Sony PSVITA Pro Reviews

The PS Vita is a excellent mobile gaming machine, not because its hardware is very fast, not because it has a great screen, but because it can provide a gaming experience that no other device on the market can. Interestingly, there has been a lot of noise around how good its hardware is, and how it compares to smartphones, either in terms of brute power, or in terms of value for the price. In my view, it does not matter because in the end, the question is: are you willing to pay for this gaming experience? There is no doubt that many of you already have a smartphone, and if you are content with the gaming experience on Android, Windows Phone or iOS, it’s great, and maybe there’s no reason for you to get the PS Vita at all. In fact, if you’re wondering why the PS Vita is for you, it’s a good hint sign that it is not. However, none of those other platforms provides the gaming experience of Uncharted or Marvel vs. Capcom, especially at the level that the Vita does.

Sony's latest contender is a little late to the game, nearly a year following the 3DS' debut. Still, the Vita is technically a stronger player. Sony's new portable eclipses Nintendo's latest on more battlefields than ever before, outclassing it not only in graphical output, but in touchscreen technology, controls and button layout, user interface design and, perhaps most importantly, game selection at launch. So is that enough for it to pull ahead of the competition? We can't be sure. We will say, however, that the PlayStation Vita triumphs where it counts. It has its hiccups and blemishes, sure, but web browsers can be updated, as can the PS3's remote play limitations. Still, no amount of software updates can undo that disappointing runtime. Without performance-enhancing peripherals, the PlayStation Vita won't be getting you through long flights or cross-country road trips. For gamers spoiled by the endurance of the original PSP and DS systems, it's a tough sell. In fact, the WiFi edition's $250 price tag might give gamers burned by the 3DS' price-drop pause, to say nothing of the $50 premium they'll pay for the 3G model.

Of course the real question here is whether you should buy the Sony PlayStation Vita, and the answer is "it depends." If you're already a Sony fanboy (or girl!) who idolizes Kevin Butler, you've likely been drooling over the Vita for several months now and may even have already picked up the First Edition bundle. If, however, you don't consider yourself a real gamer, and are happy enough with a couple of rounds of Sudoku or Tiny Tower on your iPhone each day, the Vita may not be right for you. It's a true beast in all of the best senses of the word -- great hardware, spectacular screen, and an impressive library of games already available at launch, but it also comes with a relatively high price tag for a dedicated gaming device with a few non-gaming features. In other words, the Sony PS Vita is the true gamer's handheld. It's for people who want deep, rich gameplay challenges and PSN exclusive games without compromising on graphics or controls. If you loved the PSP back in the day and you're ready to step up to something new, try the Vita. You can save a few bucks by getting the WiFi-only model, but to get the full experience go ahead and get the 3G model so that you can take advantage of anytime, anywhere multi-player gaming along with the near app and GPS capabilities. Whether you're an RPG fan, an adventure gamer, a die hard racer, or even a fan of quirky Japanese games like Touch My Katamari, the Vita has something for every gamer and is well worth the investment.

Our one reservation is simply the question of necessity for some players. The simple reality is that it's a $249 or $299 device that you'd have to carry in addition to your phone, and possibly another device like an MP3 player or a tablet. For some, the extra cost or just the physical bulk of a second device won't be worth the tradeoff, no matter how good the Vita is on its own. With that in mind, Sony has at least delivered a sincerely good proposition for the idea, and that's noteworthy.

Opinions of the Vita are likely to be split, but we're largely impressed. It's a pricey but powerful gaming handheld that's backed up by a wide selection of quality games

This device is without a doubt the most advanced and awesome mobile gamine unit in the short history of mobile gaming units. The Nintendo 3DS looks and plays like an inexpensive toy compared to this fully-fledged PlayStation packed into a mobile unit. You’ve got the ability to play console-level games here, and it’s no joke.In addition, you could potentially use this as your one “smart” device if you don’t already have a tablet or a smartphone and want one just for the data. Hook it up with some AT&T 3G and enjoy the certainly capable browser and keyboard, watch some Netflix, and play a game or two while you’re at it. This is a unique piece of hardware with controls you wont find anywhere else, and it’s got a store that’s more than able to satisfy your needs for digital content, be it games or videos or basic apps. Should you buy it? Sure, why not? There’s one whole heck of a lot of things you can do with this entirely versatile piece of hardware with its above average operating system, and it certainly has a future and a strong present! Have at it!

Impressively powerful and astonishingly feature-packed, Playstation Vita is - at least for now - the ultimate handheld games machine. With its touch-capabilities, augmented-reality cameras and motion-sensing capabilties it’s a versatile little beast that should inspire some innovative developers, but it’s at its best playing big, immersive blockbuster games, where it brings the handheld and big-screen console gaming experiences closer than they’ve ever been before.

If you don’t consider yourself a gamer, then the PlayStation Vita isn’t going to change your world. Buy a tablet or a smartphone and you’ll get ample gaming goodness and a device you can use for other things. If you are a gamer, however, the Vita is just about the best it gets. The more you get used to playing true console-quality games on a handheld device, with all the convenience of not having to find a free TV, or being able to switch on and play for a few minutes and then switch off, the harder it is to give up. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and we’ve found the best Vita launch titles – such as Uncharted, Wipeout 2048 and Rayman Origins. These are just as immersive and enjoyable as their PS3 counterparts. If Sony can maintain that kind of quality, and get other publishers to do the same, then Vita should have a very bright future indeed.

As a device, the Vita is stellar. It has all the right pieces in all the right places – the huge, bright screen, the dual analog sticks, the acceptable battery life, the size, shape, and weight. I wish all Sony products were like this – intelligently designed, handsome, and usable. Sony has finally figured out how to put all the puzzle pieces into the right spots and it is an example of what the company can do when it produces a device dedicated to its biggest fans – gamers. Who should buy it? PS3 and SCEA fans, definitely, and general gaming fans secondarily. If there are any titles that catch your fancy, you won’t be disappointed when you play them on this thing. However, as it stands I can’t actively recommend any of the launch titles as “must haves” although, as I said before, they are technically impressive. Not a gaming fan but interested in this as a media player? Pass. There isn’t enough here to replace a good tablet or phone. I would, as a parent, also recommend caution before picking this up for the kids. The titles are not there to warrant the investment.

The Sony PlayStation Vita is one of the best handheld game systems to date, even if almost everything it tries to do outside of gaming falls short.

The PlayStation Vita is quite simply the most desirable handheld gaming device yet released. From the beautiful display to the horsepower behind it, from the well-executed traditional controls to the new touch inputs, Sony has thought of almost everything and the result is a portable system that should be able to handle virtually any kind of game you care to mention. As a media player, it largely excels, video playback looks great on the screen and the Content Manager software offers reasonably easy syncing (a few caveats notwithstanding). It's less successful as a communications device, with confusingly-designed software and limited functionality, but it does integrate seamlessly with the PlayStation Network where it matters. At $249.99, the system offers excellent value, even factoring in the price of a memory card. Game prices remain a concern, especially when put up against the current crop of smartphone releases, but ultimately I don't think these games should be put up against smartphone games. I play a lot of games on my phone, so this isn't a knock against them, but the experiences offered by the Vita are simply in a different league. Now, it's very possible that a lot of people won't share this opinion, and prices of up to $50 might prove just too much to pay for a timekiller on the train. Nonetheless, I feel that the Vita is a valid console platform in its own right, and am really pleased that Sony has gone all-out to create the best dedicated gaming system it possibly could. Even if it stalls on the starting grid, it won't have been for lack of trying.

Should you buy a PlayStation Vita? If you want the best overall portable gaming experience, yes. Sure, the cost of getting started is probably more than you thought, but the Vita's fantastic launch lineup, laundry-list of features, cool apps, silky smooth OS, and promising future definitely make a great case for owning one. Will Sony restyle the Vita at some point? Almost certainly. But in terms of a first effort, the Vita is a complete package.

As with any new gaming platform, the key to success for the PlayStation Vita is the development of sufficient great games, but we like the design and build of the Vita.

With both phones and laptops creeping up on the traditional turf of the computer, the Vita feels uncomfortably without a place that makes sense, falling short of either side—it's not out-phoning your phone or out-consoling your console. It claims portents of the future, but really, the whole notion of the Vita feels strangely antique.

If your primary reason for considering the PlayStation Vita is for games, you won’t be disappointed. All my main issues with the Vita were all unrelated to the gaming. The Vita is the next big gaming device, but it is not the next big gadget for a few reasons. The price is already on the high side, but adding in the hidden costs of things like the proprietary memory cards makes the Vita tough to justify if you are on a strict budget. The weak cameras and lack of Flash or HTML5 also hold the device back, as do the limitations on the video files. You need to consider all of these issues when looking at the Vita. It is like a tablet, but it is not one. It is similar to a smartphone, but in a different class. If, however, you are looking for a gaming system that towers over the rest, Sony’s PlayStation Vita is the device for you.

Before you decide to 'go Vita' you need to be sure about what hole you're hoping to fill. If it's mainly games on the go then knock yourself out. It mixes the best of everything out there with games that are PS3/Xbox quality right down to Angry Birds level bits of fluff. The controls, both traditional sticks and the motion and touch stuff, are all great. It's also a capable media player with the various social apps also looking promising. But this is really a games machine and should be viewed for purchase as such. It won't worry more versatile i-Things, tablets or media players anytime soon but if you want fun first, and a few other features second then it's worth investigating.

Impressively powerful and astonishingly feature-packed, Playstation Vita is - at least for now - the ultimate handheld games machine. With its touch-capabilities, augmented-reality cameras and motion-sensing capabilties it’s a versatile little beast that should inspire some innovative developers, but it’s at its best playing big, immersive blockbuster games, where it brings the handheld and big-screen console gaming experiences closer than they’ve ever been before.