The Ups and Downs of the Playstation Vita

The Playstation Vita represents the next generation of portable gaming.  Already on the market in Japan, this game system will hit the American market on February 22.  This revolutionary product features dual analog sticks, front and rear cameras, a high-resolution screen, a quad core processor, and is touch sensitive on both the screen, and a rear panel. 

            Having two analog sticks pleases the Playstation fans because it allows for game play similar to that on the home console, which improves the quality of first-person shooter gameplay.  However, being a Nintendo fan myself, I prefer the camera’s point of view to adjust automatically so that I only need one analog stick to control the character’s movement. 

            The front and rear cameras allow for augmented reality gaming.  Needless to say, this is a mind-blowing development in the world of entertainment. To see why it's so cool, check out the youtube video below.



           Augmented reality games allow the player to manipulate the world around them through the game, essentially morphing the real world into a digital, playable platform.  However, the cameras do not record at a very high resolution in comparison with cameras of similar sizes on portable, multi-purpose devices.  This is especially disappointing because the Vita is manufactured by Sony, a company that also makes professional-grade cameras.

            In most reviews, users find the rear touch pad to be instinctively easy to use, despite not being able to see where your fingers land.  The front touch screen is bright, clear, and sensitive.  Nothing less should be expected from a Playstation product, because their selling point from the beginning has been superior graphics.  The Vita delivers on this front. 

            The graphics do come at an underestimated cost, however. Now that games are becoming more life-like, they are becoming more immersive. This can be both a good and bad thing depending on a game’s audience. There is substantial research, which shows that violent games resonate with children more than with an audience mature enough to understand that the world in a game is not the same as the real one. Better graphics and more violent games are not a problem unique to the Vita, but there isn’t much that Sony or anyone else is doing to inhibit children from playing games outside of their age recommendation.

            After demoing the Vita myself in a GameStop, I can attest that it feels light, but substantial enough to not seem terribly fragile.  However, the analog sticks are too far apart to be comfortable on the thumbs.  This is an understandable drawback because to have them closer together would sacrifice some of the ever-popular, giant screen.

            The starting price is $250, not cheap, but not unreasonable either… until you look closer.  It is more expensive than its Nintendo brand counterpart, the 3DS.  Also, the memory cards are proprietary, meaning that only Vita memory cards can be used on the Vita, and they can be used for no other purpose.  This is an annoying and expensive inconvenience to consumers.   Another expensive addition to this device is portable Internet, which is locked into AT&T if you choose to have it.

            Another awesome aspect to this new gaming device is the continuity it will provide to the gaming experience.  If Playstation follows through on what they have promised, a gamer can be playing a game like Madden (football) on their PS3 at home, pause, save, and resume from that checkpoint on their Vita from anywhere. 

As with any product, the Playstation Vita has its upsides and downsides.  Overall, this product will have a positive impact on furthering the technology of the entertainment industry.  The social implications are another issue entirely. Perhaps providing a more immersive gaming experience will prevent children from forming real-world social connections.  Alternatively, using Playstation’s own social network, Near, could connect gamers in new ways that would not be possible without this technology. 

Co-written by Mandy and Mitchell.

Prezi presentation available here:

Playstation Vita on Prezi