Real Talk: Should the PlayStation Vita Be Shot Behind a Shed?

The PlayStation Vita hasn’t exactly had the easiest time on the market. It had some tough competition in the form of the Nintendo 3DS and these common little devices you may know as cellphones. Sony had proven that they knew how to make a solid home console, but the handheld sector just seemed beyond the company’s reach.

But just because it’s had a tough time doesn’t mean it’s done for, does it? Many individuals out there are still intrigued by the device, and it does have its uses. But do the uses warrant a purchase, and does it have a leg to stand on in the future? Well, those are questions that aren’t always so simple to answer. Like most video game hardware out there, the PS Vita has its pros and cons that may affect the way you feel about it.

So let’s take a look at those pros and cons and see if the Vita can survive, or if it should finally be taken out behind the shed and shot down. 

Pros of the PS Vita

While the PS Vita may not be at the top of everyone’s wish list, it does have some really strong qualities that make it pretty desirable. For starters its screen and graphical capabilities are absolutely amazing. There has never been a handheld as crisp and clean and the Vita. This proves to be a very important feature when looking at one of the console’s greatest assets: Remote Play.

The Vita can link to your PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 to play most games on the small device’s screen. This allows you to free up your television if somebody wants to watch something, or to move from room to room without having to unhook all the wires of your home console. It’s an outwardly simple mechanic that ended up being one of the best reasons to own the device. You also have cross-play with the PlayStation 4 in certain titles, as well as the ability to sync save files. This means if you have to go much further than Remote Play Supports, but have the game on both platforms, you can just bring your PS4/PS3 save file with you on the go. Remote Play also won’t be exclusive to the console for much longer, as Sony has already confirmed that they’re working on a Remote Play client for PC and Mac.

The Vita seems a bit oddly shaped at first and is bigger than most would expect. But, it’s very comfortable to hold and easy to use with intuitive touch screen controls. It also has a similar setup to that of the DualShock controllers Sony uses on its home consoles. In a world where form and functionality are increasingly important, this is most definitely a pro in the Vita’s favor. On top of the comfort, you have access to all of the amenities you’ve come to expect from a mobile device. Browser, media player, cameras, and all of the apps you could want.

There’s also a wealth of amazing games to be enjoyed on the platform. Free-to-play games to enjoy while you’re out and about, small indies, ports from its older siblings, and some unique exclusives such as Tearaway really utilize the full potential of the system.

Yet even with these solid pros, the cons shouldn’t be ignored. 

The Cons

The Vita is pretty, has a lot of uses, and is pretty comfy to hold, but in today’s world it isn’t necessary. Some of what the Vita can do so well is also being done by something you probably already have in your pocket: a smartphone. And while yes, the Vita is substantially cheaper than say an iPhone 6s or a Samsung Galaxy S6 (both are over $500 brand new without a contract), chances are you need a phone anyway. Gaming on those devices keeps evolving, and it’s becoming more difficult to justify a handheld console without some choice gaming features.

So you may be thinking, well at least the Vita has some great exclusives, but that’s starting to fade as well. While the beginning of the device’s life cycle was full of amazing experiences, those games are now being brought to the PS4 where they can reach a much larger audience. On top of that, first party support has screeched to a deafening halt. The Nintendo 3DS is constantly receiving fresh, new, exclusive content from both third parties and Nintendo’s own first party studios. Stunning RPGs, fantastic platformers, puzzle games, and more grace that consoles screen on a regular basis. The Vita just doesn’t have that and has struggled because of it.

While games on the Vita are great, they are mostly titles you’ve already seen on a phone, PC, or another console. It’s become a portal for ports, and although that isn’t all bad, it makes it difficult to take the plunge and purchase a new device.

When you look at the competition’s support, it makes it seem as if the Vita was given up on, and nobody wants to invest in something that doesn’t have a strong faith behind it. 

Give It a Chance or End its Suffering?

The PS Vita definitely has some things in its favor, but the cons are difficult to ignore. Still, with that being said, it has a chance at survival provided that Sony is willing to shake things up a bit. The 3DS wasn’t always doing so well; it took time, a few price drops, a couple of iterations, and a lot of amazing games. Sony’s name isn’t as big in the handheld realm as its Big Three counterpart, so it has to work harder to get similar results.

Relying on fans to see the handheld’s existing strengths just isn’t cutting it. The Vita needs a strong push so it can stand on its own even against all its fallbacks. Touting it as pretty much just an accessory to Sony’s home consoles isn’t doing the device any favors. Fortunately enough, with the momentum Sony has built over the past two years with the PlayStation 4, it’s not too late for the little machine that could. They can use that attention, those resources, and that momentum to get the Vita back in the limelight as more than just an option for Remote Play. Just like the PlayStation 3 before it, the Vita is a powerful piece of hardware that’s taking a really long time to find its groove.

On the flip side, Sony has poured a lot of resources into the device, and at a few E3s showed off tons of content for the Vita, yet it still hasn’t really caught on in the grand scheme of things. The company has been pretty on-point with decisions lately, and it’s led to major success. Maybe they are planning on moving to bigger and better things… like another handheld. Maybe they’ve already decided to take it out back and put it out of its misery, and we just never got the memo.

Either support or subtle euthanization is a potential course of action, so what do you think? Should the Vita be given yet another chance, or should it be put down for good so Sony can focus on other things? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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