PS Vita Reviewed-By: VanishedNine

[I am Canadian]

• Tweet

Gadget: PS Vita
Reviewed-By: VanishedNine (Rod)
Price: $299.99 - First Edition/or 3G edition, $249.99 wi-fi edition.
Purchased: Amazon.ca

Summary: So, I have had some time with my PS Vita, and thought I would post up a quick impression. First, the thing is a fantastic looking piece of hardware...i would say on level with some Apple products. It feels good, weighs about the same as the first PSP, has a gorgeous screen and is just the right size.

When you turn it on, it guides you through the set up process...asking your country, language, time zone, and whether you already have a PSN account...which just requires your PSN name and address if you do...nice quick and easy setup. Once you get everything set up...there is an update...well..there were 2 within the first week...one of Sony's downfall's with PS3...lots of updates. Once everything is updated, moving around the screen in quite easy...using your finger as you would on a phone/tablet device. The new Live Area is neat and pretty intuitive to use...and you quickly get used to it.

Games, look fantastic...the 5" OLED screen is a thing of beauty. Since I picked up the first edition, it came with Little Deviants...which uses the back touch to create little hills to move your onscreen little guy around...I haven't really played it that much...but it does take some time to get used to. I also picked up Uncharted:Golden Abyss(which is the system seller for North America) and Dungeon Hunter. Uncharted is made by Sony Bend(with guidance and help from series creator Naughty Dog) and you can tell the same polish went into Golden Abyss as there was for the console games. you can play it using traditional controls( my preferred way), or you can use the touch options. Come to a climbing section, swipe your finger from where you want Nathan Drake to start and finish...and he moves...come to a rope....use the back touch panel to have him climb up or down. Some controls you have to use...when you use the machete...you make swiping motions on screen to clear the debris...want to melee attack...use the little fist icon that pops up on screen(whether from stealth or straight face to face) come to a log or beam...you get half way and must tilt left/right to keep Drake's balance( similar to Uncharted 1's use of sixaxis).

Overall...it is a very fun game and a great addition to the Uncharted franchise. Some of the things that kind of stick out as negatives...the memory card thing...Sony once again has chosen a different memory card format...incompatible with anything else on the market...and they are expensive...$99.99 for a 32 gig card. Hopefully some licensed 3rd party ones show up soon. It is also a finger print magnet...so getting screen protectors will be a good thing to pick up. I haven't tried many of the apps yet...Netflix and the like...have lots of other devices for that...but the option to have them is cool. I also can't comment on the 3G side of things...as i only got the wi-fi version.

All in all, it is a great device and a good addition to the Sony Playstation line up. Now, if they add a Metal Gear, Resident Evil, and God of War game, and keep supporting it with great titles then it will survive. If they don't keep up with bringing out compelling games, then it will languish like PSP did( although PSP sold like 70 million units worldwide).

Performance-Rating: 5 out of 5 Briquettes
Value-Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Briquettes

Overall-Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Briquettes

[Agentorrange]

thanks for the write up Vanished. I'll probably be picking it up in the future. Waiting for a price drop.  I went into gamestop the day to buy the 3g version and couldn't bring myself to walk out with it. Bought Demon's Souls instead lol.  Way cheaper and getting alot of enjoyment out of it. lol

[Neptune49]

Great write up Rod.  It's no secret that I love my Vita as well.  Oddly enough I've spent most of my time on it playing Plants Vs. Zombies and Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection.  I've used the Vita more than my PS3 or Xbox 360 combined in the last couple of weeks.  I hear that there is some kind of press conference this week for the Vita to announce some new things.  I'm excited to hear what will come out of that.

Vita Announcement Coming March 9th!

[VanishedNine]

I am also hoping that PS + subscribers get some content as well.

[TAK3 C0VER]

Nice write up! I to am a huge fan of my Vita. By far the best handheld ever launched in my opinion. I wish more people would jump on especially in Dungeon Hunter alliance as I am absolutely addicted to it.

Pretty pricey but very worth it, even the 3G gets some use. 3GB for 30 bucks a month is not so bad. I really cannot wait for my PS3 to get here so I can try remote play!

[VanishedNine]

Glad you are getting a PS3 again...I find it has lots to offer.

[I am Canadian]

I finally had a chance to take one of these for test drive this weekend while I was out shopping. I gotta agree, this is a nice piece of tech that is foe sure. The fit and finish is great (way better the the original PSP) and the graphics are great. I got to play Golden Abyss for only a little while but was very impressed. From the little I've seen hands on so far I was impressed enough to feel the price point although high is not that bad at all.

[a race fan]

thanks for the great write-up VN.  The hardware is beautiful and I can't wait to get one (to play F1 2011) and just hoping that I get it for my birthday.