgod]

I mentioned this before, but do any retail Vita games include manuals? The only retail title I have so far is BlazBlue, and there is no printed manual. Heck, even the software manual is bare bones. It says I have to go online to see the full manual. There's a clip to hold a manual in the case, like PSP cases had, but which games do and don't have manuals?

I have six games, no manuals. As far as I'm aware, no games have them yet, but I'm sure a publisher could include them if they wanted, hence the hinge.

[kupomogli]

I mentioned this before, but do any retail Vita games include manuals? The only retail title I have so far is BlazBlue, and there is no printed manual. Heck, even the software manual is bare bones. It says I have to go online to see the full manual. There's a clip to hold a manual in the case, like PSP cases had, but which games do and don't have manuals?

When you click on the game to start it up can you view the manual there? On Uncharted, the only game I've played, once you open up the game, there's a manual option to choose which displays the manual that way. No physical manuals are going to be included with Vita games I've heard.

[NayusDante]

The "software manual" for BlazBlue is about how to turn the system on and stuff like that. Zero references to gameplay. It has a BlazBlue cover page, but that's just art. The content is copy-pasted system information.

[dairugger]

Now that I've had my Vita for a full day, and tried out a TON of demos, here are my current impressions:


2. The Vita is a pretty big device - Sliding this thing into a pocket is going to be pretty difficult. I think the size of the Vita could end up being a problem long term. It's almost too big to be a portable game machine that you constantly take with you, but it's a bit too small when compared to 7 inch tablets. So, it's kinda in a no-mans land. It's perfectly fine for me, because I won't really be taking it everywhere with me. I'll use it mostly at home, and whenever I go on a trip out of town or something.



6. No TV out is criminal - Look, I know a big part of the reason that it doesn't have a TV out, is because of the touchpads. You could link a DualShock 3 controller with bluetooth, and have your Vita sitting right next to your plasma or LCD display, but what about games that require the use of the front or rear touchpads? Still, you'd think that you could just use the Vita as the controller (not as ideal, but....), and just have a long wire running all the way to the TV.

why is it that when people try to sell others on tablets as gaming devices i never hear how damn big they are? yet the vita gets this remark and how you cant put it in your pants? weird.

and i understand why it doesnt have a tv out, sony already has a home console, they want you to play vita games on the beautiful OLED screen im sure.

just my observations, welcome to the vita club! try watching tron 2 on it, its stunning.

[dgdgagdae]

I tried a Vita today for the first time at Best Buy. I was completely underwhelmed. I tried a few demos, inclucing FIFA, Hot Shots Golf, and Wipeout.

What's up with the load times? It seemed to take forever for Wipeout to load. I'm not sure how they have the games on the demo models, if there is just one cart with all the games or what, but it was ridiculously slow.

The screen was nice, but I didn't see a quantum leap over the PSP. And when I started to see how much it would cost for the system, a memory card, a simple case, and 2 games, it was easy to walk away without buying it.

[WCP]

why is it that when people try to sell others on tablets as gaming devices i never hear how damn big they are? yet the vita gets this remark and how you cant put it in your pants? weird.

I can only speak for myself personally, but as somebody that owns a tablet, and a vita, and has just about every other portable gaming system in my house somewhere (two young boys), I can say that devices without buttons are pretty worthless for real deal game playing, regardless of the size. Angry Birds and Cut the Rope and all that is fine for a quick 5 minute diversion, but quite honestly, my tablet is more for surfing the net, and watching various videos, etc. I'll play the occasional game, but "real" gaming needs buttons and d-pad's or thumbsticks.

One thing that I can say about the Vita, it makes my PSP-3000 seem tiny. I never thought I would say that. But even after buying the Vita, I'll still ocasionally play on my PSP slim, and the size difference and heft in your hand, between a 3000 and the Vita is striking! I love the Vita to death, don't get it twisted, but the thing isn't exactly small. You're making room for that thing if you're taking it with you. It's not something you can just shove in a pocket. As large as the PSP-3000's used to seem, you can still take one of those and stuff it in your jeans pocket. You might not want to, but you can. You try doing that with a Vita, and you start to freakout because you think you're going to break the tiny thumbsticks. I know, I've actually tried to put the Vita in my jeans pocket. I immediately decided that I should abort, lol.



i understand why it doesnt have a tv out, sony already has a home console, they want you to play vita games on the beautiful OLED screen im sure.

We all know the real reason is because they need a huge feature for the Vita 2000. At e3, all the developers had Vita's that were connected to lcd's with hdmi cables. It's surely easy for them to implement that. I think they avoided it much in the way that EA Sports holds back special features in all their sports games. They save it for next years version. I'll just have to sell my Vita, and buy one of the new ones, and take the hit.


try watching tron 2 on it, its stunning.

You know, I've been thinking about trying out some of the software out there that lets you convert various videos to a compatible version for the Vita. I haven't tried anything yet. It would be cool to have a few movies on there. I did try Netflix on it today, and the results were surprisingly good. The Vita's screen is probably the smalllest screen I could live with, in terms of trying to watch Netflix. My son has a 3DS and we never tried Netflix on it, because the screen is so small , why bother? I mean, it might be ok, but the Vita screen is just that much bigger that it makes a difference.

Did you buy tron 2 off PSN or convert it onto the Vita ?

[kupomogli]

Just played Little Deviants. Some mini games, few, are good, others are a test of your patience.

The best one I've played so far is where your deviant jumps out of an airplane and you have to guide him through rings and get a certain amount of points before you land. It uses the gyroscope and is extremely responsive. At first I didn't really get it as I was trying to play this mini game moving inverted, which I normally play games such as this, but then I realized you tilt the system into the direction. So after originally not like this one at all, I finished all the stages and thought it was enjoyable.

My second favorite was the one that plays like whack a mole. You only attack the botz. Not the humans or the deviants, even if they're dressed up in botz' costumes. You can only hit the botz if you hit them from the back, so if they're looking towards you, you hit the back touch panel, looking away, hit the front touch panel. It's simple and fun.

Then there's one that is sort of racing-ish where it's in a behind the back view with your deviant running from a shark following behind. Now the biggest problem with this one, and easily remedied by playing it more than once, is that in the opening tutorial it tells you to grip the system like a steering wheel and play it like a racing game. So when you do that, sure it works, but the thing is is that that's not how it was developed and it only works to a degree. Like every other motion based game that I've played so far in Little Deviants, it's tilt based from side to side facing up, not racing like, so the directions are giving you incorrect information. After you get it down that you can hold the system normally and tilt the side of the system down that you want to turn, the game actually becomes much more enjoyable.

Everything else I've tried I really didn't like. The one that they showed off on everything rolling the deviant around like Marble Madness. It could be good, but it was just boring. The camera type game where you move the camera around shooting the botz. If you've played the one 3DS game it's the exact same, and it wouldn't be as bad, but enemies can be right behind you so you have to turn all the way around to shoot them, circling around, etc. It's okay but not very. Then another game that was sort of like Pac Man but you have to roll the deviant around, except unlike the games where the motion control was accurate, this one felt very delayed and wasn't enjoyable. Then the last one was where you pulled on both back touch panel and front touch panel to drag the deviant against the ropes to kill enemies, which was just repetitive and boring.

I've only unlocked played through 10 out of 30 areas so far, and I know for sure I haven't unlocked atleast one mini game, and there's the fact that there are duplicates as well. The marble madness type one I've already came across a duplicate and it was just as boring as the first.

So Little Deviants has some good mini games, but is by far the worst mini game compilation I've ever played. It's definitely no Wario Ware or Mario Party, that's for sure. However, there are a lot of games that aren't just mini game compilations with mini games that still blow Little Deviants out of the water. Yakuza series, Final Fantasy 7 and others in the series, Xenosaga, Legend of Legaia, Breath of Fire 3, and many others that have a lot of extremely well developed mini games. Yakuza 4 puts pretty much any game to shame, mini game compilation or not, with both quality and quantity of the mini games, but regardless, Little Deviants is one of the worst mini game compilations I've played with many non mini game compilations having better quality mini games.

[dairugger]

I can only speak for myself personally, but as somebody that owns a tablet, and a vita, and has just about every other portable gaming system in my house somewhere (two young boys), I can say that devices without buttons are pretty worthless for real deal game playing, regardless of the size. Angry Birds and Cut the Rope and all that is fine for a quick 5 minute diversion, but quite honestly, my tablet is more for surfing the net, and watching various videos, etc. I'll play the occasional game, but "real" gaming needs buttons and d-pad's or thumbsticks.

One thing that I can say about the Vita, it makes my PSP-3000 seem tiny. I never thought I would say that. But even after buying the Vita, I'll still ocasionally play on my PSP slim, and the size difference and heft in your hand, between a 3000 and the Vita is striking! I love the Vita to death, don't get it twisted, but the thing isn't exactly small. You're making room for that thing if you're taking it with you. It's not something you can just shove in a pocket. As large as the PSP-3000's used to seem, you can still take one of those and stuff it in your jeans pocket. You might not want to, but you can. You try doing that with a Vita, and you start to freakout because you think you're going to break the tiny thumbsticks. I know, I've actually tried to put the Vita in my jeans pocket. I immediately decided that I should abort, lol.




We all know the real reason is because they need a huge feature for the Vita 2000. At e3, all the developers had Vita's that were connected to lcd's with hdmi cables. It's surely easy for them to implement that. I think they avoided it much in the way that EA Sports holds back special features in all their sports games. They save it for next years version. I'll just have to sell my Vita, and buy one of the new ones, and take the hit.



You know, I've been thinking about trying out some of the software out there that lets you convert various videos to a compatible version for the Vita. I haven't tried anything yet. It would be cool to have a few movies on there. I did try Netflix on it today, and the results were surprisingly good. The Vita's screen is probably the smalllest screen I could live with, in terms of trying to watch Netflix. My son has a 3DS and we never tried Netflix on it, because the screen is so small , why bother? I mean, it might be ok, but the Vita screen is just that much bigger that it makes a difference.

Did you buy tron 2 off PSN or convert it onto the Vita ?

im glad your feeling the love, lol. i converted tron 2 from a dvdrip i made. i used the latest Xilisoft Video Converter Ultimate which has a setting for vita conversions.

i guess i was wondering why people remark how you cant carry vita around as a negative, yet in the same paragraph compare it to a tablet and dont notice a tablet is much bigger.

[Bojay1997]

im glad your feeling the love, lol. i converted tron 2 from a dvdrip i made. i used the latest Xilisoft Video Converter Ultimate which has a setting for vita conversions.

i guess i was wondering why people remark how you cant carry vita around as a negative, yet in the same paragraph compare it to a tablet and dont notice a tablet is much bigger.

I think it's because a tablet is used by people to replace much bulkier items like books, magazines, a laptop, etc...Having said that, I don't think the Vita is that large, although it is something that can't be easily placed in a jacket pocket like a Nintendo DS or a cell phone.

[c0ldb33r]

I didn't did it much much bigger than a PSP and I've never complained about the size of a psp

[WCP]

I tried a Vita today for the first time at Best Buy. I was completely underwhelmed. I tried a few demos, inclucing FIFA, Hot Shots Golf, and Wipeout.

What's up with the load times? It seemed to take forever for Wipeout to load. I'm not sure how they have the games on the demo models, if there is just one cart with all the games or what, but it was ridiculously slow.

The screen was nice, but I didn't see a quantum leap over the PSP. And when I started to see how much it would cost for the system, a memory card, a simple case, and 2 games, it was easy to walk away without buying it.

My very first experience with the Vita was at a Best Buy as well. I had listened to people raving about the screen on various gaming podcasts, and I remember coming away a bit disappointed after seeing it at Best Buy. I think a big part of that is the overhead fluorescent lighting. Seriously. I now have a Vita in my home, and under the right lighting conditions, the screen is absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Especially with games like Rayman Origins or Hot Shots Golf. (Note: don't play Vita in a totally dark room. The screen will make your eyes water. You need some background lighting somewhere)


As for the load times, I will agree with you on that. The load times in Wipeout are especially frustrating. Wipeout has the worst load times of the various vita games that I've played, but they all seem to have more loading than I was expecting.

As for the cost of the system, I couldn't agree more. $249.99 for the Wi-Fi version isn't that bad a price considering the technology that is packed into the thing, but the problem is all the nickel and diming of the Vita. The memory card thing is a real big problem. There really isn't any excuse for not having at the very least 4 gigs of built in memory as a standard. The PSP Go had 16 gigs built in. You'd think the Vita could manage at least 1/4th that. So, yeah, the memory card thing really makes the price jump up. Then there is the cost of the games. $39.99 plus tax is a lot to swallow. Some places are doing B2G1 deals, so you end up getting the games for about $29 each, but yeah....

I'm just as sensitive to pricing as you are. That's why I turned to Craigslist. Check your local Craigslist, because the Vita has been available for about 40 days or so, so any used Vita's that are floating around out there are likely still in very good condition. At the 40 day mark, you're going to have some people who bought it on day 1, and the honeymoon is over for them, and they have to make their rent, and they just don't have the money. I was able to get a 3G Vita for $190 straight up. That's like buying it a thrift store for $176.99 plus tax. I don't think anybody in their right mind, that saw a 3G Vita in a thrift store for $176.99 plus tax wouldn't buy the thing. You can also find memory cards and games on Craigslist as well. I found a guy that had an "extra" 32 gig memory card, and he wanted $80 for it, but I talked him down another 11 bucks, and got it for $69. I got Wipeout for $22 used, and I also got Fifa Soccer for $23.75 used. (I did make a bit of a mistake with Wipeout, because the online pass was already used, and I didn't know that any Vita games had online passes)

[Slipdeath]

Anyone up for a game of fifa? Deftonian90.

[WCP]

Anyone up for a game of fifa? Deftonian90. I'm still getting beat regularly by the CPU, lol. So, I haven't even tried playing people online yet. When I get my skills up a bit, I'll send you a PM, heh...


Is it just me, or does the CPU's players get really physical with your players when trying to jostle for position to attempt a shot at goal? I was playing Fifa 09 on the PSP before getting a Vita, and in Fifa 09 (which is an outstanding PSP game by the way) I can score with great regularity, but it seems to be much more difficult to find open space for taking a good shot in the Vita Fifa game. Of course, I've only had the game a couple of days, and my son has actually played the game more than I have. I hope to get some more gametime in very soon though, and hope to improve my game a bit.

[NayusDante]

How are online passes handled? Is it a printed key or tied to the game card?

[Daria]

Who uses pockets? That's why they invented the shoulder bag.

[Gamereviewgod]

How are online passes handled? Is it a printed key or tied to the game card?

Printed key, which is tied to the account, not the cart/card.

[Slipdeath]

I'm still getting beat regularly by the CPU, lol. So, I haven't even tried playing people online yet. When I get my skills up a bit, I'll send you a PM, heh...


Is it just me, or does the CPU's players get really physical with your players when trying to jostle for position to attempt a shot at goal? I was playing Fifa 09 on the PSP before getting a Vita, and in Fifa 09 (which is an outstanding PSP game by the way) I can score with great regularity, but it seems to be much more difficult to find open space for taking a good shot in the Vita Fifa game. Of course, I've only had the game a couple of days, and my son has actually played the game more than I have. I hope to get some more gametime in very soon though, and hope to improve my game a bit.
Haha sounds good. I'm not doing so hot myself, but considering everyone uses top ranked european clubs, while I use my mediocre Guadalajara squad, I'd say my skills are sub-par. To be honest, I find it hard not to score using the rear touchpad.

[WCP]

Haha sounds good. I'm not doing so hot myself, but considering everyone uses top ranked european clubs, while I use my mediocre Guadalajara squad, I'd say my skills are sub-par. To be honest, I find it hard not to score using the rear touchpad.

I turn the rear touchpad off.


I was trying to find a way to play with the rear touchpad, but too many times I end up accidentally shooting the ball, because one of my fingers just ever so slightly touches the back of the Vita. It was really pissing me off, so I just turned the damn touchpads off. Both front and back. I'm perfectly fine with a thumbstick and buttons for a game like Fifa.

Do you ever accidentally shoot when you didn't mean to? You must have learned to keep your fingers away from that back touchpad unless specifically choosing. I tried to do that, but just wasn't very good at it.

[Slipdeath]

I turn the rear touchpad off.


I was trying to find a way to play with the rear touchpad, but too many times I end up accidentally shooting the ball, because one of my fingers just ever so slightly touches the back of the Vita. It was really pissing me off, so I just turned the damn touchpads off. Both front and back. I'm perfectly fine with a thumbstick and buttons for a game like Fifa.

Do you ever accidentally shoot when you didn't mean to? You must have learned to keep your fingers away from that back touchpad unless specifically choosing. I tried to do that, but just wasn't very good at it.

I don't have the biggest of hands, so it was only a problem when I specifically tried to keep my hands of the rear touchpad, causing the slightest touch to shoot. It picks up when my hands are resting pretty well I feel. Then again, I just lost 4-0.

[substantial_snake]

So I did some vita sopping the the last couple of months about bought these:

PSVita PDP Trigger Grips (http://www.amazon.com/PSVita-Trigger-Grips-Sony-PS-Vita/dp/B0072A4JVW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335674779&sr=8-2)

CTA Digital PS Vita Hand Grip (http://www.amazon.com/CTA-Digital-Vita-Hand-Grip-playstation/dp/B0073ESZ58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335674779&sr=8-1)

Bluecell PS Vita Grip (http://www.amazon.com/Bluecell-ergonomic-controller-Playstation-Vita-Cleaning/dp/B007H4U5EI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335674779&sr=8-3)

So yeah..I have a thing about portable console accessories. :p They were each pretty cheap going from 15, 12, and 8 bucks in order listed above and are just plastic grips with no extra function in them. I just wanted to post a short write-up on what I found with all of these aftermarket grips for the console if anyone was interested in picking any up.

The PDP Trigger grips are consistently the most expensive but are the ones I ended up liking the least over time. I initially really liked the changes to the vita's shape and rubberised satin-ish material their coated and the extended triggers were a nice touch. However over time those initial positives turned to negatives. The rubberized coating although looks and feels nice is somehow very slick with or without sweaty palms and that coupled with the shape makes you readjust your grip over and over again. The grip itself also doesn't give you much more to hold onto outside of the small "wings" at the bottom of the console over the stock Vita. The biggest problem though are the trigger grips which because of design can have lag over just pressing the Trigger buttons without them. Ultimately I found this grip disappointing, which is why I ended up picking up the other ones.

I picked up the CTA grip because many who had similar complaints in amazon reviews of the PDP grips recommended this instead. I think out of all of them it is very comfortable but they still use the same rubberized satin-like coating of the PDP grips which makes them very slick. This is less of a problem here since you have really large "wings" that your hands can really hold onto. However being so large is a problem as well as I had to readjust my hands to comfortable use both the analog sticks and d-pad/face buttons..which again led to similar problems as the other grip. Another disappointment is that because its so large I had to readjust my hands again to access the full rear touch panel and I am not someone with small hands. It does have a very solid locking system that will not let your Vita go but as a downside it covers several ports on your Vita so you can't change games and you cant charge the thing while its locked in.

I ended up buying the bluecell as a "why not" when I saw it was only 8 bucks and ended up liking it the most. Its feels cheap being made of pretty standard black plastic with the only notable texture on the grips. Its also shaped more or less like the PDP Trigger Grips except for instead of a mostly flat back it has two large grips for your fingers and palm to rest in. The plastic though cheap doesn't slip from my hands like the rubber-satin stuff did and its comfortable without hindering access to any of the control surfaces like the CTA grips did. Its also an open design like the PDP grips so everything is accessible while the vita is in the grip. My only concerns are that they feel durable but its probably less resistant to warping out of shape with repeated removing and inserting of the vita then the other higher grade grips and they use a piece of plastic around the triggers that can be annoying at times until you account of it.

So overall the Bulecell grips are definitely my favorite thus far. I might post up comparison pictures if/when I find my camera since the size difference in some of these is pretty dramatic.

I also picked up some Analog Covers (http://www.amazon.com/Bluecell-Controller-Joystick-Playstation-Vita-Cleaning/dp/B007IDIXBK/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1335678074&sr=1-1) and they were a great improvement over the stock analog tops to the Vita. Each pack comes with a couple of different glue applied D-pad covers(useless) and several sets of rubber stretch-on analog stick covers that stick to your thumbs much better then the stock vita design. I highly suggest you check these out too if your having issues with the sticks becoming too slick.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

As long as this thread is up, I'll share this here as well ...

I've noticed that the PSP software graphic enhancements/filters can cause some instability/crashing.

If you notice that PSP software crashes to dash or freezes up mid-game turn off all of the built-in smoothing/color filters. I've found that to help.

[kupomogli]

XSeed is releasing Ragnarok Odyssey and Orgarythm in the US.

http://www.gamesradar.com/ragnarok-odyssey-and-orgarhythm-north-american-vitas/

[kupomogli]

[quote=metacritic]PlayStation Vita / PSP

Three out of 2012's four highest-scoring handheld games (not including iOS) were found on the PlayStation Vita, and the first-year platform also edged out both Nintendo handhelds in average Metascore for 2012 releases. The Vita also managed one 90+ release: Persona 4 Golden, a port of the PS2 game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.

The number of scored 2012 releases for Nintendo's 3DS and Sony's Vita were virtually identical (77 vs. 76), but nearly 45% of the Vita's games received positive reviews compared to just 31% of the 3DS titles. Nintendo, of course, still has the edge where it counts: in hardware and software sales.

3DS 2012 Avg. Metascore 66.2
DS 2012 Avg. Metascore 67.6
Wii 2012 Avg. Metascore 67.9
Wii U 2012 Avg. Metascore 68.6
360 2012 Avg. Metascore 69.5
Vita 2012 Avg. Metascore 69.7
PS3 2012 Avg. Metascore 70.3
PC 2012 Avg. Metascore 70.3
PSP 2012 Avg. Metascore 71.2 *
* = Includes Minis, also compatible with PS3 and Vita

http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-video-games-of-2012?page=1
http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-video-games-of-2012?page=2

Originally quoted by yurinka in Neogaf forums. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=503346&page=209