What Happened to PlayStation Vita and Why Was It Ahead of Its Time?
PUBLISHED
- January 31, 2023
- 7:50 am
PUBLISHED
- January 31, 2023
- 7:50 am
The PlayStation Vita, Sony’s second handheld gaming device, released in 2011 and was discontinued just 8 years later in 2019. Despite being considered a commercial failure, it’s still remembered by fans as a powerful piece of hardware and a unique gaming experience. In this retrospective, we take a look at what made the PS Vita ahead of its time, and why it couldn’t keep up in a world dominated by mobile gaming.
LIKE THIS
Why The Vita Was Ahead Of Its Time
The PS Vita boasted impressive hardware for its time, including a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, a five-inch OLED touch screen, and two analog sticks, making it a significant step up from the original PSP. This allowed for console-quality games, like “Uncharted: Golden Abyss” and “Persona 4 Golden,” to be played on the go. Its feature set also included a rear touchpad, front and rear cameras, and built-in Wi-Fi, which were all innovative for a handheld gaming device.
One of the PS Vita’s strongest points was its connectivity with the PlayStation 3. Players could stream games from their PS3 to the Vita, and even use it as a second screen for games like “LittleBigPlanet 2.” This integration, combined with its powerful hardware, made the PS Vita a unique hybrid gaming device.
Even with these strengths, the PS Vita faced a number of obstacles that ultimately led to its downfall. One of the biggest challenge was its high price point, which was significantly more expensive than other handheld gaming devices at the time, such as the Nintendo 3DS. This made it difficult for the PS Vita to compete in a market dominated by mobile gaming and cheaper handheld devices.
The Invasion Of Mobile Gaming
Another challenge the PS Vita faced was the lack of support from developers. Many top game developers and publishers shifted their focus towards mobile gaming, which had a much larger user base. This left the PS Vita with a limited library of games, which made it very difficult to attract new users.
In spite of these setbacks, the PS Vita has managed to grow a dedicated fan base that continues to support and play games on the device. Some fans have even created custom firmware and mods to keep the device alive and running, long after its discontinuation.
Going Where No One Had Gone Before
The PS Vita laid the foundation for future handheld gaming devices, including the Nintendo Switch. Its dual analog sticks, rear touchpad, and built-in Wi-Fi set the bar for what a handheld gaming device should be capable of. In its day, some of these features, like dual analog sticks on a handheld device, were unheard of. And today, they have become a modern standard. These groundbreaking features, along with its integration with the PS3, made the PS Vita a unique and innovative device that was ahead of its time.
In the end, the PS Vita may not have been a commercial success, but it’s still remembered as a powerful and innovative handheld gaming device that paved the way for future devices. Its legacy lives on through its dedicated fan base and the impact it had on the gaming industry as a whole.
