Let’s take a look back at PlayStation’s underrated handheld.
Ever since the Game Boy, handhelds have been one of the industry’s most important revelations. Being able to play video games wherever you want is the best thing in the world. That’s why the PlayStation Portable along with the Nintendo DS made such a worldwide impact.
Looking to improve the experience of gamers, Sony launched the successor to the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation Vita, exactly eleven years ago today. It’s a handheld that sought to impact gamers, but after a series of bad decisions, its success was capped. Even so, it is one of the most underrated systems in the history of video games. On its anniversary, here are five reasons why we still love PlayStation Vita.
Play online wherever you want!
Since the arrival of the PSP and Nintendo DS, the use of WiFi on handheld consoles has become normalized. Even so, being able to play online wherever you wanted was limited. But, Sony with the PlayStation Vita sought to offer a gaming experience that no other company offered at the time.
The PS Vita had a 3G version that had a SIM card slot. This had the 3G technology of the time that allowed for a stable online gaming experience. This allowed gamers to jump into any game of their favorite game anywhere, something that its direct competition never allowed. On top of that, it allowed you to use the internet browser and download games from the PlayStation Store.
Touch Controls
Following the trend, an important leap that the PS Vita had in comparison to the PSP was the use of touch technology. Sony included in the PS Vita an LCD or OLED (depending on the model you have) touch screen. This not only allowed Sony to develop a much more interactive and visual UI than the PSP or its direct competitors, it also allowed developers to use the screen in different games.
But the impressive thing about touch is not the PS Vita’s screen. On the back of the handheld, there is a touch panel like the PlayStation 4 controller. It’s a panel where not only the touch but the force of pressure mediates. Therefore, developers created an endless number of mechanics in different games that took advantage of this aspect.
Dual Analog Sticks
One element that was heavily criticized on the PS was the lack of a second joystick to improve gameplay. In fact, many game franchises could not make it to the PSP because of this. Or worse, many franchises had to be completely modified to be able to adapt to a single analog stick.
But, with the PS Vita, Sony listened to the community. The Japanese company added a second joystick, allowing players to not only move the character but also have the ability to move the camera. This allowed a larger catalog of FPS games or games that required the use of dual analog sticks to come to this console.
A unique catalog of games
In contrast to the PSP, the PlayStation Vita did not have such a large catalog of games. Even so, it had great titles to its credit. Games like Hotline Miami, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Series, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Killzone: Mercenary, Persona 4 Golden, and many more, offer hundreds of hours of fun.
And if that wasn’t enough, many games released for the PSP also came to the console in digital format. The biggest hits of its predecessor also made their way to Sony’s second handheld system. A big reason why we love PlayStation Vita is that it was a favorite of indie developers, so there are a lot of unique games that you will not find anywhere else.
Perfect for modding
As has happened with many of the discontinued systems of this new digital era, they have begun to be modded. As with the PSP, the PS Vita simply got better with age by welcoming the world of modding. Not only does it allow you to greatly customize the console to your personal tastes, it also allows users to access a number of features that make it a great handheld for playing both console games and retro games.
Among the most popular modifications is the sideload of a PSP system that not only allows access to the entire PSP catalog but also to the entire PS1 catalog. Thanks to all this new variety of extra features, the PS Vita has been revalued for offering great hardware, portability, and the ability to access games from many consoles.
Beyond modding, Sony got their hands on one of the best handhelds ever. A success that was capped due to bad decisions by Sony such as the use of proprietary memory sticks and not offering a little more power due to the high costs involved.
Sony still has time to launch a portable system that completely revolutionizes the market. Bringing a PS4-like experience to a portable format would assure Sony millions of sales. And they can confirm this after having had so many portable console launches by companies looking to dethrone Nintendo in this market. But, really, the only company capable of achieving this is Sony.
Those are the reasons why we love PlayStation Vita. Why do you love PS Vita? Let us know!
