Me not being one of those people that feels like I have to have the Vita
ayStation Vita excels with its excellent graphics, a superb 5in screen, dual-analogue and touch screen controls and a host of other goodies. The PlayStation Vita narrows the gap between console and handheld, and reminds you why a dedicated mobile gaming device is a good idea.
PlayStation Vita design
The physical design is an evolution of the PSP Slim and Lite, the front dominated by the whopping 5-inch screen, with the dual analog pads to either side, the D-Pad on the left and the face buttons on the right, in a layout that will immediately seem natural to anyone familiar with a dual-shock 3 controller. Of course, PlayStation Vita has only two shoulder buttons, modeled in clear pespex to maintain the unit’s elegant lines, but - as we’ll see later - this is less of an issue than it might seem. Vita feels light and comfortable in your hands, and while the position of the sticks takes a little getting used to, it’s a very easy handheld to use for long periods - much more so than the rather cramp-inducing 3DS.
Sony did a good job at giving you a lot of useful items in the 1st edition bundle. You get of course the Vita itself, a very nice carrying case, power adapter, memory card and a pack in game. I was slightly disappointed in the fact that Sony didn't include something a little more beefy game wise like Wipeout or even swung for the fences with Uncharted as the pack in. The PS Vita at first glance looks just like its predecessor and it took me awhile to figure out that all of the buttons and switches have been moved. It doesn't feel heavier than the original PSP but at the same time it doesn't feel plastic like and cheap. This system isn't for the casual Angry Birds or Plants vs Zombies player.
I was impressed that upon start up, there was at least a good 3/4 charge to get you off and running.
Set Up
Despite some negative reviews that claims that it took forever to get setup, I only took 15 minutes to get up and running and although I got caught in a snag trying to log in to my PSN account, I found that if you go thru the trial period, the Vita will allow you to finish the set up and then you can go back into the settings and put your PSN info in. I had no problems connecting the Vita with my home network and since I have no plans on using AT&T, I had no problems hooking the Vita up to my mifi device. The touchscreen is very responsive and the screen itself is bright, thus far, I have had no problems at all jumping right in. Near is setup and could prove useful as well as Google maps although it won't replace your GPS. Netflix isn't available yet but from what I hear, it will be out next week at launch. However Sony's video rental service is already up and running should you want to get some movies on the go.
Playstation store
Going into the store, I noted that it's sectioned off for Vita games only, PSP games and PSP minis. If you aren't all that crazy about the launch lineups or want some older games, they are all there for you. My only concern however is that 1. There were hardly any FPSes in the store. Games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty weren't in the store on the Vita side. 2. Some games like God of War: Ghost of Sparta were still full priced at 30 bucks. I am hoping that as time goes on, Sony starts to cut prices for their PSP games especially if they are asking consumers to spend that same amount on PS Vita titles.
Portability
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