In a time in which smartphones and tablets are gaining more popularity for mobile gaming, Sony launches its new handheld console. The Sony PlayStation Vita is one of the most powerful handhelds at the moment and offers even more than just gaming. It is available in two different versions. The first offers internet connectivity via Wi-Fi, the second also offers 3G connectivity.
With its dimensions of 182 x 18.6 x 83.5 mm it can barely be called pocket suitable but it sitswell in hand and feels comfortably light for its 279 g weight. The screen is a 5 inch OLED multi touch capacitive touch screen which reacts very good to touch and it offers a 960 x 544 wide-screen. For gaming you find the traditional PlayStation buttons, the D-Pad, two analog sticks, and also the start and select buttons. The most interesting input device is on the Back of the PS Vita. There you can find another touchpad which can be used in games and other applications like the web browser.
To run Sony’s PS Vita you need, in addition to the internal memory, an extra PS Vita memory card which is available as 4, 8, 16, or 32 GB version. Also to connect the Vita with a PC and transfer data you need an additional program on your PC and the handling of the transfer isn’t the most comfortable.
Gaming
The PlayStation Vita offers a lot of extra features and functionalities but in the end, the most important thing is that it’s a gaming console. And here it really captures us. Not only are the graphics of many games really impressive despite the fact that its only a handheld device; also the usage of the different input devices makes the gaming experience more fun.
Games can be bought on a card or directly downloaded from the Online PlayStation Store, where also games of its predecessor, the PSP can be downloaded.
Other features
Besides the games, the PS Vita comes with a lot of additional features. Applications like the web browser, which enables you to surf comfortable through the internet, or the possibility to watch videos and photos or listen to music, are preinstalled. There is also a Google Maps application that enables you with 3G connection to always find your way.
A lot of other apps can be found in the PlayStation Store like Facebook, Twitter, Skype or Foursquare and most of them are free.
What isn’t convincing is the quality of the integrated cameras, which cannot keep up with other mobile devices like smartphones. Besides the quality, there are missing features like lightning and zoom.
The Sony Playstation PS Vita was made available for review by Vodafone Malta. The console runs on Vodafone’s 3G network with a PS Vita Starter Pack.
Customers can choose from two different packs – the €15 pay monthly PS Vita Starter Pack and the €20 prepaid starter pack. The €15 plan gives customers 12GB with a subscription of 18 months and free Wipeout 2048. This is available from all Vodafone stores and PS Vita resellers. The €20 prepaid plan gives clients 3GB of data and is available from Vodafone stores. . The Sony PS Vita is the first portable gaming console that supports 3G.
Specifications
Dimensions: 182 x 18.6 x 83.5 mm
Weight: 279 g
Display: 5-inch OLED multi-touch capacitive touch screen,
32-bit color, 960 × 544 qHD @ 220 ppi
CPU: 4-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
Graphics: 4-core SGX543MP4+
Connectivity: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Memory: 512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM + PS Vita memory card (4, 8, 16 or 32 GB)
Camera: Front and back
0.3MP cameras
Input Devices: TouchscreenRear touchpadSix-axis motion sensingThree-axis
electronic compassD-pad12 × Buttons2 × Analog sticks