Not so long ago, the ability to carry around a handheld device other than an audio player and a mobile phone all day seemed almost a revelation. Whereas now, if you load all the gadgets available in your arsenal into the pockets of cargo-class pants, you will have to move with regular rest breaks - and this, if at all, will be able to “take off”. Tablet, mobile phone, player, camera, GPS-navigator, e-book, as well as many other devices, combining these and other functions in different proportions, are beginning to fight for a place in our daily ecosystem. And if in the days of some Game Boy Advance the question of the expediency of such a console could only enter the strangest head, now such devices have to fight literally for every potential buyer. Let's try to figure out what fate threatens the new mobile game console from Sony's digging company, PlayStation Vita, which just recently entered the domestic markets (or, if you try to pronounce it like real Japanese, Pureisute: son Vi: ta). After all, Vita, as you know, translated from Latin means "life". However, whether the sonorous name is enough for Sony, time will certainly tell.
Hardware part
The first thing that catches your eye after turning on the console is an excellent 5-inch OLED screen with a resolution that almost doubled relative to the Sony PSP (960 × 544). A capacitive touch screen with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, which is not the most familiar to a consumer of mobile devices, although it does not reach any Retina display, is still exceptionally good. Excellent color reproduction, clear saturated picture - sometimes you don't even want to touch it again, so as not to leave unnecessary fingerprints, as is the case with smartphones. However, as is the case with most modern smartphones, you will leave plenty of prints on the PS Vita, and you can see them perfectly on the shiny surface.
The second significant innovation will be appreciated by all owners of previous iterations of the PSP - finally, the console has two analog joysticks. Which means much more ease of control in most games, especially those where you have to actively move somewhere or fight someone. And the developers will no longer have to invent new models of bicycles every time, it will be enough to use ready-made developments for the "big sister" - PS3. True, the functionality of the classic analog sticks was not completely reproduced - in this case, the possibility of pressing them went "under the knife", which does not seem to be such a serious drawback. 
The new sticks themselves are quite miniature in appearance and even seem somewhat fragile, but a close acquaintance with them dispels all fears. It is a pleasure to use them; as a disadvantage, we can only note that with such a small size, the coating could be even more textured, because in the heat of virtual battles, fingers sometimes slide off. Miniaturization, by the way, has affected most of the other controls. And if the shifts on the upper ends of the console remained unchanged in size, then the directional cross and the classic Sony action buttons with a square, a circle, a triangle and a cross have somewhat decreased. Fortunately, all this has practically no effect on the overall usability.
Another surprise awaits us if the console is turned upside down. An additional touch panel with multi-touch function is located almost along the entire rear plane. The solution, at first glance, is not the most obvious, but in those applications and games in which the developers use it, we at least have the opportunity to "pop" the console screen less. And the possibility of such a somewhat strange control sometimes turns out to be quite amusing. 
Also on the front panel, there are three more buttons - select and start, which are quite familiar to owners of the same PSP, under the lower right stick of the console, and the home button, on which the PS logo now flaunts. The latter, by the way, is the only control that you will constantly use in the PS Vita system menu.
Next to the above-mentioned buttons, there are also 6 holes on the left and right sides of the console, where the speakers are located. By the way, there are no complaints about the sound, especially since there is a standard headphone jack on the lower edge of the console. 
In addition, in the center of the lower edge of the console there is a proprietary power connector (a charger block is included in the kit), and a little to the right is a slot for connecting special PlayStation Vita memory cards (available in 4, 8, 16 or 32 GB versions) ... Sadly, Sony is again not looking for easy ways and once again invites users to acquire extremely expensive and useless, unique memory cards. At the moment, the difference in cost with similar in volume, for example, MicroSD cards, is more than threefold! Moreover, the initial configuration of the console did not include a card of any size, and this despite the fact that the device does not allow its full potential to be used without it. On the other hand, this is not the first time we've come across such "care" from Sony, so all that remains is a shrug.
If you have acquired a 3G version, then on the left side of your PS Vita you will also find a slot for installing a SIM card, but we got a version without such functionality for testing. On the upper edge, in addition to the already mentioned shifts, there are volume control buttons, power on the console, as well as connectors for cartridges with games and future accessories. 
The gaming connector should be discussed separately. The somewhat archaic UMD format that has not really taken root is being replaced by a new medium for distributing and storing games: the PlayStation Vita card. Despite the almost complete identity of the form factor with SD memory cards, a new proprietary card format is also used. Of the additional properties, I would like to note only the allocation of 5-10% of the 2-4 GB volume of cards with games for saves and future patches.
Both cameras, both front and rear 0.3 MP, are so disgustingly archaic (the maximum that can be achieved from them is 640 × 480 frames) that they are only suitable for giving an avatar in any game a distant resemblance to a game and not rich while entertainment with augmented reality. You still won't be able to get a good photo or shoot any intelligible video, so we'll try to forget about them as soon as possible.
As for the inner filling of the console, everything is quite rosy. There is an ARM Cortex-A9 architecture processor (three cores out of four of which are available for applications and games), as well as a PowerVR SGX543MP4 + quad-core GPU, 512 MB of RAM, and a full set of communication tools - IEEE 802.11 b / g / n Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and optional 3G. Add to this an electronic compass, a three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer (Sixaxis), and GPS (on the 3G model), and the set is ready. We admit that PS Vita provides more than enough possibilities. But how much the entire available potential will be revealed in the future depends on the developers of games and applications, as well as the policy of Sony Computer Entertainment.
Probably the most "sore point" of the console is the battery. Our experiments have shown that with the sound on, a high screen brightness and a fairly gluttonous game, the console will live on a full charge for a little more than three hours. By turning off the sound, Wi-Fi and lowering the screen brightness to a minimum, this figure can be increased up to four hours. And finally, playing the least energy-intensive games (for example, the part of projects that is backward compatible with the PSP), you can get to the figure of five hours, but you should not expect that buyers of the new console will only play the old ones. games. Is this long enough to call the console not only portable, but also mobile? Depends on your personal use model, but the results are really confusing.
Also, be sure to get a microfiber cloth and some kind of cover from the very beginning of using the console, as the glossy plastic literally attracts both dust and scratches.
Software
Unlike its predecessor PSP and PS3 "big sister", the current PS Vita system interface is more reminiscent of a variation on modern smartphones than an iteration of the more familiar interfaces from Sony. Management in the menu is exclusively touch-sensitive, and the only hardware button that you will use all the time is the newly-minted home with the PS logo on it. In general, the interface is intuitive for absolutely any person who has been holding a smartphone for more than five minutes in his life. The space with icons of installed applications and games is divided into screens, each of which contains up to ten application icons. The screens (of which there may be a dozen) change vertically, applications are launched by pressing, by shifting the screen to the right, you can get into the "LiveArea" of the running icon, from where you can start a game or application, see your last activity. A long press on any of the icons allows you to switch to the mode of editing their arrangement. We can continue, but we can only repeat - everything is extremely intuitive, even your great-grandmother can handle it (if you convince her to pick up the PS Vita, of course). Well, minor flaws in management will sooner or later be corrected by updates to the console software. Fortunately, in this sense, Sony has a lot to learn.
As standard, out of the box, the customer receives preinstalled applications for working with photo, video and music collections. This is not to say that the applications are perfect, but they have sufficient functionality and there are no special complaints about them.
The Group Messaging, Friends, and Prizes apps do exactly what you'd expect them to do - let you send messages via SEN (Sony Entertainment Network is now PSN), organize friends and play achievements. Tusovka allows cross-platform voice communication using the built-in microphone, as well as sending each other chat messages and invitations to games. A very interesting functionality is promised to us by the standard Near application, which adds a lot of social elements so fashionable in our time to the use of your PS Vita, however, due to some scarcity (/ irony), at the time of writing this review, PS Vita owners in our area will try to return to this issue after further use of the device.
The really unimportant thing is the web browser. It seems that the developers considered this function a kind of rudiment, focusing on the gaming purpose of the console. And don't be fooled by the fact that some of the sites work with tolerable performance (for example, Google). When you try to visit most of your favorite sites (for example, a website or Facebook), you will wait for many minutes of agonizing wait, and the pages will reload even when you scroll to a previously read part of the screen. In general, we hope for further optimization, since the current implementation exists rather "for show".
In the most recent system update, maps from Google also appeared, and as a separate application. Without a GPS version of the PS Vita, we didn’t have the opportunity to test them in the field, but overall the impressions even from stationary use are extremely positive. In addition, applications for Flickr, Twitter and other favorite habitats are already available for download from SEN, but here, too, there are sometimes annoying regional restrictions.
PlayStation Store
It is now much more convenient to buy and download games and applications from the online store. This is not to say that the version for PS Vita is as convenient as the PlayStation Store for PS3, due to both the overload of information and the lack of important materials that can motivate us to buy. For an audience spoiled by all sorts of Apple's AppStore and other benefits of modern civilization, it is quite difficult to make a spontaneous decision to buy a game, to the position of which in the window they did not bother to attach at least a few screenshots. And with the cost of most games, everything is not so simple yet. While simple games for iOS and Android often cost less than one dollar, and for guaranteed hits they often ask for only five, projects for the PS Vita stubbornly keep the price bar at 20, 30, or even 50 dollars. Time will tell whether everyone is ready to pay for mobile games, in essence, the price of projects for "large consoles". In any case, the main hits should sell well, but what fate awaits more controversial projects, we can only guess.
Games
They are, but as for the console that was released in Japan on December 16, 2011, there are not so many of them yet. We got our hands on a fairly good Uncharted: Golden Abyss (wait for a detailed review as soon as possible) and extremely cute Everybody’s Golf. So far, the starting line is replete with ported versions of some pretty good, but already well-known games (Rayman Origins, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Dungeon Hunter: Alliance, Touch My Katamari, Plants vs. Zombies, etc.). On the other hand, there are a lot of interesting games that have already been released in Japan just around the corner (Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, Tales of Innocence R). And even more interesting projects are promised for release in the second half of 2012 - LittleBigPlanet, Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Mortal Kombat, Persona 4: The Golden, Street Fighter X Tekken, Resistance: Burning Skies. And finally, some of the games have not yet guaranteed release dates, but even the not fully confirmed hope of getting on the Oddworld platform: Stranger’s Wrath, Shin Megami Tensei, Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection makes the hearts of fans beat faster.
Video review of the PlayStation Vita console
Conclusion
Play Station Portable, released more than seven years ago, was almost a revelation at one time and managed to win the hearts of millions of fans. A magnificent screen, a capacious battery, an interesting line of games with their own unique masterpieces: all this allowed the Sony console to remain in the focus of players' attention for a long time.
But time goes on, competitors change, the preferences of the players themselves change. No matter how strange it may seem just a few years ago, now the PS Vita will have to fight for the consumer not even with another mobile game console (Nintendo 3DS), but with mobile devices with iOS and Android on board. Moreover, this struggle will be oh how difficult. Indeed, the arsenal of the new console has both strengths (many control options, an excellent screen, powerful hardware, cross-platform capabilities), and frankly controversial (battery life, cost of games and, funny as it may seem, everything is the same) many control options). Everything goes to the fact that everything will be decided in the old fashioned way, as has already happened repeatedly with past generations of both mobile and stationary consoles. Namely, everything will depend on the future line of games for which people will be willing to buy a console. Just a few great hits are enough, and PS Vita will be waiting for this very vita for many years, as well as vice versa.
Product provided by Sony.
A touch device with a 5-inch screen, support for 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and 2 cameras, but not a smartphone or tablet? Yes, our article today will focus on Sony's new handheld game console, the PlayStation Vita. The novelty has recently appeared on the shelves and arouses great interest from users. What is left of the original PSP, and what has changed dramatically, we will figure it out together.
Back in the day, when the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, just hit the market, it was a small revolution. After various "Well, wait a minute" and GameBoy, the device opened up the widest scope for entertainment, and what can we say about "custom" firmware, which did not take long. The evolution of the console was not so rapid, although this did not prevent everyone and everyone from having their own PSP-shku in their arsenal. However, PSP Go, which was the fourth console in the manufacturer's camp, passed less noticeably, respectively, from the PS Vita, users were expecting something revolutionary in order to outshine their predecessors. Based on the performance characteristics of the novelty, it should meet expectations, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Design and features
Visually, the PS Vita noticeably repeats the familiar lines of the PSP: it is an oval contour with recesses in place of the shift’s in the corners at the top and decorative hinges at the bottom. The novelty looks smoother, more modern or something, although this is not for everybody. The dimensions of the console are 182x83.5x18.6 mm with a weight of 279 grams in the 3G version and 260 grams without it (for comparison, the original PSP is 170x74x23 mm, 280 grams, PSP-3000 169x71x19 mm, 189 grams). As you can see, the device is slightly larger than its predecessors and, to be honest, the difference is not noticeable in use. The manufacturer's favorite glossy plastic of the front panel, which covers the screen and a significant area along with it, is now justified by the touch display, although the body's soiling has become even higher and the cover is simply shown for such a device. The rear touchpad is also glossy and collects fingerprints just as well. The oval notches-ledges for the fingers on the rear panel are made of matte plastic, but, to be honest, it is not very convenient to rest against them. The rear bezel is also made of matte black plastic, which in turn turns into a glossy silver outline that wraps around the console. The appearance is calm and even austere, about bright colors, as was the case with its predecessors, has not yet been reported. The grip of the PS Vita is somewhat different from the original PSP: this is due to the arrangement of the keys, the protrusions surrounding the new control and, of course, the touchscreen. At the same time, the ergonomics are not bad, you are not distracted by it during the game.
The design elements, despite the presence of the touchscreen, are numerous, let's talk about each of them in detail. For starters, the screen is a 5 ”OLED touchscreen matrix with a resolution of 960x544 pixels, an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and multi-touch support. The screen is made using capacitive technology, which is typical for a modern device. The picture quality is beyond praise: the image is clear, the colors are bright and saturated (up to 16 million shades), the brightness of the backlight with a margin. The viewing angles are excellent, although you can see some blue in the image when you tilt the console away from you, but this is more of a test quibble.
The "PS", "select" and "start" keys have moved from the space under the screen to their side cousins, which has added convenience - there is no need to reach for them now. “PS” has moved to the left where the position keys, one of the analog sticks, and one speaker perforation are located. “Select” and “start” have moved to the right, where are the classic PlayStation keys (square, triangle, circle and cross), second joystick, second speaker perforation and front camera. The new PlayStation joysticks have changed their shape, they protrude from the body panel more noticeably and are not susceptible to the “disease” of their predecessor - the loss of the lining. Unlike similar elements on the PS3 DualShock joystick, they do not support pressing, only circular motions. The familiar console keys feel a little smaller in size, although this does not affect the ergonomics in the game.
The bottom panel of the PS Vita houses the proprietary interface connector in the center and a 3.5mm audio jack to the right of it. Using its own standard is familiar to Sony, although in the age of micro-USB this is somewhat strange. Let's note an interesting feature: after updating the firmware to version 1.61, the console stopped charging from the PC, although the necessary checkbox was checked in the settings, and everything worked fine before the upgrade. Near the junction with the rear panel, a little further than the audio jack, there is a slide-in compartment for a memory card behind a plastic cover. Here Sony also excelled by adopting its own format instead of the usual microSD. On the right bevel of the side face there are only fastening screws, while on the left we see a compartment for a SIM card (optional). Having opened the plastic cover fixed on a small leg, we can pull out the plastic module, into which the classic mini-SIM is inserted. The top panel of the console is perhaps the richest in elements after the front panel. Here, on the sides, there are shifts made of transparent plastic, “round” buttons for switching on and changing the sound, as well as in the center similar in appearance PS Vita Card compartments and, apparently, the so-called “multifunctional connector”. As you understand, the company refused from UMD disks and games can now be either bought online in the PS Store, or purchased on a non-rewritable PS Vita Card, vaguely reminiscent of a Memory Stick Duo.
Most of the rear panel is occupied by the above-voiced touch platform with the characteristic PlayStation logos, and above it, in the center, is the protrusion of the main camera console. The battery of the novelty is built-in, not removable; you cannot count on backup power in the form of an additional battery. Technically, this is a 2210 mAh Li-ion battery. Its volume is enough for about 3.5 hours of continuous high-brightness gaming, and a full charge cycle is about 2.5 hours.
That's probably all about the exterior, but once again we would like to remind you that for the safety of the console it makes sense to use a protective case, as well as a strap (if not two) on the hand, so that the device does not slip out of hands during use.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: User interface
The insides, namely the PS Vita software, have been radically changed and redesigned. There is no familiar interface familiar from the first PSP and PS3, XMB, but some similar logic in the settings menu and the principle of navigating through applications can be traced. When you turn on the console for the first time, you will be marked with a setup wizard, which will allow you to set the language, time zone and current time, as well as offer to set up or register a PS Network account. The test version of the set-top box, in her opinion, had an outdated firmware version, which made it impossible to enter the login and password from PS Network until the update to software version 1.61. Configured, we can use. For starters, the lock screen that greets us every time the console wakes from sleep. It is a page where the central rectangle, like a lid from a jar of canned food, needs to be pulled on the upper right corner to unlock. On the rectangle itself, the current date and time are located, and the top line, the unchanged status bar, follows the signal strength of 3G and WiFi, as well as another digital clock and the battery charge level.
There is no desktop as such, after unlocking the screen we get to the main menu. These are three rows of pill-circles, which are staggered: 3x4x3, i.e. no more than 10 icons per screen. At the slightest touch, the tablets begin to shake, creating a kind of 3D effect. The drawing of the icons is good, which is logical given the current characteristics of the screen, and the inscriptions-pointers under them do not distract from the beauty of the drawing and are made in white font.
The number of applications also regulates the number of screens in the menu - all new games, programs, etc. line up at the end of the list and, when the screen is full, create a new one, which can be opened by swiping the screen from bottom to top.
Holding your finger on any of the icons activates the personalization mode: here, in the manner of iOS, you can move applications inside as one screen, delete it or send it to another screen. In this mode, you can select a background wallpaper, and for each screen they may be different.
In the upper right corner of the screen, there is invariably a notification area, which indicates events that have been completed - awards received in games, installed applications, etc.
Tap on the icon activates its rotation and it expands into a kind of application launch rectangle: if the application implies something other than launch (settings, etc.), this information will be presented on the canvas. Exiting the application also takes us to this rectangle, and only then to the main menu. Thus, the application canvases lined up in the horizontal plane represent a list of running applications hanging in memory - this is how multitasking is implemented in the PS Vita. At the same time, you can view each running application by sorting through the screens, and see the "card index" by pressing the PS key. Closing an application from the list is similar to unlocking - pull the upper right corner of the canvas and it will close.
The settings item, as mentioned above, resembles the classic PSP shell: we have before us a vertical list of 6 items per screen, almost in each of which there are sub-items for personalizing individual options. The transition through the sections is carried out by tapping on them, and the exit is by pressing the virtual return key in the lower left corner.
The quick setting menu is opened by holding down the “PS” key. Here you can set the current brightness, music volume (if the player is running), mute the microphone and activate the sound priority in the Party app.
It is also worth noting that the user does not have direct access to the PS Vita's memory - connecting to a PC can only launch the installation and connection of the proprietary data management assistant application. In the application, you can create a backup and restore the memory of the console, as well as copy photos, videos, music to / from the corresponding folders from / to a PC or PS3. Not to say that it is too convenient, it resembles the current policy of Apple and Microsoft in terms of Windows Phone 7.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Apps
In the basic package, we have the following set of applications:
As you can see, the device has a wide range of integration with online services and the ability to play collectively with both familiar and third-party opponents, users of similar consoles. In this case, we have the opportunity to communicate not only with nearby players, but also with players around the world through the use of the Internet. We don't think it's worth talking about network services in more detail, but on the contrary, about the available means of communication.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Communications
The console supports WiFi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (A2DP / AVRCP / HSP profiles), USB and optionally 3G - HSDPA / HSUPA, GSM / GPRS / EDGE (GPS is provided in the same modification). Work with home and open WiFi access points in the city without any complaints, a simple search and connection interface, a stable connection in the reception area.
For Bluetooth testing, we paired the console with a Plantronics Pulsar 590E headset. The connection is simple, no failures were noticed, the A2DP profile works: music and sounds are transmitted without problems.
The 3G module, similarly to WiFi, is activated from the settings menu and, after entering the PIN-code, is available for connecting to the network. Correct access points (APN) are already registered in the console memory, but the device does not have call services.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Multimedia
The music player, as you remember, supports downloading content through external sources (PC, PS3) and nothing else. By default, you cannot put MP3 MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC), WAVE (Linear PCM) music on a memory card. At the same time, the interface of the application itself is simple and logical - when launched, we find ourselves in the media library, broken down by categories: artists, albums, songs, genres, shuffle playback, frequently played, recently played and recently added. After choosing, we go to the player itself, where the cover is on the left half of the screen, and the name of the artist, song and album, the status bar with the current and total time, virtual control keys, as well as the equalizer, shuffle and repeat buttons in the right column. Available equalizers - heavy music, pop, jazz, original. The sound quality, which is typical for Sony, is good, although the bundle does not include headsets, and for the test we used the Altec Lansing Muzx Core MZX206, which sound good in themselves.
With the video player, we were disappointed: using the same “data management assistant” we connected the PS Vita to a PC, laptop, and PS3, where in each case the video content was uploaded to the appropriate folder. The console stubbornly did not see him. Alas, perhaps this is the problem of our test copy, in this regard, we only have to bring the format of the video being played, this is MPEG-4 normal profile (AAC), H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC profiles High / Main / Baseline (AAC)
Remote Play is a function that allows you to connect your PS Vita and PS3 over the air to project the interface of the latter onto a handheld console. Following the instructions on the screen of both devices, pairing will not be difficult, but the action does not make much sense: PS3 games do not go to Vita, and it is easier to copy various existing content into memory for demonstration. The reverse situation, where Vita content would be streamed through the PS3 connection source (TV), is not possible.
Maps, supplied by Google, only appeared in PS Vita with firmware 1.61. WiFi is required to work, and the application interface is as simple as possible: the search bar is on top, the main field of the screen is given to the grid / map, on which the keys for the current position and settings are located in the corners. Settings include location and route search, flagging, bookmarks, and general settings. The latter include: type (map, satellite or hybrid), traffic information, showing location from bookmarks, and selection of length units (km or mile). The app is useful, but it is not vital to call it on a portable game console.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Camera
The "photos" application, expanding from the icon, will allow you to go to the camera and the album of the captured content. Note that both photographs and screenshots (screenshots) are stored in the album, which can be taken by simultaneously pressing the “PS” and “start” keys. The interface of the camera, on the other hand, cannot be imagined: the entire field of the screen is given over to the viewfinder, where active icons for changing modes are located at the edges. On the left is the player, resize and the last frame / clip taken, and on the right is GPS, camera change (main / front), mode (photo / video) and the shutter button. As you can see, there are no complicated settings, effects, white balance and exposure compensation. In our opinion, this is not required for a game console. Note that the camera is not equipped with autofocus, and it is quite possible to remove text. There is also no flash, so you will have to forget about shooting in the dark. With a minimum of settings, the shutter sound cannot be turned off either, sometimes it interferes with taking interesting shots, for example, in the subway.
The quality of the photo will be clearly shown by test frames, which, in our opinion, are no more than average, although what can we expect from a VGA-module?
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Browser
The Internet browser, which was present even in the very first version of the PSP, on the PS Vita looks in demand primarily because of the touch screen and the convenience of entering text in the address bar. The interface is simple and familiar to the user of desktop browsers: the top line is given for the site address, to the right of which is the stop / refresh button, and the entire right side of the screen is occupied by control keys: navigating through the pages, browsing open windows, searching, favorites and adding bookmarks / settings. The settings are as simple as possible and include enabling cookies, JavaScript, deleting cookies and security (Trend Micro Web Security). The proportions of the screen and its dimensions allow you to comfortably view web pages, scroll and scale them, and the virtual keyboard is suitable for typing not only in the browser line, but also on various sites. Several open windows do not cause the console to freeze, and you can switch between them simply by pressing the appropriate key. The tool is easy to learn and pleasant to work with, but it lacks Flash support.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Gameplay
And now about games and personal impressions. Together with the console, we received 5 PS Vita Cards with the following games: Little Deviants, ModNation Racers, Reality Fighters, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048.The games are varied and allow us to evaluate both functionality and graphics, and, of course, controllability. Probably, Uncharted allowed us to fully reveal the impressions - here, in addition to analog keys, gestures on the screen, and the rear touch panel, and even the camera are used. You plunge into the game immediately and unconditionally, time flies unnoticed, and you don’t think about controlling the main character, it’s intuitive. At the same time, in comparison with the older version of the game on the PlayStation 3, flaws are noticeable in terms of the logic of movement - the route of movement is not always visible on the smaller screen. On the other hand, this is offset by the ability to tap on the screen to plot a route, control the balance by deviations of the console, and use the potential of a new instrument - the touch panel. Screenshots will not be able to fully convey the gaming environment, but we tried not to save money on them.
We will not describe each of the games available in the arsenal, because otherwise we would have to multiply the amount of material. We will confine ourselves to screenshots and say that in almost all existing games there were no problems with launching, no logic was found, everything happens in an interactive mode on a subconscious level. The speed of launching and saving data is at a good level, although the procedures cannot be called lightning-fast.
Augmented reality cards will allow you to simulate a gaming arena in familiar places: we lay out the cards and use the rear camera to create a projection on the screen. Not always convenient, because the function requires space and a lot of light, but it's curious. The function does not work in all games.
As for the support for PSP games, the situation is not straightforward: the new console, as you remember, does not support UMD disks, and games can only be bought in the PS Store. We found one free version to evaluate the picture quality, and it frankly disappointed us - noticeable grain and lack of touch screen support (which is natural). Thus, having a collection of discs, you won't be able to use them, and paying twice for a controversial picture quality is a dubious pleasure.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Hardware Specification
The technical stuffing of PS Vita is built on the basis of an ARM Cortex-A9 core processor, 512MB of its own memory, not counting support for memory cards of its own format. The graphics processor of the console is SGX543MP4 +, and the video memory is 128MB. As you can imagine, the 4 cores of the novelty against the 333Mhz of the classic PSP are heaven and earth, which is why the PS Vita copes with the assigned tasks quite simply.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Package Contents
The bundle, as we have already mentioned during the review, is not rich. It includes the console itself, a proprietary USB cable, an AC adapter, a power cord, and a variety of printed materials. No test games, no memory card, no wired headset are provided. At the same time, the PS Vita packaging box is quite large.
Sony PlayStation Vita :: Review :: Impressions and conclusions
Let's summarize. Sony has turned out an interesting device, which simply cannot be called a portable game console. The console contains both gaming and the Internet, social services that are so necessary for a modern person. At the same time, the gaming component has reached a qualitatively new level compared to previous versions of the manufacturer's consoles due to graphics, resolution and display touch. A fly in the ointment is added by branded memory cards, cards with games and an interface connector, but this is not the first time for Sony.
Who is PS Vita for? This question remained open for us. For children, the gadget turns out to be quite expensive both at the start and at the cost of games. For teens? Perhaps, but the question of price does not disappear either. The mid-level managers that the PS3 was primarily targeted at mostly play on smartphones and tablets in those rare moments of free time. Yes, the advantages of PS Vita are analog joysticks and keys that prevent the screen from closing during the game, but is this so critical?
In total, the device is interesting, not cheap (although in the USA, according to our readers' reviews, the console can be bought for $ 250), perhaps modern, but somewhat out of date. The gaming industry in the context of multifunctional mobile devices is quite developed and carrying another gadget with you, the service life of which in the game mode is not so long, this is probably a luxury that not everyone can afford.
|
|
Sony's game consoles are listed among mobile gaming equipment as Swiss army knives, with a ton of cool built-in gadgets and gizmos that it's hard to imagine any type of game that PlayStation couldn't handle and any gamer that wouldn't satisfy. this console. While the PSP (PlayStation Portable) was only trying to be a pocket version of the PS 2, the PlayStation Vita wants more. It has a screen, two analog sticks and graphics that even an experienced gamer will appreciate, but the touch screen functionality, camera, tilt controls and unusual game loading will impress those looking for something less traditional.
Advantages: 3D graphics quality is close to PS3. The perfect combination of traditional controls and touchscreen. Dazzling HD OLED screen. Decent assortment of built-in apps and addictive games.
Disadvantages: Expensive for a portable device. Not impressed by the battery. Minor problems with support for Remote Play of games and media files.
PlayStation Vita design
PlayStation Vita review Let's start from the physical design point of view, the Vita's appearance is an improved version of Sony PSP Slim and Lite, the front panel is occupied by a huge 5-inch screen with two analog panels on either side of it, D-Pad on the left side, buttons on the right, such an arrangement will immediately feel natural to anyone familiar with the dual-shock 3 control system. Of course, the PS Vita only has two protruding buttons, made of pure plexiglass, to maintain the sleek contour of the device. The Vita is very comfortable in the hands, it feels light, and although the placement of the handles takes some getting used to, they are very easy to operate even with prolonged use - much better than the numbing 3DS. The 280g weight is also very comfortable.
Control elements
The physical controls function perfectly. We had some minor doubts about the accuracy of the right analog stick when trying to aim in Uncharted: The Golden Abyss, but other editions have had no problem with it. Perhaps the Vita analog sticks are literally one step closer to the familiar full-size controller than the 3DS. For fast paced FPS games, this can make a huge difference. And while you may be missing the L2 and R2 buttons in some games, this is unlikely to be a big problem, for the simple reason that the PlayStation Vita has a plethora of other controls.
The most notable characteristic of the console is the capacity of its touchscreen, which is responsible for the speed, responsiveness and multitouch technology. The PS Vita uses it regularly, both to provide usable on-screen buttons and menu controls, and as a way to flip through the pages of the screen.
The Playstation Vita has tilt controls. It can be used for its intended purpose, but it also becomes useful in billiard games like Hustle Kings, allowing you to change the view, or as a means of fine-tuning sniper shots in Uncharted, for example.
Extended realism
That's why the PS Vita is equipped with dual cameras. With a resolution of 0.3 MP, they are not very suitable for taking photos, and in low light their performance is completely disgusting (which is quite predictable). While Sony's initial efforts are focused on making AR games work better, there are some small toys to play with. For example, Reality Fighters allows you to digitize your face, superimpose it on the body of a character in the game, and now you are already fighting virtual opponents against the background of a real environment filmed by one of the Vita cameras. It would seem like an ordinary game, but the extended realism adds zest to it. The same thing happens with "Little Deviants", in which episodes of "shooters" are superimposed on the space around you.
PS Vita display, speakers and connections
We continue PS Vita review and I will say that it has some minor flaws. While retail stores offer games on SD cards that plug into a slot on the top of the box, downloaded games, and audio or video files, can be copied to a smaller microSD card that needs to be inserted into the slot on the bottom of the console. However, instead of the usual micro-SD card, Sony has opted for its own variant, which costs twice as much. This is probably good for fighting piracy and increasing profits, but it would be worth thinking about your customers as well. To charge the device and connect it to a PC or PS3 via USB, a non-standard connector and cable are also used. Finally, the sound from the built-in speakers is a bit weak, although it is still clearly better than most smartphones.
But you can close your eyes to all these shortcomings, as all your attention will switch to the PlayStation Vita screen. The OLED display with a resolution of 960 × 544 is great. Vivid, crisp, vibrant colors, deep blacks and energy-efficient brightness levels. Sure, it falls short of 720p resolution and the rather intense sharpness of the iPhone 4's Retina display, but it still falls outside the sub-SD resolution we're used to seeing on portable gaming devices, and at 5 inches it's hard to tell. that it is not HD. This display is ideal for both movie watching and gaming sessions, and is about as good as a tablet.
While we expected the PlayStation Vita to use the XMB interface of the PSP and PS3, Sony took a new user interface as its basis. It is based on LiveArea, a series of vertical scrolling screens with large shortcuts, using so-called “stickers” that literally need to be lifted off the screen to scroll through the screen or quit an application. If more than one "sticker" is open, they are laid out in 3D on the screen for easy access. All this is a little unusual, but it allows you to quickly and easily transition from application to the PlayStation Vita application.
Applications
In addition to games, PlayStation Vita has a wide range of pre-installed applications, mainly focused on media playback or communication. WelcomePark is a good starting point for providing a list of augmented reality techniques and metrics that you will use as you get used to the basic functions of your device. Meanwhile, the Friends, Group Messaging and Party apps provide options and tools to check, play and chat with your PSN friends. Finally, the web browser, while lacking functional flash animations and being super-fast, is nevertheless a big step up from the PSP or PS3, for the simple reason that it has a touchscreen keyboard for text input and touch controls. ...
Play multimedia
When it comes to media playback, the Vita is comfortable displaying snapshots in the most common formats (JPEG, TIFF, and PNG), as well as MP3 and AAC music files. The playback quality is excellent. Video file support is limited to MPEG-4 support. If you plan on buying or renting movies from PSN storage, then everything is fine, but if you copy them from your computer, you will have to spend a little time converting the formats. In addition, the PlayStation Vita will not automatically scale the HD files you buy through PSN to smaller screen sizes, it simply refuses to copy them.
PlayStation Vita Remote Play
The "killer" applications in the arsenal of the PlayStation Vita include Remote or Remote Play. A great idea to play individual media and games on a Playstation 3 and transfer them to a small Sony console so you can enjoy them in front of your living room TV by switching from channel to channel or turning it off. Unfortunately, when we say “separate,” that's what we mean. During testing, not all games were supported, but only a limited list of them. The only game that played to the end without any glitches was PixelJunk Shooter. This is disappointing, although the idea itself is great. Hopefully the next firmware update and new games released will resolve the issue.
Battery
We continue PlayStation Vita review ... Another fly in the ointment is the battery. It was a problem for both Sony with its PSP and Nintendo with the 3DS, but it looks like they haven't yet come up with a magic cure for a device with a huge screen that does power-hungry productivity tasks without sacrificing its battery life. Actual battery life will vary depending on the type of games the box plays or other activity, but you are unlikely to get more than 3.5 hours of "Uncharted" playback.
PS Vita Games
When it comes to gaming, the PlayStation Vita doesn't disappoint. There are games for which screen sensors, tilt controls and cameras are the dominant parameters, but the Vita performs best when playing games such as Uncharted: The Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048 or Gravity Rush. A large screen, dual control sticks and powerful 3D graphics hardware allow it to handle games better than any other console.
One of the most impressive games was Uncharted: The Golden Abyss in terms of its many textures, tiny particles and lighting effects. Jungle, lush landscapes, water effects are convincing, shadow and light blending effects are in line with the latest technology. And only very little reminds of the fact that you are playing a game on a portable console
The PlayStation Vita is a competitor to smartphones and tablets in the same price range, but none of them, not even the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, are able to handle games as well as a dedicated console with the appropriate controls. While Apple amazes us with its clip-on gaming accessories for the iPad 3, the Vita simply beats the competition. The Nintendo 3DS has a price advantage and a growing library of excellent games, but compared to the Vita, it doesn't seem to be good enough.
The PlayStation Vita is not cheap, and we still need to test more games to evaluate its performance. The upcoming release of "Resistance: Burning Skies", "Bioshock" and "Call of Duty" should help us with this. However, it is currently the most immersive mobile gaming platform on the planet, and it certainly deserves much more widespread acceptance than the earlier PSP did at its time.
Verdict
Impressively powerful and surprisingly functional, the PS Vita is, at least for now, a complete version of a handheld game console. The capacity of the touch screen, the enhanced realism camera and the sensitivity to motion make it a versatile tiny device that should inspire some innovative technology developers to create even richer, more dynamic and interesting games, since gaming through portable, but at the same time, larger screen consoles are closer than ever.
More will soon appear on the TechnoBOG website, both portable and desktop. Keep for updates.
A little history and memories
At one time, Sony promised that it intends to support and develop the PSP direction for at least seven years. The Japanese said the Japanese did! The console was really actively supported during this time by both the manufacturer and the developers. Moreover, the support was so harsh that before the PS Vita appeared, the predecessor practically did not change the hardware and, quite possibly, because of this, Sony somewhat missed the initiative that Apple took up in passing, and now Google and NVIDIA are also trying to grab their own a slice of a large pie called " Mobile gaming market».
Nevertheless, it all started very briskly and fervently. For example, did you know that on the first day of sales PSP in Japan, December 12, 2004, the descendants of the samurai raked the entire batch of consoles in quantity 200 thousand pieces per day? Someone, reading these lines, grins, remembering, but just over seven years ago, even 200 thousand portable gadgets sold per day is a lot. Moreover, the starting line of games was meager and rather boring.
Of the interesting facts, I would like to note the loud statements by Sony regarding the filling of the PSP, they say it's PS2, only in your pocket. In fact, the SoC of the older console is really used there, but in a greatly reduced and redesigned form. As a result, power consumption has been significantly reduced and, as a result, performance has dropped. The main limiter is the battery. For 2004-2006, the device produced a good picture, but later it began to fail. Only internal Sony game studios continued to delight with worthy products, like a couple of parts God of war.
Another fact is the display in the first batch of consoles, the one that was sold out in a day. There was a very high-quality production matrix Sharp, which gave out a juicy and beautiful picture, but in further games Sony began to install matrices from Samsung, which were decently inferior to Sharp screens in quality.
The original PSP, aka PSP 1000, PSP Fat or "bbw"
Then, almost three years later, there was a new console in the series, PSP Slim, known under the code name PSP 2000. The set-top box has become 30% thinner, much lighter, the processor frequency has slightly increased, which, having switched to a thinner production process, began to consume less energy, and the battery capacity has been reduced from 1800 to 1200 mAh. Also, the amount of RAM has doubled - up to 64 MB.
It seems that everything is fine, there are innovations, but in fact they concealed a reduction in the cost of production. The body became simpler, the solid gloss turned out to be completely impractical, and in general the console looked much cheaper than its predecessor. That the latter only had a solid transparent panel that covered both the display and the upper part of the case - a cool solution. The lower part was made of high quality matte plastic. Plus, the ergonomics of the PSP 1000 are better, in the hands it is really more comfortable.
But what the PSP 2000 could not take away was a more modern and high-quality display. It produced a bright and rich picture, plus it had a reduced response time of the matrix, and blurry became invisible in dynamic game scenes.
PSP of the second wave, aka PSP 2000 and PSP Slim
Together with the PSP 2000, I became closely acquainted with this family of game consoles, having bought this for personal use. Although I also talked a lot with the "fat woman", fortunately, my friend bought her one of the first in the city.
The thrill of this gadget is in its specialization. Unlike the PDAs popular at the time, the PSP was focused on games, videos and music. That is, for entertainment. Actually, in most cases handhelds were also used for this, but the console was better adapted. And I also remember that puppy delight from full-fledged gaming on a portable device. When the game is literally in the palm of your hand. And the possibility of launching popular products from PSX (the first desktop PlayStation) pleased me. I passed with pleasure Heart of darkness, launched Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, wandered around the mansion in Resident evil and sawed several dozen zombies in Nightmare creatures- chic!
A year later, Sony released another modification of its console, calling it PSP 3000... There are a minimum of external differences - the shape of the case has changed slightly. The filling also remained almost intact, except that the color gamut of the display increased, and with it an unpleasant "comb" appeared on the edges of contrasting objects with their sharp movement. In addition, Sony has added a microphone for Skype chatting via the console.
PSP of the third wave, aka PSP 3000 - boring
Even then, the people began to grumble a little, they say, it would be time to change something. Tired of getting the same console once again. And then, in parallel, the Apple App Store began to develop just at some monstrous pace, plus the iPhone turned from a "technological dialer" into a full-fledged smartphone. In addition, the developers got a taste of money and realized that you can make millions on dollar toys.
And what did we get from Sony after a year? Oh yeah, PSP Go! It is so small, so kawaii, with 16 GB of internal flash memory, no UMD drive and in a slider form factor, with a mechanism as cool and attractive as bubble cellophane that you can click, click and click again. We look at the specifications and ... again twenty-five. All the same unchanged filling, and even the display has become smaller by 0.5 inches.
PSP of the fourth wave, aka PSP Go - cool and compact, but inside is still the same device from 2004
It was then that even the most ardent PSP fans launched a stone into the Sony garden, which resulted in a total failure of the folding console sales and the active seizure of the mobile gaming market by a young and daring rival in the face of iOS.
The last representative of the first generation PSP and the fifth wave console was the budget PSP E-1000... The matte case, which pleased us, turned out to be made of cheap plastic, and the display does not even match the most ancient PSP in quality, breaking the eyes of gamers with its terrible viewing angles. Yes, and it looks somehow ugly, Sony overdid it with a reduction in price. The Wi-Fi module also went under the knife.
The fifth wave PSP, aka PSP E-1000, is a terrible example of how you shouldn't make your products cheaper.
But PS Vita became a real revelation. Here it is, a real Sony product: technological, beautiful, stuffed with all sorts of electronic bells and whistles to the very eyeballs. It's a pity that Sony has been delaying the release of the second generation PSP for so long, because it may no longer be able to keep up with the steam locomotive of portable gaming that is rapidly sweeping away into the distance. The market has changed, the pricing policy has changed, but not for Sony. Well, let's first take a look at this "beast", and then think about its prospects.
Well hello real PSP 2 PS Vita
There are a lot of reviews of the new console on the Web, so I will focus only on personal impressions of the gadget. First impression: " How healthy she is!". But you take it in your hands and understand that the size and weight are exactly what they should be. The set-top box lies in the hands just gorgeous and does not get lost in the palm of your hand, like the PSP Go or even the PSP 2000/3000. The PS Vita is really comfortable to hold while playing and you don't have to write out the pretzel with your fingers. The original PSP Fat is very close in usability in this regard, but the new product is still more convenient and, by the way, its hardware controls have become cooler.
The photo above gives a visual insight into the difference between the game controls on the two generations of Sony's handheld console. Naturally, the first thing that catches the eye is a couple of "fungi", albeit small, but full-fledged analog sticks, instead of a not very convenient "pill". And now we bring our eyes together and look carefully at the crosspiece and buttons - have you noticed? In PS Vita, they have become a little smaller. The specialists at Sony are clearly not eating their bread in vain, since this arrangement and size of these elements is really more convenient than in the PSP. They are slightly higher than those of the PSP, the analog sticks are fungal too, the fingers fit very well. For ergonomics - six points out of five, but that's not all. The D-pad and buttons on the PS Vita are very crisp with a click - it's convenient and fun. I think the implementation of hardware controls in this console is the best.
Also on the back panel there are a couple of concavities for the fingers, they are also exactly where you need it. You take the console in hand, start playing, and you don't want to let go of it. In general, playing on a compact device using hardware controls, after several years of total dominance in the life of the iPhone and iPad, is something. But I'll tell you about the experience of playing on PS Vita a little later. In the meantime, let's continue to study "hardware".
On the back of the case, in addition to convenient notches for fingers, there is also a VGA camera and a second touch panel. The first one is in the usual place - on the display, but he himself is quite extraordinary. I also note that the front camera has an absolutely shameful photo sensor with a resolution of 320x240 pixels.
So the display is beautiful! The 5-inch OLED-matrix with a resolution of 960x544 pixels has a traditional RGB pixel structure. That is, no PenTile artifacts, like a slightly blurry text on a white background and, in fact, such a fine mesh on this very background. Still, the pixel density in this display is lower than in a 5.3-inch screen (220 ppi versus 284 ppi), and if it was built on the basis of PenTile technology, the picture quality would be greatly affected. But in Galaxy Note, due to the ultra-high resolution for such a diagonal of 1280x800 pixels, the negative features of the PenTile are almost invisible.
Take a look at the screenshot below. It clearly shows a translucent grid of capacitive touch panel sensors. It can be seen only from a certain angle, but the very possibility of this indicates the use of an unusual touch panel.
By the way, about the filling. The graphics chip in PS Vita and in is almost identical: 4-core PowerVR SGX543MP + and PowerVR SGX543MP respectively. The plus sign in the name of the GPU of the game console may mean the presence of some additions in the architecture, but there is no information about them. But the central processor of the PS Vita is more powerful - it is also 4-core versus 2-core in the latest Apple tablet. Considering the lower resolution of the console, it has a very good headroom for the future in terms of the quality of graphics in games, even in comparison with the latest tablets.
PS Vita in comparison with the branded case - they are very similar in size
It is also worth noting the use of a proprietary memory card format, which, to put it mildly, angered the gaming community. And Sony ditched UMDs in favor of flash-based media - they are also special. All of these custom-formatted crutches are used for only one purpose - to prevent the console from being hacked.
I will end the conversation about the stuffing by mentioning the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules in the PS Vita, as well as the 3G modem in some models. That is, you can access the Internet via a cellular network, but you cannot make calls. It would be a pity, it would be fun to talk to the console.
PS Vita Impressions
Software interface
Before moving on to games, it's worth mentioning the interface, which is a great example of how it can be made very beautiful and distinctive without borrowing ideas from competitors.
So, to unlock the screen, just pull the edge of the leaf, as if ripping it off and opening access to the user interface of the console. In the same way, processes hanging in memory are removed, paging between which is carried out with swipes to the left and to the right. But the transition between screens with application icons is carried out by swiping up and down.
The interface itself is totally animated and resembles iOS in its "rubberiness" and smoothness, only the animation is even greater. But mechanically, it does not copy either the Apple platform or Google Android. Even the grid of icons, and that is different, as, in fact, the icons themselves - they are round and voluminous, they move funny when flipping through desktops.
Another cool effect is the implementation of scrolling through lists as they scroll to the end. In iOS, the page seems to float higher, revealing a dark background underneath, and then gently returns back. If it is a list with menu items, then they also float up or down, and then come back when you lift your finger from the screen. At one time, Android had a similar implementation, but Apple won a couple of patent cases over this and competitors began to invent their own methods. Samsung, for example, has a soft blue glow upon reaching the end of the list - it's not as spectacular and beautiful as in iOS.
The PS Vita, on the other hand, has a very cool method of showing that the end of the list has been reached. If we are talking about a page in a browser, then, trying to scroll beyond what is possible, the user simply stretches the page like a rubber one. In the list of the settings menu, its elements begin to creep up, it also looks cool.
In general, the console interface is very smooth and beautiful. The only drawback is, as I mentioned above, the lack of antialiasing in it. In places, icons and other interface elements with a comb on curved lines look rough. But Sony has added pleasant and relaxed music that always plays in the background when you travel in the wilds of the OS. If you want, you can turn it off, but I really liked this moment, like the music itself. The Japanese know how, they know how to create cool things!
Though web browser they haven't finished. A beautiful and large high-resolution screen, an excellent touch panel and, I'm not afraid of the word, a shameful, wildly lagging browser. It looks good, but as soon as you start scrolling through a long page, wild brakes start, and this is on a 4-core processor!
Social applications, Twitter client, player - they are all good. But PS Vita has a more important function than surfing the web or chatting on social networks, and it does it just fine. These are games, to say the least ...
... Games!
Yes, friends, PS Vita doesn't have games, but real "games", they are so beautiful. In general, sometimes it just took my breath away from the fact that such beauty is formed with the help of a small device in my palms! I went through several cool moments, like in the old days, when you install a new video card, launch a fancy toy or a technological demo and observe indescribable beauty, you understand that a few years ago this was not something that could not be processed in real time, but even in pre-rendered gaming roller skates have not been encountered.
The first step was to launch one of the most powerful PS Vita games - Uncharted: Golden Abyss... When I watched her videos and screenshots on the Web, I somehow could not believe that all this beauty works on a portable device. When I tried it myself, only then I felt that yes, this is the future today, the graphics are almost PS3 level in my palms. Of course, the picture is somewhat simpler than in the older console, but it still looks very impressive: highly detailed models, excellent lighting effects, smooth animation. Textures are a little simpler than in the same Uncharted 2 on PS3, but there is no edge anti-aliasing. But during hot battles you just don't pay attention to it. The overall impression is just a "brain explosion", in the good sense of this expression.
The controls are great, a couple of analog sticks decide! In addition, I appreciated the thrill of the new buttons and cross-pieces with their clear response and clicks. Still, in active games, a touchscreen display can never replace a high-quality joystick, which Sony's portable console, in fact, is.
But I felt it especially acutely when I launched Super stardust delta is another variation on the Asteroids theme, but in terms of graphics quality and drive, it is probably the best on the mobile market. In fact, it almost completely copies the original to the PS3, including the graphics. There is antialiasing and unmatched special effects. But beyond that, front and rear touchpads and even a gyroscope are involved. The first is used to launch rockets, the second is used to form a local black hole into which enemies and asteroids fall. With the help of a gyroscope, the viewing angle changes slightly.
I am a big fan of this kind of toys and I buy almost all Asteroids scrollers and clones on iOS, of course, I often play them. But after Super Stardust Delta, sadness came, because I wanted to drive other hits of this genre on iOS with the same comfort.
Next, the toy was tested WipEout 2048 and again puppy delight from a mixture of gorgeous graphics, hardware controls and, by the way, cool musical accompaniment, which showed that the PS Vita's speakers are nothing at all. The speed, drive and total ease of control - all this draws you into the race so deeply that it is better not to play WipEout 2048 in public places or on the subway / bus. People may not understand, and it's easy to miss your stop.
Actually, this is how other toys I tested also add: Rayman origins and Lumines: Electronic Symphony... The first one is made just brilliantly both in terms of visual style and gameplay. The return of the legendary platformer has gone very well and games like Uncharted are really selling the console, forcing consumers to invest a lot of money in the platform.
Although this coin has two sides, which we will talk about in the next part of the satya.
Perspectives and reflections
At first glance, everything is good for the PS Vita. The console started with a decent line of games, in the future it will receive the entire PSP content library, as well as the active development of the PSP Minis section. The console is powerful, including the maximum possible in the field of game control, ranging from the usual hardware buttons, shifters and analog sticks, and ending with a pair of touch panels, a gyroscope and even cameras, which are also used in some products.
The device is very powerful in terms of performance, although the autonomy is poor. It is approximately at the level of the original PSP, that is, 3-5 hours of play is provided. Not a fountain, but the necessary minimum is still there.
The console is actively supported by the developers, it is planned to port a lot of interesting products from the older console, adapt the golden classics, like Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3... The games are really beautiful, innovative in places, they are pleasant and comfortable to play.
But, everything cannot be perfect. We have such an imperfect world. The extravaganza disappears, and rose-colored glasses fly apart in a thousand pieces, as soon as you start looking at prices in the PSN Store. I immediately got into the demo section without planning any purchases until I got my own console, but then I decided to see what Sony offers for the money. And then - bang! - like a butt on the head: if you want the full version of Lumines - please post it $40 , other big projects like Uncharted or Wipeout will cost $60-65 .
There are also inexpensive offers for $ 10-15, but these are vanishingly few. And sometimes a real "hellish AD" is offered for bad money, like Asphalt Injection for almost $ 40. This is an analogue with slightly improved graphics.
Everything is very sudden in the PSN Store after the fabulous prices in the Apple App Store, when the most expensive toys, quite worthy and big projects for themselves, are offered for $10 , no more, and the average price of the game ranges from one dollar to three. Of course, I understand that on PS Vita the graphics level is often steeper, the games are more serious, but, friends, what about the regional editions. How many excellent PC games tearing any PS Vita titles to shreds are officially offered in the CIS for $15-20 ? At the same time, in the Russian and Ukrainian sections of the PSN Store, the cost of games for PS Vita is often much higher than, for example, in the American one.
Of course, the console was launched quite recently, the range of offers is still weak and the developers are trying to recoup their investment. But, again, there is a great example of the App Store, where quality games bring millions to their creators without brutally emptying players' wallets.
But here's another argument in favor of the high cost of content - PS Vita for hardcore players who are accustomed to uber-serious projects, go through the game up and down five times and are willing to pay a lot of money for content. There are definitely such ones and, in fact, due to them, the PSP reached its peak of popularity at one time, but then there were no cheap mobile games, there was no fierce competition with the App Store and Android Market.
As for hardcore gamers, many of them, growing up, move into a lighter category and, due to the workload and other life situations, simply do not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time to games. They are happy to consume arcade games from the App Store, because a game session can be shortened to 10 minutes and without any problems continue it when they have a free minute. As a result, such players often simply do not pay attention to serious projects anymore, there is still no time to play.
I can safely refer myself to such people, although I try to keep my finger on the pulse and even from time to time I go through really interesting and loud games. So, Diablo III is really looking forward to, before that there were Dead Space 2, Crysis 2, Alan Wake is now in the process. But there are strong doubts about the PS Vita. I would like to, yes, but, given the circumstances, the value of large projects decreases somewhat, and you already start thinking, is it worth spending $ 60 on a game that will eventually “gather dust on the shelf”? Maybe it's better to use them on a dozen or two perky apps from the App Store? It will somehow be possible to play in them while sitting "in the office", during lunch or while standing in line at the tax office for some regular useless piece of paper. To prove my hardcore in the past, I propose to take a look at a few photos of my personal collection, although now these are more likely museum exhibits:
Old hardcore players are leaving, new ones are coming, you say? Not certainly in that way. The audience of such is really shrinking and at the same time it is not growing as fast as Sony would like. A new generation is already growing up, brought up by simple arcades, they are satisfied with such toys and they are not always interested in more serious games. The second "plague" of the modern gaming world is MMORPG... Avid fans do not need any games other than those online, in which they spend dozens of hours weekly.
That is, many people may well pay for games as much as Sony and the developers want, but they do not see enough value for this or that game to pay a round sum for it, and then due to lack of time or for other reasons, even not to play properly. But if they cost several times less, even at the level or even twice as much as in the App Store, then the audience would have increased.
PS Vita is definitely a worthy and somewhat successful product, as it is unique. There is no second such gadget in the world, and it may very well be that this is generally the last portable specialized device focused on games, and in the future, tablets and smartphones will rule the ball. The gadget will find its buyer, but will it become massive, will it allow Sony to return to its former greatness in this market? It all depends on the company itself and its pricing policy for content in the future.
There is hope, because it is the last to die. But besides hope, there is also a new CEO of Sony, Kazuo Hirai, who from April 1 will take up his duties as the head of the company. If you do not know, let me remind you that it is this person who is responsible for the PSN gaming network and the entire digital direction at Sony. It was he who made the “analog company digital”. This extraordinary personality is known for her bold decisions and in many ways PS3 became successful thanks to her. Maybe Hirai will be able to perform a small miracle for the PS Vita, which will benefit us, ordinary users, and the company too.
I would not like the disappearance of such a category of devices as portable game consoles from the market, because while the touch panel of a smartphone or tablet is simply not capable of replacing a real joystick with real buttons, a cross and sticks. Maybe in the future they will come up with something like that, but for now PS Vita and its analogues have to live and fight the onset of daring newcomers who do not have many years of experience in the gaming industry, but crush the "old people" with a price policy.
New vita old woman PSP
First, let's plunge into history. In 2004, the world of video games changed. Two industry whales - Sony and Nintendo - presented their vision of pocket consoles. Nintendo released the Gameboy successor, the Nintendo DS. An unusual gadget with two screens, one of which is touch-sensitive, with a nondescript body at first glance, but aimed specifically at games, which was supported by the number of projects for this console. Sony, on the other hand, has done everything in its Sony-style. They released a multimedia combine, with a huge screen for those times and impressive characteristics. Sony PlayStation Portable, unlike its competitor, did not have huge sales. There were fewer really good games for it, but thanks to a successful form factor, a variety of use cases, cool graphics and dozens of really hit games, it found its army of fans. Over the seven years of the console's life, it lost weight, became brighter, changed its appearance, but the filling remained practically the same. And finally, the old woman can go on a well-deserved rest. New life for portable games according to Sony - PlayStation Vita.
Design, ergonomics
To be honest, I fell in love with the Vita's appearance right away, even when it was called NGP (Next Generation Portable). This is exactly what I wanted to see in the next PSP incarnation. No experimenting with shape or design, just pure breed of the series. Speaking in advance, we will see the whole experiment in the technical capabilities of the console, but more on that later.
The cardboard box of a rather modest size conceals the set-top box itself, a power supply into which a data cable is inserted, six augmented reality cards and a bunch of waste paper.
The console body is entirely made of plastic. In principle, this is the right decision, since metal in a structure of this scale would add extra weight, and the price would certainly be higher. Now Vita is produced only in “Crystall Black” color, but in the future, according to tradition, other colors should appear. The prefix has become larger than its predecessor, but has lost some weight. And the increase in size has clearly benefited the ergonomics. Having picked up PSP slim after a week with a twisted one, I felt discomfort - it seemed unusually small. As they say - there is nothing to grab onto. The weight is close to that of the very first PSP - 260 grams.
The front panel is completely made of glossy black plastic. Gorilla Glass doesn't smell here. To say that it is easily soiled is to say nothing. Given the Vita's touchscreen display, one can only wonder why Sony didn't use an oleophobic or similar coating. The console becomes salted after a couple of minutes of fermentation according to the menu. Salvation was found in islands made of matte plastic, on which the cross, the legendary cross, square, triangle and circle are located, and the improvement that was most expected. Right under the buttons, there are two full-fledged analog sticks! Finally, the "analog" from the first PSP has been replaced with normal controls. While playing on PSP, I constantly tried to avoid managing that "fungus" - it was simply inconvenient. Plus, his hat was removable and a lot of people lost it. But all this is in the past. Now there are two almost complete analogs. Almost, just because they are just sticks, they do not have a pressing function. But even without this, the progress in management is enormous. They are voluminous, have the correct size, stroke and position on the body. My hands never got tired when using them, as is the case with prolonged use of Dualshock, PlayStation 3 gamepad. Plus, game developers, especially those who will deal with ports from PS3, will have fewer control problems, as it was before.
Returning to the D-pad and buttons, it is worth noting that they have decreased in size, and the D-pad is now not four separate buttons, but rather a four-position rocker. These controls are a pleasure to use.
In addition, the front features the Sony and PS Vita logos. There is also a front camera near the control buttons.
On the sides of the analogs, the holes of the stereo speakers are symmetrically located. The place for them was chosen a good one, but, in my opinion, they spoil the appearance a little. This is not to say that the speakers are loud, but quite high quality. They do well with game sound and music playback.
Below are three elliptical system control buttons. On the left is the PS button, analogous to home. It is noteworthy that this is the only key that is used in the menu. That is why, the honor of being backlit went to her. During the operation of the console, it is highlighted in blue, if the device is charging, the color changes to red.
On the right there are already two keys - select and start. They are used much less often, and therefore smaller in size.
In the center, as expected, there is a five-inch capacitive OLED display with a resolution of 960 by 544 pixels, with a “correct” aspect ratio of 16: 9. The non-retinal value of 220 ppi does not interfere in the least. The picture looks very nice and rich, without burning out the eyes with acid colors. Viewing angles are normal for such a selfish class of devices. The player will see what he is doing on the console anyway. For others, gloss simply won't allow it. The display supports multi-touch and pleasantly surprises with cool responsiveness. Unfortunately, the screen fades completely in the sun.
The middle part of the body of the console is made of a discreet and not very trustworthy gray plastic. At the bottom of the console, hinges are made from it. Considering the size of the gadget, this adds a convenient way to carry it on a carabiner.
A group of connectors is located at the bottom end. Right in the center is the new connector from Sony. The cons of this solution, I think, is not worth describing. A little to the right is the standard headphone jack, just where the player will not touch it with his hand. A slot for the built-in microphone is visible between them. Next, under the flap is the PS Vita Memory Card slot. Like the cable connector, this is just a mockery. Be prepared that when buying the console itself, in any case, you will have to spend on a card, since most games will not even start without it. In addition, Memory Card is similar to the usual Micro SD and becomes doubly offensive. There are cards on sale from 4 to 32 gigabytes.
Above, in the depressions, there are two shifters made of translucent, dark plastic. They have a pleasant ride and a good response time for their design. The power and unlock button of the device and the volume keys also found their place here. All as one evoke the association with the keys on the edge of the iPhone.
Next to the keys, two more connectors are covered with caps. One of them is for connecting unannounced accessories. But the second is much more interesting. Sony decided to abandon expensive and impractical UMD drives and switched to flash media. Mostly due to piracy. A couple of years ago, the president of SCEE said that piracy was a problem, but it helped increase sales of the PSP itself. Naturally, in addition to sales of the console, it is logical to make money on games, and Sony has made, in addition to protection at the system level, a specific media for games. It's all not cleverly named - PlayStation Vita Card. In its shape, it resembles a slightly smaller SD card.
The main part of the back panel is made of black, matte plastic. But due to the new control, there is also a glossy area on it. It stands out with a pattern of symbols X, O, ▲, ■. Beneath all this beauty is another touchpad that is used in games. For a comfortable grip on the console, there are two dents on the back for your fingers. The peephole of the main camera is visible from above. A little embarrassing, except that the brutal, uncovered screw holes. There are no complaints about the build quality. Nothing dangles, does not creak and does not strive to fall off.
Specifications
When developing the PlayStation Vita, Sony decided not to be smart like last time. Let me remind you that the PSP had a heavily cut-down version of the CPU from the Playstation 2. Now the Japanese have decided to use the ARM architecture that has already been tested on mobile devices. As a result, we have a bunch of four-core Cortex-A9 processor and PowerVR SGX543MP4 + graphics. There is no exact data on the processor frequency, but in the development circles there is an opinion that it can reach two gigahertz, but is underestimated to eight hundred. Whichever of this is true, the user gets his hands on a nimble device. No slowdowns are noticeable either in games or when working with the menu. And don't be confused by just 512 megabytes of RAM. Even with a running heavy game minimized to the background, the console always responds adequately to the user's actions and does not give slack.
Connectivity here includes Wi-Fi class b / g / n and Bluetooth 2.1 by default. Wi-Fi sensitivity has been dramatically improved since the first console, and now you don't feel left out when everyone has a strong signal and the PSP persists in losing it. Optionally, there is a version with a 3G module. If you purchased this particular version of the console, a SIM card slot will be added on the right side and the weight will increase by 19 grams. The Wi-Fi version of the set-top box visited the test, so it was not possible to test the 3G operation. In addition, a GPS module is installed. Navigation is carried out using Google Maps, which came to the console with the latest update. There is no sense in this function in a set-top box without a 3G module. But in games, GPS is sometimes used.
The cameras here are both with the same archaic resolution of 640x480 pixels. The quality of the images does not stand up to criticism in 2012, you can immediately forget about “vitography”. And, in principle, all that is required of them is the creation of avatars, additional control in games and, possibly, in the future, video communication between the owners of the consoles. Both cameras record video either in native VGA resolution, with a frequency of 60 frames / sec, or in QVGA, but as much as 120 frames / sec.
There is also a gyroscope and accelerometer, which are actively used in the gameplay.
Specifications PS Vita:
- Dimensions: 182 x 83.55 x 18.6mm
- Weight: 260/279 grams (Wi-Fi only / 3G)
- Processor: 4-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor
- Graphics Accelerator: PowerVR SGX543MP4 +, 128MB
- RAM: 512 MB
- Display: capacitive, 5 inches, OLED, 960 × 544, 220 dpi
- Communication means: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, optional 3G modem
- Cameras: both VGA, no flash
- Battery: 2200mAh
- Misc: stereo speakers, microphone, electronic compass, three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer, touch-sensitive back panel.
ON
The Playstation Vita was the first device in the system to abandon the familiar XMB interface. In its place came Vita OS - a new system with support for multitasking.
When switched on, the Vita is in a locked state. The lock screen displays a clock, date and a status bar with indicators of wireless connections and battery charge and all the same clock. Against the background of all this, a bent corner stands out, and a tempting one to pull for it. If you decide to do this, you will be taken directly to the applications menu. The appearance is quite specific. Round application icons are arranged in a kind of grid. There can be ten of them at most on one screen. The same is the maximum number of screens for applications. The whole thing scrolls vertically and, subjectively, does not look very attractive. The interfaces of modern mobile operating systems have taught us beautiful, stylish icons. After the laconic XMB, Vita OS looks more childish. It is especially frustrating that anti-aliasing is not applied in the menu and a ladder is visible at the edges of all round and other interface elements.
Also, when the device is unlocked, icons of running applications appear in the center of the status bar. They can also be viewed by clicking on the “PS” button. The maximum number of applications running is six. If you try to enter the browser, for example, when the game is minimized, the system will warn you that the game will be closed. The rendering of multitasking itself is similar to that of the Web OS. The user scrolls horizontally between cards with running applications. They display a button that launches the application itself and, if supported, options, help, etc. Applications are closed with the same gesture as when unlocking - just pull on the bent corner. The leftmost screen is the main screen. It again contains all running applications and a bookmark for accessing the menu. PlayStation Store ads are constantly displayed at the bottom.
When you hold down the PS key in any application, a window for adjusting brightness, volume, player and microphone control keys appears. In addition, it is possible to mute the sound during notifications from the chat, which is here called stylish and youth - a party.
The re-scrolling display is implemented in an interesting way. If the user reaches the end of the screen, the image will stretch like an elastic band. There are no themes here. All interface customization comes down to wallpaper, which can be selected from the gallery or set standard from Sony and sorting application icons. You can set your own wallpaper for each application screen in the menu. Background music plays in the default menu. It's pretty nice, but I can't believe someone won't turn it off.
In general, the interface is convenient until you start digging further. If for launching games, the system with cards is good, since everything related to the application is collected in one place, then with simple applications, everything is a little different. Let's say you need to go to the settings. Every time you do this from the application menu, after clicking on the icon, you are taken not to the settings themselves, but to their card! To confirm your actions, you must click "start".
In addition, it is a little unusual that the ability to control the keys is completely taken away. Sony, in 14 years of using the Playstation, taught me to navigate the menu with a gamepad, and now it has simply erased it. A tribute to the sensory realities of the market.
A lot of applications are initially installed in the console. Briefly about each of them.
"Welcome zone"... A kind of familiarization with the new features of the set-top box. Learning playfully.
Applications "Party", "Friends", "Group Messages", and "Near" created to find other PS Vita owners on the PlayStation Network and communicate with them via voice or text chat. In our conditions, this is not popular, we will not dwell on this in more detail.
Appendix "Prizes" gives you the opportunity to view all your and not only achievements, but at the same time share your successes. The same application is used in the notification panel. In the upper right corner of the menu, there is a circle in which all unviewed achievements are displayed.
The camera interface matches the module itself - as simple as an angle. The shutter buttons are available, switch modes (photo or video), go to the gallery, change the format and switch to the front camera.
"Music" and "Videos" are simple players for audio and video, respectively. In the audio player, there is sorting by artist, album, song, genre. There is an option with shuffling songs and a category “Frequently Played”. The player itself displays the cover, track information, rewind line and standard control keys. There are four equalizer presets available. The set-top box supports MP3, MP4 and WAVE audio formats. Subjectively, it sounds good.
The video player is standard in terms of controls. Of the formats available for playback, only MPEG-4 up to 720p. The only place where you cannot take screenshots. This function is immediately implemented in the system. To take a screenshot, just hold down the PS and Start keys and wait until the file is saved to the memory card.
"Remote Play" Allows you to connect your PS Vita console to your PS3 big sister as a controller in some games. Perhaps this idea will develop with the release of the Nintendo WiiU, which has a gamepad with a touchscreen display.
In the application "Settings", naturally, all system settings. It has an echo of the past in the form of icons from the XMB. It looks damp. There is control of wireless modules with the option of air mode, information about the system and its updating, memory management, sound and image settings. A separate item is the PlayStation Network, in which accounts are managed. Everything is in its place and available for a new user. It is possible to put a four-digit pin for blocking the device. Cheap and cheerful.
There is an application to synchronize the console with a PC "Data management"... If you connect the Vita to your computer, it will appear in the system, but you will not be able to copy anything to it. To do this, you need to install Sony's Content Manager Assistant on your PC. In it, you select folders for synchronizing media content and backups, after which you take the console again and manage the transfer of data from it. I have not seen a more inconvenient solution. Simple Drag'n'Drop has been supplemented with unnecessary movements on the set-top box screen. To transfer photos from Vita to PC, you will have to follow the same procedure.
The PSP browser was the fifth wheel. A bad, slow engine, supplemented by the inconvenience of input and immediately made you forget about the presence of such an option as the Internet on the console. Now Sony has upgraded it to the level of browsers on smartphones. It doesn't traditionally support Flash, but it does handle HTML5. It has tabbed support, bookmarks, and minimal customization. But everything is reduced to nothing by the speed of work. Right next to my home Wi-Fi hotspot, my seedy ZTE Blade was loading pages three times faster than the performance brainchild of the Japanese. I hope this squalor will be transformed in the next firmware versions.
The set-top box has two types of on-screen keyboard - a regular QWERTY keyboard and a character keyboard with a num pad. There is a convenient button for switching the language. The keys are of a normal size, it is convenient to type.
In addition to all standard applications, you can already download third-party applications from the store, such as clients for social networks and other, simple applications.
Playstation
Actually, what we are all gathered here for is games. PlayStation Vita is a pleasure to play. Working as a QA in the field of games, I have not been eager to come home and play something for a long time. But portable gaming on the Vita is it. Even people who, in principle, do not like to play when meeting with “Vitya”, reluctantly gave up the console, as they were pretty much carried away by what was happening on the screen. All innovations in management are of considerable interest. The console came to the test with two games - Uncharted: Golden Abyss and WipEout 2048, which fully allow you to test the console's capabilities.
In the adventure third-person shooter Uncharted, archaeologist, sportsman and simply handsome Nathan Drake jumps, climbs and crawls through the jungle, helping his companion on grandfather's expeditions and fleeing General Guerra. Uncharted is one of the hits on the PS3 and it is becoming one for the PS Vita. The game combines, albeit popcorn, but an interesting plot, cool art and dynamic gameplay. Except that sometimes your head is dizzy from the multitude of control options. At the beginning of the game, you are gradually given hints like "how to climb the tightrope." And when the player realizes that he has, on average, three ways to perform actions, he involuntarily forgets what he needs to do. But the game designers were very clever in using all the features of the console. For example, when we find an artifact, we rotate it using the rear touch panel, and on the front one we clean it with our fingers from dirt. But sometimes such know-how is inappropriate. For example, right after the cut scene I had to develop the parchment in the light, for which I had to point the Vita camera at a bright light source. Everything would be fine, but I was driving in a crowded subway through a tunnel and I had half an hour to go, and this was a plot task that could not be missed.
WipEout, on the other hand, is a race on futuristic tracks on jet cars. A lot of special effects, shooting and full non-stop - these are the words that can be used to describe the game. Control is possible either classical - analog sticks, or with the help of a gyroscope. All this juicy action is accompanied by an energetic soundtrack. The highlight of the game is crossplay. That is, having this game on PS3 and on Vita, players can simultaneously play multiplayer, each on their own device! This feature is not yet available for all maps, but I think that when creating new DLC, the developers will use this opportunity to the fullest.
In general, graphics in large projects cause puppy delight and nothing slows down. You can complain about the sometimes lengthy loading of the levels, but this is a trifle compared to what awaits after it.
In addition to boxed games, there will also be more casual games that are distributed exclusively through the PS Network. Among them there are games in which the very same augmented reality cards are used. You lay them out in front of you and the console, reading them with a camera, exposes the action of the game on a real surface. Unfortunately, due to some problems with linking Vita to my PSN account, I could not try it in action, but even from the video on the network, we can say that for a home environment this is a plus for the variety of gameplay.
If this is not enough, then you can play all the PS One and PSP games available in the PlayStation Store. The truth here again seems to be an attempt at profit. Let's say you had a PSP and honestly bought boxed games. Then you buy a PS Vita with declared backward compatibility, but you just can't play those games, you have to buy them again! Is it a shame? Not that word.
The PlayStation line is once again entering the market without a sufficient portfolio of games. At the moment, about 50 games have been announced, of which only about a third are of real interest. And here everything would be fine, but the prices for these games are not encouraging yet. In Ukraine, prices range from $ 40 to $ 55. per game, depending on the level of the project. And even if you can pay such a sum for high-profile titles like FIFA or Uncharted, the cost of the same Asphalt or Reality Fighters is a little embarrassing. The thing is that with the advent of the App Store, the market has changed and you can buy a high-quality product for up to $ 10. Explaining to a non-hardcore player why he overpays up to six times is not an easy task. Perhaps the matter will radically change with the new waves of games, because they promise a lot - from the usual for Sony Killzone and ending with masterpieces like Bioshock. And given the very low price of the development kit, developers have an additional incentive to make games on Vita.
Working hours
This is perhaps the biggest fly in the ointment in Vita's barrel. The battery capacity is only 2200 mAh. With Wi-Fi turned on, high backlighting and sound playback through the speakers, playing a heavy project will last about three hours. Connecting headphones, setting an economical backlight and disconnecting from the network, you can increase the operating time up to 5 hours. No me thick for the hardcore player. Considering that the battery is not removable and it will not work to shuffle them, it will not be possible to leave the Vita to hermit in the woods. But, if we take into account the typical model of using the console - “From point A to point B and vice versa”, then the operating time is just enough. And, of course, the caring Japanese immediately announced an accessory in the form of an external 5000 mAh battery. This miracle is connected with a charging cord and adds another 145 grams of weight to the pocket.
conclusions
When I was waiting for the PlayStation Vita, I didn't think it would be such a controversial device. On the one hand - the Sony style, build quality, excellent hardware, screen and unsurpassed quality of handheld games. On the other hand, the interface is not impressive and in places crude, the need to equip the console with a memory card of its own format, inconvenience during synchronization, short operating time and an extremely small number of interesting projects at the start. All the cons can completely discourage the desire to buy a console. And for me everything is exactly the opposite. Thanks to this console, I had a desire to find and buy an old PSP 1000, in order to go through everything that I did not master then. Thanks to her, I understood what it means to be “convenient to play” on a mobile device. In the end, thanks to the PlayStation Vita, I remembered what it was like to play. It is because of this that I will buy myself a Vita. For pleasure.
Sony PlayStation Vita video review
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
