Why is the PlayStation Vita Such an Under-Rated Console?

PS Vita 2000 Model

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure
- Nintendo Gamecube 

I’m quite partial to some of Nintendo’s games/franchise; I (and my occasional split screen buddy) have lost hours of life to various titles and franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. That being said, I’m gonna say that at this point in my life, I am very much a part of the “Sony Ecosystem". I really enjoy my Sony consoles; I love the quality and variety of the games on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation 4 is starting to pick up and release more titles as the seasons go by.

Since Sony is a Japanese company, a good number of Japanese Role-playing Games (J-RPGs) have been released on their platforms over the years (some of which had been translated and released outside of Japan, however the majority of which have not). As such, thanks to personal interest in the culture and the language (yes, I’m currently boasting 6 years’ worth of intense, sweating and wall-punching periods that have been dedicated to learning Japanese… and no, I can’t speak it fluently—yet!), I honestly do believe that their systems are a perfect match for my personality and game preferences.

For those that aren't too familiar with Sony’s gaming products, Sony has released a variety of consoles over the years including the PlayStation, PSone (a redesigned ver of the previous), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 2 Slim, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 3 Slim, PlayStation 3 Super Slim, and the PlayStation 4 (most current version). 

<Sony Consoles (left to right/down to up) PlayStation, PSone, PSX, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 2 Slim, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 3 Slim, PlayStation 3 Super Slim, PlayStation 4 + PS4 Camera>

In addition to this, several hand-held ones were released including the PlayStation Portable (PSP), PSP-2000, PSP-3000, PSP Go, PSP-E1000, the PS Vita (1000-Series, and PS Vita (2000-Series).

Table of PlayStation Portable Model Specs (excluding PS Vita)

PS Vita 1000 Model Features Vs.
PS Vita 2000 Model Features

But enough with the technicalities, basically Sony has had a handheld system since 2004 (Japan)/2007 (everywhere else), and currently produces/markets games for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation Vita (1000- and 2000-series) (PS Vita/Vita). The thing that I love best about my PS Vita is the fact that I feel as though I am getting the same level of play from my Vita as I am with my PS3.

Basically here are the pros and cons to the PlayStation Vita 2000-Series model:

Pros:

• ·        Portable
• ·        Front and rear cameras
• ·        Front and back touch screen
• ·        960 x 544 pixel resolution
• ·        4.5-7hrs Battery life
• ·        1 GB internal storage
• ·        Wi-fi Connectivity
• ·        PS4 Remote Play
• ·        Lighter and Slimmer (than 1000-Series ver)
• ·        Soft-touch metal rim more comfortable to grip
• ·        IPS LCD display = more balanced colours, smoother gradients in shades, purer white balance
• ·        Micro-USB charge cable
• ·        Can play and store various media forms (eg music, video, images etc)

Cons:

• ·        No OLED = no sharpening edges effects, deeper blacks; colours and contrast was sharper on previous model
• ·        No 3G (or 4G) Connectivity
• ·        Still will require a Sony Vita Memory Card (4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB)

The graphics are just as amazing regardless of which Vita model you look at. I personally still use the older model which has the OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, slightly sharper graphics than its newer IPS LCD (In-plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display) counterpart, however still mus deal with a slightly thicker build (arguably more durable), no 1GB internal storage, and shorter battery life. Despite this, I take it everywhere with me… Literally.

PS Vita 2000 Model Colours Available in Japan

So at this point in time, those who are familiar with the Nintendo 3DS models are probably wondering that save for the front and rear touch pads, front and rear cameras, Remote Play and Micro-USB chargeability, what the hype is about? To this I would say… the GAMES.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3 and PS Vita)

There are actually a number of games available for the Vita, both physical and digital, so if you are after a PSP game you could most likely find it on the PlayStation Store to buy and download onto your Vita (though you'd have to make sure there's enough space on your memory card). The Final Fantasy franchise is still extremely popular in this respect, and within the past year they developers of the renown PS2 titles Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 ended up remastering and porting (converting for the newer platform) the two games not only for the PS3, but also for the PS Vita. You literally could play the same game that gamers were playing on plugged-in console at home in your hands at the bus-stop or on the train to that day-job of yours that you hate with a passion.

Borderlands 2 Box-Art (PS Vita)

Another example of this can be seen with the popular console title Borderlands 2 (which came out on the PS3 and also the Xbox 360), which was ported/adapted for the handheld Vita so it could deliver the same kind of performance but mobile! Admittedly I have yet to play it, but I've got my eye on the game should it ever go on sale. #poorunistudent *clears throat* 

So! If you are a fan of the J-RPGs, then the Vita is a great console for you. As more and more time passes, with the gaming market expanding and reaching new heights/depths, there has been a noticeable increase (in my most humble opinion) in native J-RPGs being localised into various native languages across the world. And with this localisation may come never-before-seen content (that may have been Japanese ver. exclusive), remastered pieces or even NEW content, all of which is always nice to see. Examples of this include Persona 4 Golden and the new and upcoming Freedom Wars. But I’m sure we’ll see more varying genres aside from the RPGs and the shooters (Borderlands 2 and Killzone) and the more adventurous ones (eg Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Tearaway) etc..

Japanese Box-Art for Freedom Wars (PS Vita)

So all-in-all, the PS Vita is a powerful/impressive tool, whilst also being a great portable entertainment system. The internet is a big black hole of information so if your curiosity has been piqued, then perhaps try looking up more about it. In the meantime though, here is IGN’s list of the PS Vita’s top 25 Games of 2014 (as of September 4^th). Take care all, and have fun gaming!

- Mel