Sony’s PS Vita finally saw it’s official North American release last week, prompting glazed eyes and hungry salivation in gamers across the continent. With it’s speedy four core ARM A9 processor, 512MB of RAM, 128MB of VRAM, multiple input options, as well as built-in GPS, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Vita is currently the most powerful handheld gaming platform available to consumers.
That said -- as any kid with a cardboard box and a head full of dreams will tell you -- you don’t need the most powerful gizmo in its class to have a great time. With this in mind, we decided to take a look at how the PS Vita stacks up against our favorite portable gaming platform: iOS on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. After spending a week with the PS Vita, and a number of years with iOS, here’s what we found.
Comparing the PS Vita to the current line of iOS devices doesn’t allow for a fair assessment of the either Apple or Sony’s industrial design. After all, the iPhone 4S, iPod touch, and iPad 2 are designed to be multipurpose devices. Thanks to the powerful combination of Ive’s brilliant industrial design and the genius of iOS, there’s no shortage of ways to use Apple’s mobile hardware. While it might be possible to hold it wrong, there is no wrong way to use an iPad or an iPhone. If gaming’s your focus, it’s a gaming machine. If you love to read, it’s got you covered. Want to do work on a presentation for work or school over lunch? Yep, it’ll do that too.
Sony’s Vita on the other hand is a purebred gaming device designed to melt your face six ways from Tuesday. Boasting dual analog thumb sticks, a directional pad and touch functionality on both the front and back of the device, the Vita is prepared for any gaming scenario you can throw at it. Sure the Vita offers Twitter and Facebook clients, but that’s not what it’s here for. With the Vita, Sony isn’t trying to compete with the iPhone or the iPad -- that’s what their Android-rocking Xperia and Sony Tablet lines are for.
The Vita is all about games, all the time. Too large to stick in most pockets, but still small and light enough to manhandle for a number of hours at a time, the Vita’s designers obviously had no intention of providing the device with a smartphone-like form factor. Instead, it seems that they worked to realize as big and as bold a gaming experience as they could afford without moving from the realm of the portable into that of the cumbersome.
Well played, Sony. Well played.
No matter how well a gadget is designed, if it doesn’t fulfil the function it was created for, it’s nothing more than an overpriced paperweight. Fortunately for iOS device and Vita owners, gaming on either platform can be a rich, rewarding experience -- provided you understand what Sony and Apple had in mind when they were putting their offerings together.
Let’s start with what Apple offers mobile gamers. The vast majority of the games available in the iTunes App Store are titles that can be consumed in five-minute intervals -- perfect for passing time in line at the store or in a bathroom stall (if you must).
Thanks to the introduction of the A4 processor a few years ago, developers have also been able to introduce more robust games such as Infinity Blade and Shadowgun into the iOS ecosystem. While graphically impressive, many of these AAA titles have arguably been held back by the limitations posed by the few interface options afforded to the current family of iOS devices: Capacitative touchscreens and accelerometer controls. While a finger swipe might be just the thing needed for a session of Cut The Rope or Angry Birds, using a virtual direction pad for an action intensive FPS game like Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation gets old pretty fast. While accessories like Logitech Joystick for iPad exist, there’s no substitute for a native hardware solution.
As with the PSP Go and various other iterations of handhelf gaming that came before it, the PS Vita has your back when it comes to physical controls. This time around, Sony has upped their game. In addition to the full compliment of buttons, a directional pad, and an analog thumbstick that Sony has always baked into their Playstation portable hardware, they’ve also thrown a second analog thumbstick, a capcitative touchscreen, and a rear facing touch panel into the mix. Playing a game on the Vita feels as close to gaming with a home console like the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 as we’ve ever experienced.
With the Vita, there are no compromises when it comes to in-game graphics or the presence of hardware controls. This translates into a gameplay experience that in our opinion can’t be beat by that offered by any iOS device currently available.
Don’t get us wrong -- we’re not bashing what Apple has to offer, nor are we putting down any of the games in the iTunes App Store. Rather, we’re stating a preference for gaming on a device that offers any number of ways to play. By offering such a wide range of control options in a single piece of hardware and combining it with the PS Vita’s beastly processing power, Sony has created a winning product that both developers and gamers can get excited about.
Social gaming feels better on the Vita as well. While there’s no denying that Apple’s Game Center does a great job of pairing you and your friends up for a bit of multiplayer action, the implementation feels incredibly dated when you consider everything that modern iOS devices are capable of. No in-game voice chat? No area aware gaming or match-ups? Given the hardware baked into the devices like the iPhone 4S, there’s no excuse for these oversights.
Sony, on the other hand, has nailed this area with the PS Vita. The handheld offers deep integration with your Playstation Network/Sony Entertainment Network account, making it possible to chat with your friends Playing Vita or PS3 games, talk smack with multiplayer opponents and see who’s playing what and where, thanks to the PS Vita’s Near app. While there’s a few bugs to be smoothed out, for a day one release, the Vita’s social gaming functionality feels very polished.
One thing the Vita doesn’t do well is offer instant gratification. No matter what game you’re playing on an iPod touch or iPad 2, iOS game load times are mercifully short, allowing players to be almost immediately gratified. The PS Vita? Not so much. It doesn’t matter whether you’re loading a game from one of the system’s proprietary game carts or a downloaded title from a memory card, there’s going to be some waiting involved. While this might be fine for individuals commuting to work or sitting at home, the Vita’s long load times, sometimes measuring into minutes, keeps owners of the handheld from enjoying the level of gaming spontaneity regularly realized by iOS gamers. With the Vita, there’s no such thing as catching a quick game of anything.
There’s no question that iOS pwns the Vita when it comes to the topic of catalog. iOS gamers can partake in literally thousands of titles via the iTunes App Store, and more still should they decide to jailbreak their device and trawl for apps in the Cydia App Store. The PS Vita on the other hand, launched with a hearty number of titles to compliment the handheld system. That said, the launch showcases less than 30 games made specifically for the handheld device. Even when you factor in the handful of legacy PSP games and PS Mini games that the handheld can run, the catalog for Sony’s Vita simply can’t hold a candle to the vast variety of titles that Apple offers its customers.
There’s also the issue of cost. The majority of iOS gaming titles will set you back between 99 cents and $9.99. A retail copy of a launch day PS Vita game like Uncharted or Rayman Origins set us back close to $40 a piece. Even a classic like PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies is priced at a bank breaking $14.99. For gamers on a budget, such high priced fare could be a deal breaker when considering what platform to purchase.
We could talk about the upsides and downsides to gaming on iOS versus the PS Vita all day and never come close to being able to say which platform is the best for getting your pew-pew on. Why? Because they’re both great.
Playing games on an iOS device offers bite-sized, affordable dollops of fun that invite players to consume them in short bursts or for hours on end. That said, a lack of physical controls can feel pretty limiting for some gamers, and some developers as well. The PS Vita on the other hand, refuses to compromise in any way when it comes to gaming. Offering gamers every kind of control option imaginable, the most powerful handheld gaming graphics on the market and home console level gameplay and AAA gaming properties, the Vita is designed for hardcore gamers looking for more of a commitment than the likes of a smart device like a tablet or a phone can offer. It’s a dedicated gaming device for dedicated gamers.
Which one will earn your respect and hard earned cash? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!
