PS Vita vs. Nintendo 3DS: How the Specs Compare

It’s astounding to think that just a few years ago, the Nintendo DS and the PSP were the lone mobile devices that gamers had to choose from. It must have been nice for Sony and Nintendo, to only have each other to compete with.

[Colwyn]

Ps3 vs Gamecube

[GribbleGrunger]

i have to agree Colwyn, it is as clean cut as that

[darthv72]

although that is a good analogy.

I used to be all about the specs back in the genesis snes days. How many sprites and colors on screen and so forth. then it all just made better sense to use games as the real gauge for comparison.

How some games that may not seem likely on a platform are actually made. Ranger X is a good example on the genesis. It is the same hardware that displayed altered beast and super thunder blade and here it is with much better looking games like Ranger X and Gunstar Heroes.

So while specs are one thing, it is really about the developers and their skills to use those specs to their advantage. Games like luigi's mansion on the cube as compared to the 3ds (very close) or uncharted on the vita looks as good if not better than uncharted 1 on the ps3.

Those are examples of not so much the specs of those machines but the talent behind the games that get them to be so good.

[ronin4life]

Kind of like how the ds vs psp was ps2 vs n64?
Well, that's fine. After all, we all now how that turned out.... ^__^

[Colwyn]

"Kind of like how the ds vs psp was ps2 vs n64? Well, that's fine. After all, weall now how that turned out.... ^__^"

@ ruined

N64 - 32mil
Ps2 - 160mil

Psp- 80mil
DS - 150mil

The psp has sold more units than all other consoles in history except ps1,ps2, wii and DS but Nintendo apologists thinks its a failure.

I'm not sure what last gen handheld numbers have to do with the specs of todays latest handheld offering. It's a different time now where vita can do everything the 3DS can do but way better. I guess 3ds fanatics are stuck in the past because the 3ds is just a DS so most people don't know the difference. To each his own, I prefer playing on a complete handheld system than an incomplete handheld system that requires special add-ons to appear that its like a complete one

[ronin4life]

@ coldwyn
I was only comparing ds and psp, not ps1 to n64. (*edit- oh, you posted ps2... unless that was a typo, which makes more sense...)
And I never said the psp was a failure: I own and enjoy one myslef.(Edit- Mon Hon is awesome ^o^)
And a Vita can't do anything that requires 2 screens at the same time, such as removing all of the hud clutter from a screen in order to show off the game world in all it's true glory and potential, so no a vita can't do anything/everything a 3ds can.

And why do you keep calling me "ruined"? It is hardly neccesarry or decent. That's just cold, colwyn... >.<;

[ronin4life]

edit
oh, wait... I posted "ps2"...
Supid headache... @.@
My bad.... >.<

[dark-hollow]

Specs didn't stop game boy from kicking the game gear's a**.

[darthv72]

it was the power of the tetris. Damn game is still addicting to this day.

I will say though, columns was a nice try for the GG just as Klax was to the lynx.

[Chaostar]

The specs for the camera in Vita are wrong in this article, it's actually 1.3mp not 0.3.

http://www.psvitahub.com/20...

[Soplox]

640X480 is 0.3MP same as the 3DS

[Chaostar]

Wait that's right! Why is the internet full of fud ¬_¬

Sorry folks, my bad.

[tigertron]

Why compare the specs? its obvious which console has the better specs. *Sighs*

[firefoxprime]

Exactly. Won't even touch that lame article. Pick 1. Pick both. I don't care. As long as your not flashing some mobile phone 99ct game in my face.

[NukaCola]

This isn't a spec comparison, it's a reason to bash the Vita and even worse bash the handheld gaming market and praise the iOS/Droid.

Calling Vita exclusive HDDs "Hostility" is just pure flamebait. Saying if Mario keeps getting pumped out, Nintendo will always be the best. Come on already. Both systems offer something different and unique. Why must everything be comparisons and bashing?

[darthv72]

it seemed at any opportunity the author felt the need to make the ios/droids seem relevant to the topic.

He should have stuck to the straight comparison and then at the end...after things have been summed up he could have added his opinion on the inclusion of the smartphone/tablet market.

I myself do recognize the smart phone market as a new playing field for gaming but i still prefer a dedicated portable for my on the go gaming.

[Tito08]

The part where I really caught the author's obvious fanboyism was where he was talking about the Vita's rear touch panel, & compared it to a Mario game, just lame!!!!!!

Specs aren't everything, but so far, specs are as important as the games, & I could see that from the Vita games so far... 3DS is great as well, but most of it's specs are from last gen, Nintendo still is behind in specs, now they're releasing a "Next Gen" console that is exactly a PS3/360 with Mario & Zelda on it, when the other 2 are going real next gen!!!!!

[Moncole]

I saw a hands on live preview of the vita and the person playing it did all the reviews for the vita games for GiantBomb said the battery was 3 hours.

[pain777pas]

The battery depends on the brightness and wht you are running on it. you may get 6-7 hours on PSP games on lowest brightness and 3 hours on the Vita games on highest settings. It varies but is superior to the PSP in my opinion.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

I wish Sony would add OnLive for Vita. I know that would cut into game sales, but I can run every PC game on my phone and play them with a DualShock 3. It would be nice if the Vita could also do it.

[klecser]

This is a troll article in all respects. All that matters is that individual gamers get what they need to have fun. Nobody compares the framerate or pixels or shading of WOW to any other computer game for a reason. Specs don't matter to a lot of people. Gameplay does. If people want to play Vita games, let em. If they want to play Nintendo games, let em. The game industry dies the day that all of our games look wonderful and play horrible.

[ronin4life]

Exactly. Well said. Tip of the hat. Jolly good show. Other complements.
...seriously, bubble up and agree. ^_^;

[Scuzzlebutt]

The comment at the end about high end smart phones and tablets of the future is moot. The same can be said about PCs vs consoles. A dedicated closed platform will always get more from the hardware and thus is more future proof. Not to mention the lack of buttons and sticks on those other devices.

[WiiUWiime]

I care more about framerate than graphics at this point...there is no reason companies caant make a decent lookn game with 60fps the whole way through!!! Im tired of framedrops while playin a game anymore...rediculus...

[kikizoo]

ridiculous...most of the time constant 30 is enough, and good graphics are way more importants than 60fps, obviously even more on mobile devices.

edit : ok, lol, i understand you logic (fail), when i read your "i prefer the 3Ds anyday" LOL (and don't talk about price, it's like choosing a bike@800$ over a BMW@1000$)

[WiiUWiime]

Woops lol now the article...i do like the vita, but i prefer a3ds anuday...price! And its now just getting started!!! Look at the future lineup, its only gonna get better...

[MariaHelFutura]

I imagine both will only get better....

[Mediocritysells718]

Love my vita definitely a worthwhile investment. The screen alone being oled is worth the price considering you have 13 inch oled screens being sold for like 2000 plus. As for the comparison of the 3ds and vita no hate intended but thts like comparing a honda civic to a ferrari. Alot of ppl might not buy it and throw dirt on it simply because thy cannot afford it as was done with the ps3. There at s no denying which one is the superior product by. As for software vita arguably has one of the best software launches for a console ever. And we kne whats coming because Sony definitly delivers when it comes to great exclusive games for their systems.

[AceofStaves]

I have to agree with your comment about the Vita's screen. It's absolutely incredible.

[WiiUWiime]

Im also tired of hearing people talk about cellphone games...r u serious? To even compare them to the gaming industry is absurd! Im sure im gonna sit down and hav a 8 hour session of fruit ninja lol u people and cell phone games along with thier companies are ruining the dam industry...take ur phones ur gay games and shove them directly up ur hole!!! Serieesly...

[Soplox]

Bubble Up for Well Said

[Mediocritysells718]

Not to mention in most cases due to its sheer Power vita will have the better looking and better contolled multiplat versions. Just take a look at fifa we all knw which one is better version.

[hellztourguide420]

Even so, that might be the point. Parents buy things to keep their kids busy and out of their hairs...obviously they arent going to buy them a cell phone. They buy them a 3ds. Nintendo makes money because of kids, but also has the appeal and nostalgia effect to a lot of adult gamers. Therefore Nintendo will always be there to make money. Sony has a tougher fight on their hands, but i hope they do well. Just because the iphone is selling more games doesnt mean that Nintendo and Sony arent...the iphone isnt really stealing their business, its just creating more casual gamers. Gaming is more present now than ever before and i hope all companies succeed.

[moparful99]

Its alot easier to sell games for 99 cents then it is to sell them for $20-$30 a piece.. But all of these arm chair critics dont aknowledge that little tidbit...

[Mediocritysells718]

Any questions anyone may have in regards to the vita feel free to message me and i will give you a straight honest answer.

[Ulf]

On the issue of Vita vs Phones:

Due to issues with power consumption, you will NEVER see a smartphone which will outperform a Vita, with regards to gaming, during the Vita's lifetime.

I know that sounds like a nutty claim, but:

* Phone games have to embrace some pretty heavyweight APIs and OS hurdles to accommodate all the possible phone platforms a game might run on.
* Vita games are always targetted directly to the Vita hardware, which yields huge performance gains over phones on the same-grade hardware.
* The battery drain for chips the magnitude of the 28nm Vita's would require an equivalent phone to be the *size* of the Vita, to hold the battery... that's obviously not gonna happen.
* Phones would require a *better* processor than the Vita, due to the OS/API overhead (which would chew through more power, unless at a 20nm scale... and then it might only be the *same* power requirements)
* Assuming the Vita uses 28nm chips, there's only one mobile fabrication process past it (20nm) which doesn't suffer from extreme electron loss (and hence, power drain and heat) problems, thanks to the physics of semiconductors at that scale.

The end result of the above is that it would require a phone with 20nm chips, and the size of the Vita (for the required battery power, for a better chip to overcome the Phone multiplat limitations) to actually compete with the Vita, and that's before considering the lack of buttons/sticks, and smaller screens on phones!

You won't go wrong with a Vita until physicists and electrical engineers figure out how to shrink mobile chips to 14nm or less without the horrid electron loss issues. And.. I'll bet that'll be at least 10 years (...if ever! But I'm a pessimist, when it comes to chip design ;)

[smashcrashbash]

Any opportunity to diss the VITA and handheld gaming. I don't understand what is with this gen. What happened to enthusiasm and seeing potential instead of premature negativity and cynicism? I don't mind if people like phone games but why do you have to diss the VITA in the processes?

[2EHO]

All I know is a game was made for 3ds on a engine that the wii couldn't handle the start up screen " supposedly". 3ds is more than capable in the hardware department. This is a troll article though. Also to me 3d effect isn't a gimmick and actually adds to graphics presentation.

[GraveLord]

"It’s astounding to think that just a few years ago, the Nintendo DS and the PSP were the lone mobile devices that gamers had to choose from."

Uh, they still are.