3DS vs. PS Vita: The Battle of Summertime Fun

IGN - One viewer is moving and needs advice.

[LOGICWINS]

Based on the info the viewer gave, it seems like he wants the 3DS more. He couldn't even name any specific games on the Vita that he wanted to play. Oddly enough, if playing PS One Classics is the ONLY reason you want a Vita, then you don't want a Vita...especially if you already have a PS3 that can play PS One Classics.

[yeahokchief]

Soul Sacrifice, Virtues Last Reward, Uncharted, Wipeout, PS Allstars, SLy 4, Gravity Rush, Lumines, Dragon's Crown!!, Killzone, Tearaway, GTA Chinatown Wars, GTA libery city stores, GTA vice city stories and any one of the HANDFUL of free games via PS+

Bitch please. PS Vita all day.

Trollolololoo. you lose. moar disagreez plz! "your tears fuel me."

@Darthv72 damn. good find.

[darthv72]

and both are equally as much fun to enjoy. In fact, i just got Mod nation for vita for $6 from target clearance section.

Couldn't pass that up.

on the 3ds, the nano assault ex support for the circle pad pro is sweet.

[Kingthrash360]

spend my last bubble to say .....awesome comment! lmmao
so true...

"your tears fuel me" lmmao

your nominated for comment of the day lol
the disagrees make it even funnier

[SonyPS4]

Nice job listing old PSP titles, you know, the games that can be played on your old PSP, just to artificially extend the number of games the Vita offers for the summer.

I have already played Vice City Stories about 5 years ago.

[jcnba28]

That was funny but in all seriousness 3ds is a much better handheld. It's library of games is unmatchable.

[TheDivine]

3ds has...

Soul Hackers, SMT4, Devil Survivor 1 and 2, Etrian Odyssey 4, Code of Princess, Project X Zone, Link to the Past 2, OOT remake, New DKC Reurns, Kingdom Hearts DDD, MH Tri-g/MH4, Castlevania, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, Tales of the Abyss, Paper Mario, Luigis Mansion, Bravely Default, MK7, 3d Land, Mario and Luigi, Resident Evil, Dragon Quest 7 remake, Pokemon X/Y, Crimson Shroud, Liberation Maiden, VVVVVV, Cave Story, Pushmo, Animal Crossing, Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, SSB, Virtues Last Reward, Prof Layton, and more.

Vita has...

Uncharted, Unit 13, Wipeout, Ninja Gaiden, Gravity Rush, P4, FFX, Killzone, Resistance, LBP, Modnation, Ps All Stars, Princess Crown, Murumasa, AC, COD, Tearaway, Soul Sacrifice, and some ps2 collections.

Not a hard choice IMO. Especially when you factor in that the ds had a far superior library and every title is BC on the 3ds. There's only a few psp games working on the vita and they're all psn versions.

[rainslacker]

@Divine

Almost every PSP and PS Classic game works on the Vita. It's far from a few. Won't argue the physical game part because you are right on that one. If you want to get technical, I could list a list as long as yours for the Vita as well. You shouldn't selectively leave out a huge collection of Vita retail software to make your point.

I like and own both, so I get to play all those games. Just picked up Golden Sun for DS for $10 yesterday.:)

[Shnazzyone]

@rain

I don't believe every psp game is available for download yet. Also 3ds is a better value if you like the previous system because you don't have to buy ludicrously overpriced memory to play those games. Just buy the game for the last system. BTW, is there any reason to buy the 3g model? I just remembered there is a 3g model.

You know a system is in trouble when their fanboys are awkwardly trolling with lies about the system. Sure Vita will get it's system seller eventually... in the meantime, I think the Sony fanboys need to be a bit humble when discussing vita.

[rainslacker]

Not every PS1/PSP game is available, that's why I said almost every. It's far from a few though as Divine put forth.

Whether the 3DS is a better value is purely subjective. I like both, and find value in both of them, but even now my only criticism of the Vita is the overpriced memory cards. I guess it's actual influence over value is in how you use the system. If you like to have everything on one(or a couple) big cards then the value is lessened. As far as 3G, I guess it depends on what you want to use the system as. If you want to use it to replace a tablet for some functionality then yeah, might be worth it. To me, the extra data plan costs here in the US make it completely useless and not worthwhile.

I don't think a lot of people are trolling with lies. They're just tired of all this "Vita has no games", "X system is better because of this"(particularly when the Vita can do that some of those things mentioned as well).

Both 3DS and Vita are great systems with great games. Both have their advantages and shortfalls. If one has the means to get both, and they both have games that one wants to play, then it's worth getting both. Picking one over the other though is a personal preference, and it all comes down to the games one wants to play.

Other than that, some of the fanboyism between the two systems could use some humbling. And that goes for both sides, not just Sony fans.

[fight4love]

Yea the most appealing thing to me about the vita are the classics and the psp game library. The vita does have some good software admittedly. Persona 4G, soul sacrifice, some decent launch software and others. Wish moar games like God eater 2 would come over.

The 3ds library is just crazy. Much better than the vita's. Not even gonna list em all.

[LOGICWINS]

The 3DS may have a bigger library than the Vita, but whether its a "better" library is all opinion.

The ONLY two franchises I care about on the Nintendo front are Pokemon and Ace Attorney.

But the Vita is a different story. I'm interested in:

Uncharted
Persona
Killzone
Gravity Rush
Need for Speed
Disagea
Tearaway

The 3DS may have a bigger library, but if 98% of that library doesn't appeal to me...then I'd rather get a Vita.

The Vita also has more longevity given the tech within it.

[IMightBeRetarded]

I've played the 3DS and it does have some good games, but after having played on my vita then looking at 3DS games, they just look so low quality.
They are both good, but vita for me.

[GribbleGrunger]

Sounded like a question set up for a specific answer to me. Why is he considering buying a Vita? Because there are PS1 games he missed out on lol. Get outa here with that nonsense.

[Dj7FairyTail]

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Bit.Trip Saga
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
Cave Story 3D
Chocobo Racing 3D (working title)
Code of Princess
Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Dragon Quest VII
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titam
Fantasy Life
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Guild01
Guild02
Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns
Inazuma Eleven Go
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins
Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Mario Golf: World Tour
Mario Kart 7
Mario Party
Mario Tennis Open
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 4
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies/5
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Pokémon X and Y
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney
Project X Zone
Resident Evil: Revelations
Rune Factory 4
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2: Break Record
Shin Megami Tensei 4
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic Generations
Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir
Star Fox 64 3D
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Smash Bros. 3DS
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Tales of the Abyss
Tekken 3D: Prime Edition
Tetris: Axis
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Time Travelers
Unchained Blades
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

[BeZdaBest]

dont see a shortage of games there

i have about 9 games on that list..

[3-4-5]

There is no battle....3DS & Vita are friends.

[Moonman]

3DS has an amazing line-up and current library. And this is just the start of many more years to come! Get the XL.

[TongkatAli]

Vita for me, love me indies and 2D sprite epicness. 3DS has the same old for me that is why I'm not excited for it.

[RTheRebel]

3DS No contest =)
Only game I'm interested from Vita is Tearaway that's basically it.
And those expensive memory cards are not helping either.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

3DS hands down.

[chadboban]

It all depends on your taste. Just look at what's available and what's coming up for each system, see which one has more of what you want and your decision will be made clear.

[Kingthrash360]

lol ign...gotta have that vita hate....they shoulda waited until after E3 and did it for the remainder of the year. never fails.

[yeahokchief]

buncha 3ds kiddies in this forum. makes sense. they dont have games like us vita owners so they got more time to click disagress.

[Kingthrash360]

**pauses Soul Sacrfice** lol so true.
**unpause**

[SonyNGP]

>forum

[SonyPS4]

I own a First Edition Vita and cannot remember the last time I played a game on it. Right now I am playing my 3DS.

[SonyPS4]

I own a First Edition Vita and cannot remember the last time I played a game on it. Right now I am playing my 3DS right now.

[rainslacker]

I prefer my Vita, but have a 3DS. I can't deny it's JRPG goodyness. Plenty of games to play on both. If I was at a place I could be playing one of them I would be right now. I personally care more about the games, but the Vita just screams at me to play it with it's quality. Otherwise I come to add fuel to the fire.:)

[Williamson]

I have both and im really enjoying them equally.

[Williamson]

Nintendo fans bash the vita, while ps3/360 fans bash the wiiu. The sooner the wii u and vita can get the sales up then the better. Its getting quite annoying to have to read "rip wii u" and "rip vita".

[chadboban]

AMEN!!!

[objdadon]

I have both and while I like both, the vita has more of a mature content selection of games for me. And the the fact that I have to use an attachment for a second circle pad is unacceptable. But I still like both. Nintendo just has to make more mature games than mario all the time.

[chadboban]

Well if you look at the stuff on 3DS OTHER than Mario games maybe you'll find something more "mature". Fire Emblem for example is a game made by Nintendo that I would classify as "mature". There are many others if you look through the 3DS library. Games like RE:Revelations (soon to be multiplat on everything soon though unfortunately not the Vita), Virtue's Last Reward (on Vita as well), Monster Hunter 3, Soul Hackers, Etrian Odyssey, Devil Survivor etc.

Then there's the upcoming games like SMT IV, MH4 etc.

I do have a question though. When you say "mature" are you talking artstyle wise, difficulty wise or perhaps writing or story wise? Also what would you classify as a "mature" game? Not trying to start a war, just genuinely curious here.

[objdadon]

I mean mature as in rating. Violence, sex, skillful competition. Action, not rpg, I still love my mario bros and kart and im waiting for super smash bros even for my wii u. But im on my vita a lot more than my 3ds so far.

[chadboban]

Oh so you mean Mature in the most literal term. Okay I get it. Although I believe maturity doesn't lie purely within the rating of a game.

I mean I've played my fair share of M rated games and some of them contain the most immature things you will ever see, hear or do. In my opinion a game or anything else for that matter doesn't need gore, sex or bad words to be considered mature.

One example of a game I believe to be quite mature yet has a Teen rating is Hotel Dusk on the DS. It was a noir-style mystery game filled with believable characters, an intriguing plot and a unique visual style. The game isn't exactly filled with swearing, sex or gore yet it is able to craft a fantastic narrative with strong writing and characters. Games like that show me that a game doesn't need an M rating to be mature.

I'm not saying that all gore or sex in games is crude, but rather that I think maturity lies not with the violent or sexual content itself but the context in which those acts are being performed.

[FlyingFoxy]

Vita - better graphics (pretty much a portable PS3), more comfortable to hold for longer periods because of rounded sides, 2 thumbsticks, YouTube app, 3G (even if just for browsing etc..), nice OLED screen but suffers from patchy black splotches which can be seen in low light/dark rooms, not as many top titles as 3DS but slowly gaining momentum.

3DS - roughly GC/Wii level graphics, a lot of great games, not so comfortable to hold for a long time, circle pad does not have much grip at all compared to Vita's thumbsticks and gets rather slippery.

So each one has their strengths and weaknesses, i listed each one truthfully. I like both, but prefer Vita for the more things it can do and because it's more comfy to hold, and no problems with thumb sliding off the stick when holding a direction.

[AdvanceWarsSgt]

Storage is also in the 3DS's favor. You can get a 64 GB SD card for the 3DS a helluva lot cheaper than a 64 GB proprietary memory card for the Vita. In fact, I believe you can get 3 64 GB SD cards for te same price as one 64 GB Vita memory card.

[Brucis]

Got the 3DS simply because it had more games that I'm interested in and was cheaper. I'll pick up a Vita when more games come out that I think I'll like and I have some money, simple.

[Bigkurz85]

I've got both and love them both. In terms of hardware, the Vita blows the 3DS away. But obviously software is hurting on the Vita. It's not GREAT on the 3ds, but with NSMB2, Mario Kart, Ocarina, Luigi, etc. with what's to come, its clear that the 3ds should probably win.

But i'm cheering for the vita.

[WeAreLegion]

I go with the Vita because I never have to wait for a new game to come out. I always have something fun to play on it. The 3DS has a couple amazing titles, but nothing with any real longevity that I enjoy. I hate Monster Hunter and I hate Fire Emblem. I realize I have weird tastes, but that's how I am. :)

[BeZdaBest]

in all honestly 3ds has a few more games than the vita if their not you up to your taste thats fine but overall the 3ds HAS more games..(again it should seeing its been out longer)..

i have both a vita and a 3ds ive bought about ten games for my vita..have ps+.(but the only game i didnt have was gravity rush..)

the only two worth while games im missing are soul sacrifice and p4g..( waiting to buy because i have a backlog of games to beat on ps3)

but i find myself using the 3ds because most games of the experience on vita can be had elsewhere and is 8 out of ten times its better...(example uncharted,wipeout,allstar,assc reed,resistance,cod, mostwanted,mk9,an a few others..)

not saying the 3ds doesnt share that problem.. but they at least trying to change it up a little..

[capjacksparrow]

Honestly, I have both devices and would say that you can go with either one! If you were to ask my opinion, I would have to go with the PlayStation Vita. I really feel like I have an actual console in the palm of my hands. Normally when I'm home, I put down whatever handheld I've been playing (whether it was my 3DS, Gameboy, PSP, SP, etc.)and start playing my home console. Now, there is a fifty percent chance of me picking up my Vita or 50 percent chance of playing my PS3, Wii, or 360. I think it has a lot to do with the dual thumb sticks and the vibrant visuals. I would suggest buying a Vita with a year of PS Plus (this will net you Gravity Rush, Wipeout, and Uncharted among other things), as well as getting a copy of Persona 4 Golden. Persona 4 is one of the best games I've played in a long time. I have over 130 hours in and I'm still playing! Good luck with making up your mind!

[AndreausAhazard]

Well I playing soul sacrifice a bit more than luigi's mansion. But honestly before S.S. i taught the 3ds was gonna beat up the vita in a heartbeat but looking now at the next 5 months the vita can make a big come back cause the 3ds looking a little thin on new releases. But watever i hope they both do well so i can have more games.

[DivineAssault]

Both are have great games coming.. 3DS has a lot of fantastic games getting localized this year so im very pleased with them now more than ever.. Vita is a fantastic machine but its lacking unique software.. All the great games coming are also available on PS3 which kills the hype imo.. Tear Away & KZ are all i know of that are exclusive vita heavy hitters for 2013 but vita has WAY better visuals, features, & controls.. Dragons Crown, Muramasa, & FFX HD will be great on it

[AdvanceWarsSgt]

3DS for me. It's living up to its predecessors already and its only been out for two years.

The Vita is a great handheld though that looks to offer something different. The 3DS and Vita complement each other very well.

[Satirical]

3DS has an incredible library of games. With quantity also comes more diversity and quality as well. The Vita, while a great piece of technology, severely suffers from lackluster software. I own a Vita and I can't remember the last time I played a game on it. Nothing on the system even remotely interests me with the sole exception of Person 4 Golden. There are already a lot of 3DS games out in Japan waiting to be localized, in addition to the ones already announced. The 3DS's library will continue to grow. I don't see how anyone could consider the Vita's game library superior to the 3DS's.