Which One is Better? Vita vs. 3DS XL

Which hand held will survive the ultimate battle?

Welcome to Thunderdome! Two handheld gaming devices enter! One handheld gaming device leaves! One of these systems will crush its enemy, see it driven before it and hear the lamentations of the women. The other will be spat upon, cursed by all good people and thrown into a fire… never to be spoken of again. This is as real as it gets. This is the first round and the last round of a one round death match. This is Foreman and Ali. This is Rocky versus Drago. This is Peyton Manning versus Russell Wilson. Today we decide the ultimate fate of handheld gaming for everyone and for all time! Let Mortal Kombat and the accusations that I write click bait articles begin!

[MrSwankSinatra]

Vita is better machine overall than the 3DS. It has a better online infrastructure, better user interface, it's has better screen, dual analogs built in, etc. Though when it comes to game library the 3DS outclasses the Vita easily.

[Ballsack]

Agreed.

Vita much superior hardware

Software 3ds destroys vita

[NewMonday]

agree 3DS is a clear first option, Vita still a solid second. worth it for me to own both.

[BVFTW]

Agree with Mr.NewMonday, I have both platforms and I enjoy my 3ds more but the best current portable generation game I've played is Tearaway, it's that special, I enjoyed gravity rush as well and gave me the vibe that I was playing a classic PS2 game but I have to say that 3ds has so much damn good games that it is the platform I recommend and Mario Kart 7 is "the game" XD it just leaves the system when a new game arrives and it always comes back! I just wish for more mainstream support for the vita because is a great system overall and like NewMonday said up there, is a solid second.

[mcstorm]

I agree. I felt really let down by by the games on the PSV. Got both the PSV and 3DS on day one but I have now sold my PSV due to lack of games I wanted on it.

Hardware is amazing so is the software on the console but as a games machine the 3DS has it beat all over the park due to the vast amount of games on the console compared to the Vita.

To me it feels like Sony are pushing it as a remote console to the PS4 not rather than a handheld game console.

[wheresmymonkey]

The prblem is that Remote play is incredibly hit and miss. Unless the dev specifically remap the controls so that the touchpad isn't used for l2/r2 some games are almost unplayable as a result.

[mcstorm]

I never used it for remote paly as I sold my PSV late last year and not picked up a PS4 yet im waiting for more of the games I want to come out for it.

I like the idea of the remote play but on the flip side it has too many complex sides too it like internet speed, Signal ect. I would not look to use remote play at home as ide want to play my games on the TV but I can see some people wanting to use it.

I also tend to play on my handheld consoles when im out and about more when im on the train and remote play would be no good on this too because of signal drop ect.

[eferreira]

3ds has a great library but for me so far this year I've purchased one 3ds game and many for the vita. So Vita takes it.

[isarai]

Hell yeah, i love my Vita, but i'm always glaring at the 3DS when my vita isn't looking thinking "just get release some more great exclusives and i'm all over that!"

[nope111]

Vita. Better hardware, better online, better games, better looking, awesome PSN discounts.

[MadLad]

Better games?

I'll give that the Vita is superior on a technical level. There's no denying that.
You just have to look to places such as Metacritic and Wikipedia to see how massive the 3DS library is as compared to the Vita.
Do I believe you don't actually prefer your Vita library to that of the 3DS? No. Or else you wouldn't have made that comment in the first place.
At the same time, you are arguing for the library of a system who, day after day here on N4G, sees articles asking whether or not developers, even Sony, realize the thing exists. In comparison to the 3DS that has a ton of 3rd party and 1st party support.

At the end of the day, I am a gamer and I am here for the games. Being even a PC gamer, it's games over graphics and the 3DS has the games.

[cluckey07]

Vita does have better games. Yes it has a smaller library. But the games are better That's it's big system seller and only games usually worth buying on a nintendo handheld.. Vita has nothing comparable.

[BiggerBoss]

@cluckey, vita has better console style games definitely (let me know when 3ds can play borderlands 2), but 3ds has a much larger variety of games that are popular with the handheld market. I mean it has Pokemon for gods sake, that alone pretty much guarantees millions of sales

[MadLad]

@cluckey07

Here; I made it easier for you
http://www.metacritic.com/b...
http://www.metacritic.com/b...

I am not here to argue the personal opinions of every gamer on this site.
Both have highly rated games. Though Nintendo has more and much more exclusive content, whereas the Vita feeds off of indie titles often found on PC and consoles.

[BrandanT]

Vita is better hardware wise by a lot. The 3DS though, it's more durable than the vita which is actually a very important thing for handhelds (My brother accidentally knocked mine out of my hand, picked it up like nothing happened). The 3DS online is lacking but, what's the point? You're not going to have any real internet connection outside of home unless the Vita is meant to be at home. It's literally meant to be a device to be used out of home. The 3DS's UI is very simplistic, which is exactly the way an UI is suppose to be. The games are great, and are designed differently from console games. They're designed to be played in short bursts.

[VSVP]

Vita is an amazing device and beats 3DS on almost every front.. sadly 3DS gets wayy more dev love. Meanwhile Sony is neglecting vita like anything. Hope it changes.

[Ripsta7th]

Wow this is easy, 3DS XL owns vita on the game department , and being BC helps it.
The vita has the graphics though. I dont think ill ever see a game on the 3ds looks as good as vita games.
If i only had one option id go with the 3ds though, it has games exclusively made for it that you wont find on home consoles unlike the vita which shares a similar library as the ps3.

[dcj0524]

I disagree with the games part. Having dual analog sticks is HUGE. Seriously, you cant enjoy Killzone, Uncharted,Soul Sacrifice, God Eater, Freedom Wars, Assassin's creed, and many Indies on the 3DS. For one the controls would be crap not even accounting for performance or graphics. Second the VITA gets a lot more unique games while on the 3DS I mainly get what I got on the DS(which is not a bad thing). The Vita's problem is memory card price and advertising, not games.

[BenRage3]

But the 3ds does support dual analogs. It may not be standard for each game, but it does exist and it makes the games that support it that much better.

But when comparing games, there is no contest. The games you mentioned are console style games, which is an experience you can find elsewhere. Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life, Pokemon, Luigi's Mansion, Kid Icarus, Zelda Link Between Worlds are amazing; each one of those is a unique experience you cannot find anywhere else. Streetpass, and spotpass are wonderful additions and a way to get free dlc, which gives the 3ds the edge. The Vita is a worthy contender and I'm not trying to take anything away from it.

[Doge]

The 3DS has Ace Attorney. The Vita doesn't.

[nodim]

The Vita has Danganronpa. The 3DS doesn't.

[Doge]

That's not Ace Attorney.

[nodim]

>That's not Ace Attorney.

And that's not Danganronpa

[Delsin_Rowe]

@Doge not such funny anymore, such not wow. @Novurdim is such funny, such wow.

[TongkatAli]

This is a quote from a YouTube video "the least developed character in Danganronpa is more developed then the most developed character in Ace Attorney".

Capcom isn't known for making incredible storylines, the guy who makes Danganronpa made 666 and Virtues Last Reward.

Popularity is one thing, quality is a whole another. Take for example Mario is a whole lot popular then Sonic and made more money, but Nintendo has yet to come up with a side scroller that can complete with Sonic 3 level design, but fanboys wouldn't know how for a platformer Sonic 3 is a nuclear bomb for the genre, same for Daganronpa.

The feedback for it is incredible, someone brought up Ace Attorney in that video I was watching and got destroyed by a step by step comparison to both games, he deserved it though his comments went something like "hur hur Ace Attorney iz is the bestss and this is copying it hur hur".

[BenRage3]

I completely disagree with the Sonic Mario comparison. Sonic has some interesting design choices, but the gameplay never compared to Mario. The best Mario and the best Sonic game are light years apart in terms of quality, with Mario being the victor. Have you played New Super Mario Brothers U? Best side scrolling Mario since Super Mario World, both of which I would put ahead of Sonic 3.

"but Nintendo has yet to come up with a side scroller that can compete with Sonic 3 level design" <-- Donkey Kong Country returns and it's sequel as well have a better level design than any Sonic game I have played including Sonic 3.

[TongkatAli]

Ben really ? Bullshit, Sonic 3 has a bigger level design, more playable characters, better story, unique skills for Sonic, Tails and Kuckles,it's more challenging, bonus stages galore, less reused assets, more secrets, hmmmm golden sonic or two monkeys on a railkart ? I can go on and on when all you got "is no I disagree because I can't tell you why Mario and Donkey Kong better".

I bought Super Mario Bros U with a white Wii U at launch, fu.. out of here with that noise, yeah, it was OK but Sonic 3 eats it.

Also the 3DS is soooo amazing that at launch it was 250$, but if you sell it to gamestop now you get a whopping 30$. You get more credit selling a cod game then the console itself, too fing funny.

[XSpike]

The Vita hands down.

PS+ adds so much value to the handhold that Nintendo can't compete with, unless you just don't have PS+ or own a PS3/4 so "PS+ isn't worth it for you"

Even without PS+, I'd still pick a PSVita for games like MGS:HD, P4G, FF7-X / X-2, Chrono Trigger / Cross, Vagrant Story, Gravity Rush, Uncharted, Borderlands 2, Sword Art Online, WRC4, LBP, killzone, my list goes on forever with PS1, PSP and lots of Vita titles - a good selection old in new is always good.

I do like some 3DS games, like Bravely Default even though I don't really like the chibi stylized games, blah. I used to be a fan of Pokemon back on the original gameboy, but even the latest ones just don't match up to what I expected from them by now. If you want to know a game in which I think Pokemon should of been, its Digimon on the Vita, now if Pokemon was build like that *Drools*

Overall, I can see why people love the 3DS, I used to love the first gameboy for similar games but I grew out of them as its the same old same old.

I'm going to be depressed when Sony doesn't make another handhold, as I know when Nintendo releases their next handhold its only going to be slightly more powerful then the Vita & will cost a lot more. Even then I doubt we'll see a Pokemon game of Vita digimon standards by Nintendo.. N might not even want to create a handhold as powerful as the Vita, too much work for them when designing games.

Its a sad world we live in when such a beautiful device like the Vita goes unwanted by the masses.

I'm going to go off in cry while you people down vote me cause you just can't see the beauty in the worlds best handhold.

[BattleN]

I admire the time you took to type that but will let you know I skipped reading lol

[bigbearsack]

My problem with the vita is it's trying to do what consoles do and comes up short. It seems like 3ds games were built within it's capacity, while the Vita try's to squeeze in first party console games. Call of Duty & Madden was a complete shit job for the Vita.

[XSpike]

The Vita could easily handle a proper CoD title, the developer behind the Vita game was the worst developer Activision could of chosen, not only did Sony make the stupid decision to pick them to make the horrible Vita Resistance game, the small dev team had to create 2 games in a very short time. Poor devs...

Borderlands 2, Killzone, NFS:Most Wanted and Uncharted are some of the games that prove that the Vita can easily handle PS3 games with some cut backs. But with a CoD title, which runs at 60fps on PS3/360, cut that back to 30fps and lower the res to 544p, little else would need to be done to have CoD running smoothly on the Vita compared to the games stated above.

Its funny as when they announced the Vita & CoD I was thinking "Man, if they just put a proper CoD on the Vita, add in a good local wifi support for zombies/online/co-op all them CoD fans would rush out to buy a Vita" but we ended up with Declassified which had zero local gameplay options, a lame SP, and stripped back MP, LOL what a sad day that was when the Vita could of easily handled a Black Ops 2 port

Poor poor Vita was ruined from that day on, it was all "The Vita can't handle PS3 games, look at Declassified" kinda thing, sadly the game was developed in like 6 months & it really really showed.

Ohhh well, that's ultimately Sony's fault for letting that happen, they should of really helped Activison in getting Black Ops 2 ported by either co-developing or a bit of $$ (Even though Act doesn't need $$ for a CoD title, they already make bucket loads from it)

[TimeSkipLuffy]

depends on the type of games you are playing. If you want Pokemon or Mario or Zelda kind of games then DS.
If you want indie games that are currently available on PC and ports from consoles and graphic demanding games like uncharted go with Vita.

Or have both and enjoy every kind of handheld games ^^

[BattleN]

The WiiU is both combined I hate handhelds but love that my Gamepad is a hybrid handheld that I can also enjoy on my tv!

[TheCagyDies]

No contest, 3DS!!!

[bigbearsack]

I own both and my 3dsxl gets mad play. I'm bout to trade my vita in for a Playstation TV.

[iamnsuperman]

It surely has to be the 3DS with its library of games. The Vita is good bit of kit and a powerful machine but it doesn't really have handheld suitable games. Killzone was great and Tearaway is a phenomenal game but they are not really handheld suitable games. They are very much sit on the coach at home type of games

[SonyStyled]

which is part of why AAA development is slowing and indie games are growing

[Theyellowflash30]

The 3DS. Games define a system. Not features. The dual screen is perfect for RPGs.

3D pops in games like The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds and Resident Evil Revelations.

Plus...Pokemon. Enough said.

[iain04]

If Nintendo owned the Vita it would get the attention it deserves. Technically the Vita wins easily.

[Jdoki]

Depends on the games you like.... Both Vita and 3DS have some nice niche games.

[TomahawkX]

Both are great if you are into handheld gaming. the 3ds has great exclusives and the vita has nice console ports, indies, and awesome PSN sales.

[ruefrak]

The Vita has a better games library. Pure and simple. The 3DS may have a bigger library of games, but just because you have a dozen Dora the Explorer and Hello Kitty shovelware games for your system doesn't make it better.
The sad fact is that the games for the 3DS get a pass because the name "Nintendo" is stamped on them and we're blinded by nostalgia. What's the top rated game for the 3DS? A remake of an N64 Zelda. And then there's a reimagined version of a Super Nintendo Zelda. The list goes on and on. When remakes come out for the Vita, everyone just complains that its "another port of an old game" while people fall over themselves when remakes come out on the 3DS.

Everyone says the 3DS has such amazing games. Which ones? What are the amazing, AAA must haves that aren't just a rehash of something I played on the NES 30 years ago?

[Pridefall]

Please someone give this guy a cookie.

[TheCagyDies]

fine, I'll bite. I had a rough day at work so I feel like debating. Don't take this the wrong way.

3DS games that are exclusive to 3DS only, and are not shovel ware or indie (also your claim about Zelda Link Between Worlds is incorrect, it's not a reimagined version of A Link To The Past, it's a sequel with a new Link, new mechanics, new characters, new story)

Fire Emblem Awakening
LOZ A Link Between Worlds
Super Mario 3D Land
Pushmo (downloadable only but made by Nintendo)
Pokemon XY
Animal Crossing New Leaf,
Crashmo
Luigi's Mansion 2
Bravely Default
Mario Kart 7
Etrian Odyssey 4
Kid Icarus Uprising
Shin Megami Tensei 4
Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Mario and Luigi Dream Team
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
Etrian Odyssey Untold, Millennium Girl
Kirby Triple Deluxe
Rune Factory 4
Paper Mario Sticker Star
Kingdom Hearts 3D
Harvest Moon 3D
Tomodachi Life
Project X Zone
Shin Megami Tensei Soul Hackers (never released in America thanks to Sony)
Ace Attorney 5
Monster Hunter 4
Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS (has different levels and different art style)
Yoshi's new Island
Final Fantasy Threatrymthm
FF CurtainCall
Persona Q
Fantasy Life
Project Steam

ALL of these games are brand new and exclusive to 3DS atm and cannot be found anywhere else, made by AAA companies (no indies) and 95% have a meta of 70 and higher.

And honestly, if you are going to play the "top 10 on metacritic for 3DS is just ports", let's take a look at the vita.

Persona 4 Golden 93 - Port of PS2 game
Fez 91 - Port of Xbox 360 game
LIMBO 89 - port of Xbox 360 game
Spelunky 88 - on PS3
Rayman Origins 88 - on every system out there
Machinarium 88 - on PC and PS3
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita 88 - Only exclusive so 1
Guacamelee! 87 - Just got this free on Xbox One
Rayman Legends 87 - On every system out
Tearaway 87 - Just got ported to PS4
PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate 87 - Also on PS4
Velocity Ultra 87 - also on PS3 and PC
Final Fantasy X/X2 86 - on the PS2 and PS3.

These are the top 13 rated PS Vita games and only one of them is exclusive to the Vita, LBP Vita and it's just like LBP PS3 but with touch screen controls.

Also on a side note, no Vita announcements for Gamescom and TGS this year. Nintendo is unpredictable, they can hold a Nintendo Direct at any given moment and announce a new 3DS exclusive.

[dcj0524]

Nope, when it's released at the same time window it's multiplatform, not port. Also you must consider that the VITA is portable with a good battery life which adds value to every port it does get.

[TheCagyDies]

Multiplat, Vita to PS3 port, PS3 to Vita port. MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. Yes the Vita is portable but the quality of the battery life is subjective of the one I own. But what about the value of playing it on the PS3/PS4/360/Xone, I have a huge TV, surround sound, and amazing controller with clickable concave sticks, I think that beats PS Vita any day of the week

i.e Rayman Legends (a game with no cross buy), should I go with the gimp Vita version with touch screen controls and portable or go with 1080P/60 FPS on the PS4 with a controller that rumbles, huge tv, and surround sound.

I am using PC elitist rules here, I already own the PS3/X360/PC long before I got my Vita, why should I play an inferior experience when I can play the same game better on PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Why get Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 when I can get it on PS3 with superior resolution and one disc? That is why I am asking Sony to bring Vita made games that I cannot get anywhere else. But no, they ignored Vita at Gamescom and they said no Vita announcements for TGS, I'm a pissed off Vita owner. and don't excuse me of 3DS bias, I got the Vita version of Zero Escape over the 3DS because the Vita version is superior. I am getting Tales of Hearts R and Murasaki Baby which are the kind of games I expect for Vita. That is why I say the 3DS is better because Nintendo separates their games and make a handheld game seem handheld, a console game seem console, giving us a reason to buy both a Wii U and 3DS.

And years down the line when 3DS has stopped production and nobody cares anymore, Nintendo will put 3DS games on the Virtual Console on their next handheld/system but with the Vita, I can get the superior experience right now on a console. Sony gave PS3 so many exclusives but not the Vita, they released a few great games like Uncharted, Killzone and BAM! they're done, perhaps this is why Vita isn't catching fire.

And for people who said that huge list of games don't interest them, well quality is subjective so that I is why I brought in a 3rd party like metacritic.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Vita and its power but I own every other system out there. I am a gamer who loves gaming until the end of time but Sony needs to buff up their Vita library 'cause I don't want my Vita to end up being a PS4 accessory.

[TechOne]

The Vita wishes it had the game library as the 3ds. Too bad Sony forgot the Vita existed or it might have had a decent library of games, but all the Vita is good for are decent/forgettable indie games.

[paul-p1988]

I could not agree more. As much as all the Ninty fanboys keep saying 'the games aren't the same' they ALL are.

Pokémon: Start in a tiny town, travel the map, Team <insert name> get in your way to inevitably be beaten because they have rubbish pokemon, beat Pokémon League.

Mario: Jump on loads of different monsters heads to rescue the world's dumbest princess from a castle...again...

Zelda: Pretty much exactly the same as Mario apart from the jumping on heads bit.

This is why I prefer my Vita and have stopped buying Nintendo products, I have had a LOAD of different experiences on it, none of them feeling stale, and pretty much all of them with console level graphics. I bought a DS just for Pokémon (picked up a few other Ninty classics aswell, e.g. Mario 64, Mario Kart etc) and I just left it in a cupboard as I realised I had already played all of these games at least 10 times before as they were almost identical to their GBA/Gameboy versions...

[ruefrak]

I hear you. I have a 3DS sitting here and... well, it just sits here. Mario Kart 7 is ok, but it's not all that different than Mario Kart 1-6. Mario-everythingelse is like you said, sort of the same thing over and over again.

I get that the 3DS has exclusive games (and a lot of them apparently). I don't care if it's exclusive or some indie PC game I've never heard of. I want GOOD games. Different games. I look at everything out on the 3DS and nothing peaks my interest.

Yes, the Rayman games on the Vita are on other platforms as well (except 3DS) but they are soooo good on the Vita.

And let's not forget the Vita also has an amazing catalog of PSP/PS1/PSM games on it too. Those always seem to get left out of the argument about the Vita's game library. Plus the Vita has cross-buy, cross-play, cross-save, cross-controller... well, I'll stop now. It can do a lot.

[TekoIie]

@paul-p1988

"I could not agree more. As much as all the Ninty fanboys keep saying 'the games aren't the same' they ALL are."

Even Kid Icarus: Uprising is the exact same game as the previous installments? ALBW is exactly the same as OoT? I look forward to seeing you prove it.

Also don't bother saying the Vita is jam packed with new experiences, a fair portion of titles released on the system are ports of already released titles and remakes.

[TechOne]

"The Vita has a better games library"

Hahahahahaha this is a joke, right?

[Protagonist]

How hard is it to get through a nintendo skull that not everybody likes what is available for the 3DS.

I DO NOT like ANY of these games!

LOZ A Link Between Worlds
Super Mario 3D Land
Pushmo (downloadable only but made by Nintendo)
Pokemon XY
Animal Crossing New Leaf,
Crashmo
Luigi's Mansion 2

Mario Kart 7

Kid Icarus Uprising

Mario and Luigi Dream Team

Kirby Triple Deluxe

Paper Mario Sticker Star

Tomodachi Life
Project X Zone

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS (has different levels and different art style)
Yoshi's new Island
Final Fantasy Threatrymthm

Fantasy Life
Project Steam

[Theyellowflash30]

Damn, you sure don't like a lot of good games. All of games are absolutely destroying the Vita in games sales.

[TheCagyDies]

Well, IMO all 90% of the Vita games are either not worth playing/better played somewhere else.

But hey, that's just my opinion, let Vita and 3DS place the cards on the table and see who sells better.

[Theyellowflash30]

LOL, Vita has a better games library than the 3DS? WOW. That's the biggest lie I have ever heard.

Everyone says the 3DS has such amazing games.

1. Pokemon X & Y
2. Fire Emblem Awkening
3. Bravely Default

These three games alone beat anything on the Vita

[Protagonist]

BS!

[Theyellowflash30]

Not really, tha users have spoken... 3DS software sales are killing Vita software sales.

[MeliMel]

I love the 3DS man. We have a couple of those and a 2DS.

I had the Vita but sold it. Not that i didnt like it. The Vita made more sense for me as its more adult oriented, has more mature content. Awesome online, free games monthly.

Im just a sucker for Nintendo when it comes to handheld. No one does it better or should i say has done it better since i can remember. They had me hooked since Paperboy on Game Boy.

[Pricey]

I totally agree about Nintendo getting free pass. But I would also say they're games handle the transition from console to handheld better.

[Emanno]

PS Vita

[TheBoy]

3DS, it all comes down to the games and the 3DS utterly destroys the VITA in games, the VITA's exclusives are mediocre at best.

[Pridefall]

I often think the vuta has no games until i look at my backlog and the vita release schedule and realise i will never have time to play them all...

[Summons75]

Well considering the 3Ds is printing money and the vita is dead in the water o
Id say 3ds. While the vita Is a great system it doesn't have the support or games to truly be great. It can have the best specs in the world but if it doesn't have games the its nothing. Hell Sony didn't mention vita at e3 or gamescon, you can tell they Dont really care anymore.

Both are great.

[DualWielding]

both are good, the 3DS is a bit better, in 2013 the 3DS had one of the most amazing years library wise of any console ever and it seemed like it was light years ahead of the Vita, however, the 3DS has really slowed down in 2013 and the Vita has picked up a bit so the difference is not as big as before

[MartinB105]

Most people fail to realise that the total cost of 3DS ownership is FAR higher than the Vita - even accounting for the cost of memory cards - mostly due to the outrageously high cost of Nintendo-published games on the 3DS.

Let's do a quick comparison: A 3DS with a 16GB memory card and the four games listed in the article (Amazon UK):

3DS XL (Black): £169.00
16GB SD Card: £6.29
Super Mario 3D Land: £35.59
Mario Kart 7: £33.78
Starfox 64: £31.99
Zelda: Ocarina Of Time: £36.48

Total 3DS Cost: £313.13

You've got just four games and you're already well above three hundred quid. What would that money get you on the Sony side?

PlayStation Vita: £139.01
16GB Mega Bundle: £28.99, inc:
- 16GB Memory Card
- LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
- Wipeout 2048
- Motorstorm RC
- Little Deviants
- Frobisher Says!
- Ecolibrium + DLC Packs
- Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
- Lemmings
- Hungry Giraffe
- Rotating Octopus
Uncharted: Golden Abyss: £19.77
Gravity Rush: £17.29
Rayman Legends: £17.86
Assassin's Creed Liberation: £15.99
Persona 4 Golden: £13.99

Total Vita Cost: £252.90

That's FIFTEEN Vita games in total. And yeah, not all games are equal, but there's some decent Vita gems in that list.

You could then throw in a year of PlayStation Plus membership for another £36.85, putting the total at £289.75, which is still more than £20 lower than the 3DS total cost.

If you already happen to own a PS3 (or PS4), then there are additional benefits: You may already have a PS+ subscription, so you won't need to pay for one on the Vita (and if you thought ahead, then you have already claimed a collection of Vita games). You may also have an existing collection of PS1 Classics and/or PS Minis, most of which are also compatible with the Vita.

In the end, I know there's also an argument for which system ultimately wins regardless of cost, but if you're going to complain about the price of Vita memory cards, then you really need to take a look at the overall costs on both sides, because cost certainly isn't working favourably for Nintendo (same applies to the Wii U).

Usage patterns matter too. I bought the Vita because it's enough to cover my daily two hours of commuting. If I spent hours every day playing a handheld gaming system, then the 3DS may have been more appropriate, but in my case, the Vita does the job at a very reasonable price.

[MeliMel]

I would still probably get that 3DS XL bundle you listed. Dont get me wrong that Vita bundle is awesome. Great alot of good games. But you listed some Nintendo classics in your bundle that would still be hard for a fan to turn down.

To me a Nintendo hand held is like a MAC. Despite its inferior hardware, still top of the line.

[MartinB105]

Yeah, I won't dispute the quality of Nintendo games. I own a DS, Wii and Wii U to play Nintendo stuff and I'd certainly buy every single one of those 3DS games if I'd chosen the 3DS instead of the Vita. It doesn't really work out for me cost-wise though to own two portables.

Another personal reason I chose the Vita was my dislike of the 3D screen. I can't see the 3D effect due to vision problems; the screen just ends up looking like weird dark/light "shimmering waves" to me. It's hard to explain, but it's distracting enough to be a deal-breaker.

And regarding the Vita selection, I'd put at least Persona 4 Golden up there with the Nintendo games. It's one of the greatest games I've ever played. Rayman Legends is up there too, but you don't necessarily need a Vita to play that.

[Revengeance]

Both systems are great handhelds but imma go with the Vita.

[paul-p1988]

Vita, definitely.

I don't own a 3DS but I've watched my friends play their's to see if I wanted to get one (they keep demanding I get one...) but the games and the experiences look near identical to the DS games, and in some cases hardware even further back. Unfortunately it is just something Nintendo do really well, sell nostalgia, so why change it when people are lapping up the same game year after year... Yet Sony take a few risks with the Vita and it just hasn't paid off.

I love the variety of games I have on Vita. Fancy a beat 'em up, I've just bought DBZ: Battle of Z (personally I think the Vita version looks better than the PS3 version). Fancy something to kill 5mins, OlliOlli. Fancy a full-on FPS, Killzone Mercenary. Fancy a JRPG, <insert hundreds of different names> etc etc. Fancy some nostalgia, play all your old PS1 or PSP games. My 64gb card is almost full and hardly any of the games fit into the same category as the others, and this is why I love it. Diversity :)

[jegheist2014]

i own both one i pick up most is my vita the type of rpgs on vita r more my fancy.

when bravely default came out my vita collected dust till mid march i havent put it down since.

aint been decent enough good rpg for me to pick up my 3ds again but persona q will do just that

[Baka-akaB]

The 3ds obviously won already . I still prefer the Vita because of the nicer hardware and controls , but most of all because the bulk of the handheld titles that interest me on vita (namely jrpgs , fighting games) are on vita , except some obvious cult and essential games like SHin megami tensei 4 , Fire Emblem , Bravely Default

[LAWSON72]

2DS is where it is at.

[superchiller]

... if you're under 8 years old.

[marloc_x]

You own one!?

[ninjahunter]

One offers a better console experience, one offers a better mobile experience.

[vork77]

In hardware strength Vita won that hands down its comfy when you hold it and the 3DS won in games

[StormLegend]

The Vita beats the 3DS at everything except the games..

[Nightcyberspud]

I have a vita and the problem(other than Sony abandoning it)is that the games aren't suitable for mobile play. They (Sony and its 3rd parties)for the most part are trying to make downgraded ports of console games(Borderlands & Resistance I'm looking at you. When they do make original titles (like Gravity Rush and Rogue Legacy etc) they are usually much more successful.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Not even gonna answer this.

[AlexFili]

In terms of games, the 3DS by far. 3DS isn't comfortable for extended periods and doesn't have many FPS games but then that's not the focus of the console.

[captainexplosion]

Well for me personally, and for my 10 year old son, it's the Vita and its not even close. The 3DS was worth the purchase just because of Super Mario 3D World. But other than that game I haven't liked many games on the 3DS. I've purchased games like Animal Crossing and Pokémon and absolutely hated them. I don't get non-Marion Nintendo games. But the Vita has Rayman Legends, Rayman Origins, Ratchet & Clank Collection, And LBP Vita. All of which I would rank amongst the best platformers I have ever played. Plus Tearaway, Gravity Rush, Killzone, Sly Cooper, and PS Allstar Battle Royale which is my son's favorite game. On the 3DS we have to go out and purchase a $40 game if we want to play anything, but the Vita offers so much for so little $. I have something like 50 free Plus and crossbuy games. And there are demos and plenty of other stuff in the store.

[HentaiMasterRace]

Who cares which one is better, just play and enjoy both. #HANDHELDMASTERRACE

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Vita hardware. 3DS games.