PlayStation Vita hands-on review
Matt Hawkins 
On Wednesday, Sony released their follow-up to the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation Vita. Anyone reading this either threw caution to the wind and got one already, or is holding off. And one can’t blame someone for being on the fence, or even a little wary.
Aside from the fact that the PSP never truly lived up to its potential, that the handheld gaming landscape is pretty much ruled by Apple and their iOS devices, and considering that former king of the hill, Nintendo, is struggling (and their kit has 3D graphics for God’s sake), what chance does Sony have in the end?
Ultimately, it’s impossible to tell how it will fare in the long run, but at the very least, and right out of the gate, Sony came prepared to battle. Every single aspect of the Vita is a message from its creator, and that is, “Look, we f’d up in the past, really sorry about that, but please give us a second chance.”
HARDWARE
The Vita looks big in pictures, and is indeed big in yours hands. It’s not that much larger than the original PSP, or even a 3DS, but compared to the iPhone or iPod Touch, which is most people’s means of portable gaming, it’s a bit jarring. But at least there’s a lot of meat packed on them bones.
The huge display is very pleasant. Not up to par with the iPhone 4 and 4S’s retinal display, but still quite excellent. It’s also touch sensitive, but thanks to the full array of traditional PlayStation inputs (more on that in a bit), your fingers won’t be in the way all that much. There’s also the touch sensitive back panel, which opens up all sorts of possibilities when it comes to game play.
One problem is that you can’t have the system all that covered up. There’s a reason why there’s hardly any cases on the market for the thing; to play with the Vita, one needs access to the majority of its plastic. There’s also the dual analog sticks, instead of nubs, which are very much welcome, but also stick out. For a portable system, it’s not very friendly for those who like gaming on the go, but like to keep their gear in mint condition.
Back to the sticks; its nice to have console-like control options on the go at last, but they’re somewhat stubby and difficult to deal with depending on the game. The d-pad is also kind of mushy, but for those who crave buttons (and can’t stand tapping on a screen), it’s a godsend. The Vita also has a rear and front facing camera; both suck when it comes to taking pictures, but you’ll be using it for AR tricks for the most part anyway (more on that later).
The machine accepts proprietary cards for games (RIP UMD, sorry), plus another unique card for memory, which is pretty much essential for not just saving data but running games as well. The Vita has RAM on board, but not much, so you’ll want to get at least a 16 gig card. And the system will have a SIM pre-loaded, depending on which version you get. With it, one can go online via AT&T’s 3G network. No contract is necessary; you just have to purchase chunks of data, similar to how iPad users purchase their bytes by the bit.
SOFTWARE
The Vita OS is where the platform truly shines. Given how console makers keep producing operating systems that are confusing and infuriating, the Vita’s operating system is a breath of fresh air. It’s not the prettiest thing, yet it’s still elegant and intuitive. Those who were annoyed by the news that it’s entirely touch based (like myself) will forget all that after 30 seconds. It’s a curious (and extremely effective) combination of iOS and WebOS.
You swipe up and down on the screen to view all your available apps, and when a couple are activated you swipe left and right to toggle between them. Hitting the ‘Home’ button will take you outside, and tapping the ‘Continue’ icon for each app will take you right back in. It could not be any simpler.
The device comes pre-loaded with a bunch of applications, and they’re the usual suspects: the camera app (again, the picture quality somewhat sucks), a Web browser (which is solid, but unspectacular), and Google Maps (which is only useful if you’re using 3G). Much like on an iPhone, there’s the PS Store, where one can nab games as well additional tools.
The Twitter apps work just fine, as does the one for Facebook, though it’s kind of slow and janky. The Flicker app is a lame duck, if only because of the aforementioned crappy picture taking performance of the system. At least the Netflix app provides another handheld device for you to watch Bruce Willis movies while on the can.
Skype and Foursquare apps are also pending, but not here quite yet. Perhaps the most interesting one thus far is Near, from Sony themselves; it can tell you if other Vita users are nearby, and conversely tells your neighbors what you’re playing with. That’s either a really cool feature, or an annoying one, depending on your point of view for location based applications.
GAMES
What will matter the most though are the games. Performance-wise, the Vita packs a lot of muscle; whereas the PSP fell squarely in the middle of what a PSone and a PS2 could produce, the Vita is in the middle of what to expect from a PS2 and PS3. Though it’s far closer to Sony’s current console in many regards. Games like Uncharted and Wipeout look amazing, and damn near close to their PS3 cousins.
Aside from looking like console games, they feel like them too thanks again to having all the buttons found on a Dual Shock. Not surprisingly though, many of the launch titles try highlighting all the extra fancy tricks that the Vita is capable of, but the end results are mostly awkwardly applied and unnecessary features. The parts in which one must let go of the buttons and touch the screen in Uncharted are perfect examples. However, the way the rear panel is employed in Katamari helps to add life to a stagnant series, so it’s not all bad.
As noted, games come on cards, but they can also be acquired via the PS Store. And I’m not talking about smaller, bite-sized offerings (like the PS Mini’s, which can also be run, by the way), but full-on, retail releases. And considering how the downloadable versions are usually a few bucks cheaper (plus how the physical package is just a card, not even an instructional manual is included), that may be the route that most will be interested in taking. Although those previously mentioned memory cards are still necessary for storing info, and man are they pricey.
You can also download original PSP games for the Vita, though the entire line up for the previous hardware is not quite available yet (and many never will be, much to the chagrin for PSP owners hoping to revisit old favorites). Oddly enough, PSone games are not compatible, which is especially strange given that smart phones and tablets have now been given that option, and the Vita’s hardware is more than up to the task. There’s also the ability to play certain PS3 games via Remote Play, but it’s only for a small crop of titles (and the set-up, quite honestly, is not worth the hassle).
Remember the camera? It also opens up an entirely different type of gameplay experience: ARG, or augmented reality gaming. As part of the package, each Vita owner will get a set of cards, and when viewed through the system’s display, they intermix digital elements into the real world. It’s basically what the 3DS is able to do, but it’s entirely up to Sony’s game developers to do something meaningful with it.
CONCLUSION
That’s a lot, isn’t it? To be honest, no individual thing that the Vita provides is altogether unique, nor is anything necessarily brilliant. But the overall package is quite impressive. If you’re a serious gamer who wants a feature-rich machine on the go, one that REALLY likes buttons, and don’t mind taking a risk on a platform that has a future that’s far from certain (again, look at the PSP; hardware alone, it should have been number one, but other factors worked against it, and today is ruled by Apple), it’s a worthwhile investment that will not be regretted. The Vita comes highly recommended.
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