Progress Report: A Month With The PS Vita “Best Handheld Ever, But it Needs a Few Tweaks”

GR's DeShaun Zollicoffer writes:

After spending 730.484398 hours with the PS Vita I can safely say that Sony has a winner on their hands. It needs a few tweaks here and there, but the same could be said about every product on the market. Here are my thoughts (after a month of ownership) on PS3 connectivity, size, battery life, screen protectors, terrible web browsers, OS X support, going all digital, controls, 3G, defective OLEDs, and more.

[remanutd55]

well i have played it twice already and in my opinion is like having a portable ps3 on your hands , it has full psn integration , everything your ps3 has the vita has it as well but playstation home ( which i dont really care about )
Uncharted Golden Abyss looks , feels and most importantly PLAYS like Uncharted so yea its a must have if you are fan of the series
i was pretty impressed at multitasking too , how fast you go from game to game or other applications , i cant wait to have mines so im getting the first edition bundle because to my surprise the hardest and funniest game i've played is Little Deviants lol

[Colwyn]

the ps vita is amazing. it is the best handheld gaming device ever and i cant wait to buy two at launch.

[MaxXAttaxX]

At least most of the points made were positive with some suggestions thrown in there.

[dark-hollow]

Sorry that honor belongs to the original gameboy.
The hardware is as good as the software that it runs.
Till we see more games ill hold my judgement for this statement.

Cant wait to get a hands on in GAME tomorrrow.

[jony_dols]

@dark-hollow; From the article:

'I’ve owned a Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, Sega Game Gear, Sega Nomad, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Gameboy Advance SP, DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL, PSP, PSP 2000, PSP 3000, and a 3DS. Out of all of these handhelds the PS Vita is already my favorite after a month.'

[Solid_Snake37]

Damn, im so glad to hear its doing well! Cant wait to get myself some Vita

[alien626]

I have my psp vita on preorder

[Bibmiester]

I just got to play it yesterday and I agree little deviants is a pretty fun title, definitely showcases what the vita can do functionality wise, I can't wait to play uncharted though, Feb 15 can't come soon enough!

[farhad2k8]

Even more assurance for me! Gave some good advice for us day one buyers, definitely need to buy a case now! ;)
The Vita looks so promising, its just the doubters who are starting to get on my nerves.
I really hope SONY market the VITA like they've never done before, I want it to be HUGE. I want them to prove Nintendo wrong, and show that they can still sell without a price drop!

I'm counting on you Sony, fingers crossed! :D

[jspencep]

Really good read.
This guy gives a really good preview of what it is like to own a Vita.

[MasterCornholio]

I pretty much agree with the author that the Vita is one of the best handhelds ever created. I just can't pass up something this good which is why I am getting mine at launch.

XperiaRay

[Mikhail]

Nice Read. For those black spots, its a common OLED problem. Its barely noticeable. I'll buy the vita when Gravity Rush/Daze comes out

[thehusbo]

That was a good review. Realllly cannot wait for the 22nd!!!

[ThanatosDMC]

Wow, im surprised he didnt own a PSPgo. I'm getting a Vita or two but damn, i want Monster Hunter Tri G on it.

[HarvesterOSarow]

Boo! Strong arm Capcom into giving us a new Monster Hunter will ya? I don't want to play a port of a port. Also, I already played Portable 3rd and it has nearly all the monsters from Tri, so make a legit Vita MH Capcom!...if you know what's good for you...

[MadMax]

If its similiar to a PS3, why not just play the games on your PS3? I think i will stick with my PS3 and 3DS for a handheld. Just dont see much point in playing the same games i can on my PS3. Especially with the price of the Vita and then the $50 games ontop of that. Spending hundreds of dollars a year enough as it is on PS3 games!

[TheFirstClassic]

I can see your point in a way, there are so many games on ps3 it might seem pointless to buy a vita for similar experiences. But remember, there are games on the Vita like gravity rush and escape plan, these games look very different then what you get on a console. Also, what games are there so far that you can get on 3ds that aren't similar to the wii? The big games are a mario platformer, mario kart, RE, Zelda, all experiences similar to what you can get on console. Right now, I can't think of any new IPs on 3ds, but I can think of those two on Vita off the top of my head, and it hasn't come out yet.

And also, those aren't the exact same games as the ones on ps3, if you are interested in the characters, story, and enjoy the gameplay in titles like Uncharted and Resistance, why wouldn't you want to play Burning Skies and Golden Abyss? Not to mention the fact that the controls would be different in some ways, they wouldn't be exactly like DS3 controls.

[spacedelete]

so what your saying is its okay to spend over £230 on a handheld just for games like escape plan and gravity rush ?

ps vita is pointless. who honestly has time to play full length game anymore ? phone games are popular for a reason as they are quick and fun and give you a portable fix until you get home and play your PS3 on a 50 inch TV.

[TKCMuzzer]

@spacedelete
You sound like a hater. Personally the thought of being able to get a couple of games of Fifa in whilst on my lunch etc is very appealing. Plus many people have to share their tv (with wives and girlfriends etc) so what a great alternative.
"yes love, you can watch that"....gets out Vita, win, win.

[FriedGoat]

@spacedelete,
Thats the stupidest thing i've ever heard. People were paying £200+ for a 3DS when it came out including myself. I bought it wanting a console experience in my hand not inferior minisequels. Vita is the handheld experience people want, console games in their hands simple plus with crossplay and several other features its an addition to your PS3 in itself.

[DigitalAnalog]

"so what your saying is its okay to spend over £230 on a handheld just for games like escape plan and gravity rush ?"

As if they are the only games that would be available to the Vita. /facepalm

[MadMax]

Thats the only game i see worth getting a Vita for me is, Gravity Rush. I will probably end up getting one sometime in the future when it gets a price drop. I was one of the lucky ones to have gotten a 3DS when it received the price drop, along with getting 20 of the free ambassador games too. Great ones at that.

Theres something about playing a Mario game on a handheld. That particular Mario 3D game and Mario Kart are probably some of the best Mario games of all time. RE Revelations is going to be incredible, graphics are very good!

Nano Assault, Dead or Alive, Williams Pinball, Super Street Fighter, Shinobi, Ace Combat, Mario Kart, Starfox, etc. Not to mention all the ds arcade hits collections. I have to have 80s arcade compilations on a handheld. There are some really good titles. I guess it depends on what kind of gaming you plan on doing on a handheld.

Same thing though with a 3DS, if you enjoy the characters and those type of games, why not get a 3DS? I do see your points as well. To each his own. Too many games right now, not enough time!

[Knushwood Butt]

So far, not one of the Vita games or demos I have are available on the PS3, so that's one reason for starters.

[Ddouble]

Only 1 game is $50 and that is Uncharted. Resident Evil on the 3DS is also $50.

[DNAbro]

just throwing this out there but Capcom dropped Resident evil's price to 40$

[DigitalAnalog]

Makes sense. The budget production costs are obviously near the current-gen console market. Luckily the Vita has a vast array of prices depending on the games. (Sadly, the same cannot be said for Nintendo as even the 3D remasters are at the same price point as new titles)

[DigitalAnalog]

damn.

[Jio]

I know I am in the minority on this, but playing epic games on my portables is more amazing then on a console like the PS3. On the PS3, I feel disconnected, with a controller and TV separate, it doesn't feel right. But on the VIta, I can get completely comfortable and move wherever, paired with an amazing pair of headphones I get a console experience but with extra comfort and immersion. When the Vita comes out on Feb 22, I'm buying ALL multiplatform games on my Vita, only using PS3 for PS3 exclusives. I mean, they're cheaper but they're still just as amazing, I mean Peace Walker for PSP is my favorite Metal Gear Solid game, and I would not have enjoyed it nearly as much on a console.

[HarvesterOSarow]

Not all of the games are 50 dollars. I find it humorous that every time someone attempts to "dis" the Vita they say "ew the games are 50 bucks, no way!" when in reality they range from like 15 to 50 and the more expensive ones look vastly better than the Gamecube graphics you're paying 40 dollars for. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the GC and I would even think it highly likely that I'll get a 3DS in a couple years, but come on. The Vita looks great, the pricing is solid for most of the games, and they actually look fun and unique. Plus you're getting the PS3, 360 version UPGRADED for most Vita games for a cheaper price.

[smashcrashbash]

Why do people keep saying that. The 3DS has many games that are similar to the console versions so why buy that? Why should I waste my time with some watered down version of RE when I could just play RE5 or wait for 6? Why play a remake of Zelda: OT when you have two Zeldas on the Wii. Why buy a Mario on the 3DS that is basically just like any three dimensional Super Mario like Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy? You see how your excuse makes no sense?

I could play any game on any of the Nintendo systems and get basically the same experience and not buy the 3DS at all. So why should that be a problem with the VITA? Many of its games are not on the PS3 at all.

Also of you were really paying attention you would have heard that not all the games are $50.00 so that excuse makes no sense either.You have no problem paying for $40.00 for 3DS games but you have a problem paying a little more for higher quality games and in some cases even less then that? Don't buy the VITA if you don't want to but for the love of God stop the lame excuses

[NukaCola]

Only game thats $50 is Uncharted. All other vita games are priced perfectly.

[TheGameFoxJTV]

They made that $50 cause the demand for it is really high. lol, if a lot of people want it, they pump the price up. Basic economics.

[Knushwood Butt]

Good read.

I've also had mine for over a month. Here are some points I agree with:

Those memory cards really are tiny (physical size)!

The web browser isn't that great.

It will definitely eat into your console time.

One other thing he didn't mention was the voice chat is REALLY well done. Also, there's some really cool tech in there that cancels out your side of the Vita's speaker output, so if you are using speaker sound and chatting, then the person you are chatting with can only hear your voice and NOT any of the game music / sound effects etc. It's really awesome technology.

[RevXM]

Awesome.
I hope sony will fix and uppdate the vita browser for years!

Unlike the ps3 browser which they seem to completely ignore... I would really like a new or fully overhauled browser on the ps3. :/

Im so excited,feb 22 cant come soon enough!

[TheGameFoxJTV]

My sound card does the same thing on my PC, I love it cause I can be on skype, and play my music at once without people even knowing music is playing, and I don't mean quietly, this mic pics up my chair's squeaking. XD So that on the Vita will be pretty cool.

[r21]

i am so hyped for the vita :D and for the games ;D

[telekineticmantis]

1. The browser, I want something that allows me to not have to carry multiple handhelds so I was counting on the Vita.

2. No T.V. connection, I would love to play my vita games on a TV. Games like modnation, uncharted LBP etc. I would love to play when Im home but on MY TV and if Sony really wanted to delight some of us make some games multiplayer on your tv

[strickers]

2nd reason is not a good one.The games are built for 5inch OLED and will not look good on a giant tv.That's what a ps3/360 is for.

[telekineticmantis]

WHETHER MY REASONS ARE GOOD OR NOT? ITS MY MONEY NOT YOURS. THE FOLLOW UP TO THE PSP SHOULD ADD AND IMPROVE FEATURES NOT REMOVE THEM.

[TKCMuzzer]

Doesn't everyone carry a phone with a browser on them these days? I mean you need to carry a phone anyway as the Vita is phone free.

[nix]

Ok.. After reading so many articles n comments... I'm officially hyped for Vita.

[amip17]

They could add a back touch feature to scroll while using the browser. ^^

[JonahNL]

I don't understand why Sony wouldn't implement this from the start. The Vita is missing some very basic features for a handheld that supposedly offers a lot.

Don't get me wrong, the Vita is a great device, but I feel like it's been rushed slightly.

[neogeo]

I spend HOURS wating in the car while my wife shops and stuff. I need as many handhelds as I can get my hands on. Vita and 3DS are heaven to me.

Also for the next person that says They don't need a PS3 as a handheld, then you need to ask yourself, do you lug your TV and PS3 everywhere you go? plan on taking them on a plane?

[Dannycr]

This is what I like to read. It points out the strenghts and weaknesses of the device without a title like: Is it worth purchasing a PS Vita?

It seems that for the most part, the complains are valid and the author offers some insight on how to go around them, but the positive aspects are really, REALLY positive, so this gives me a good image of what to expect when I get mine.

[M1chl]

I'll wait like with PSP, few years, get another revision and shitload of sweet games. Personaly I dont have time even for regular PC/Console gaming : (

[frostypants]

He's going to harsh it for lacking OSX support? Really? OSX market share has been almost totally flat for the last few years. Depending on who you ask, it's somewhere between 6% and 10% (and the 10% is best case growth).

[Kaizin514]

There is nothing wrong with hashing it for not having OSX support. It brings up the fact that if those Mac people do not have Windows, then they cannot connect their PSV to their computer. That, in a sense, is alienating the customer. Even basic OSX connectivity is better than nothing. I assume Sony will add it eventually though, but it just isn't available at launch.

[tokugawa]

the vita is actually the first hand-held that i want! but, will i buy one? i am just not sure at the moment.. i dont really have time for my ps360 at the mo! but, the thought of being able to ignore my colleagues in the office during lunch sounds appealing

also, kids could you lot for once act like adults? and not bubble down/disagree to death anyone with misgivings!

ffs grow up a bit. not everyone is a fanboy.

[Sikct9a]

I want a new Peace Walker for the Vita. Day one btw!

[SnowBlu]

awesome review :)

some of my friends also dont know anything about the ps vita but once ill have some spare cash im totaly getting one