If you want just an answer for a question like should you buy a PS Vita in 2022? It’s a freaking YES! You should leave this post and go and get one for you and come back to read this post later with a PS Vita in hand.
The main purpose of this post is to discuss why you should own a PS Vita in 2022.
I recently got my hands on a pre-owned PlayStation Vita and this led me to write a post about it. I went on to research a lot about PS Vita and what it can still do other than playing the dedicated games available on the PSN Network.
Let’s start with the basics in case you’ve never been introduced to a PlayStation Vita or even a PlayStation Portable (PSP) before.
What is a PlayStation Portable (PSP)?
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is Sony’s first video game console which is handheld. It was released worldwide in 2005-2006. It could play Sony PlayStation Portable video games along with media content like music, videos and pictures.
What is PlayStation Vita (PS Vita)?
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld computer game console created and showcased by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The PlayStation Vita release date was 2012.
The console is the replacement to the PlayStation Portable, and a piece of the PlayStation brand of gaming gadgets; as a component of the eighth era of computer game consoles, it principally contended with the Nintendo 3DS.
Please note that Sony discontinued the PSP in 2014. The PS Vita was discontinued in 2019
What are the advantages of PS Vita over PSP?
- PS Vita is capable of connecting to PS3 & PS4 for PlayStation Remote Play
- PS Vita can also be used as a controller for your PS3 & PS4
- PS Vita has a touch screen at the front and a touch panel at the back
- PS Vita has built-in motion sensing
- PS Vita has cameras for photos as well as AR capabilities
I can add more to this list of PlayStation vita vs PSP but I think the above points are enough to give a good idea.
BUT THE MAIN ADVANTAGE IS THE GAMES LOOK WAY BETTER WITH GREAT GRAPHICS
What are the models of PlayStation Vita released so far by Sony?
There are two models of the PlayStation Vita
- PS Vita 1000 (A.K.A.the Fat version)
- PS Vita 2000 (A.K.A.the Slim)
The major differences are –
- A PS Vita 1000 uses proprietary USB cable for charging/data transfer whereas a PS Vita 2000 uses MicroUSB cable.
- A PS Vita 1000 has an OLED display whereas a PS Vita 2000 has an LCD IPS display (My favorite point in this list of differences)
- A PS Vita 1000 comes with no built-in memory, PS Vita 2000 comes with 1GB of built-in memory
- A PS Vita 1000 has better build quality but is thicker in size/heavier, PS Vita 2000 is slightly cheaper but slimmer in size/lighter
- A PS Vita 1000’s battery life is about 3-5 hours of gameplay, PS Vita 2000’s battery life is about 4-7 hours of gameplay
Can you still buy a new PlayStation Vita from Stores?
Sony discontinued the PSP in 2014. The PS Vita was discontinued in 2019. Hence, the answer is NO. I live in India and I had approached several stores, some of them partners of Sony but I could not find a new PS Vita. The best bet is to get a used PlayStation Vita.
How did I get my PS Vita?
As I mentioned above, after getting disappointed in not getting a new PS Vita in any stores physical or online, I started looking at the pre-owned market in India and that’s when I realized that PS Vita is selling like hot cake in the second hand market. Just like Craigslist or ebay in the USA, India has something called OLX and that’s where I found someone selling a PS Vita 1000 model for 9000 INR (approximately 110 USD). I could not wait and jumped at this opportunity as I knew that PS Vita was selling at higher prices than this in the pre-owned market. So, I would suggest if you’re interested in buying a PS Vita, please start checking on your local or online pre-owned platforms.
Without any further delay, let’s get to the main section of the post for which I think you’re here.
Is it worth buying PlayStation Vita in 2022?
Before I start to list down the reasons for buying a PlayStation Vita in 2022, I would like to add that I think since we’re already nearing the end of 2022, I can very confidently say that these reasons will be valid for buying a PS Vita in 2023 as well.
Games
This has to be the top reason to get a PS Vita.
You can play 4 generations of PlayStation console games on PS Vita starting from PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita itself. The only thing to note is that there are no new games being developed or released for PS Vita and that will not any longer with Sony discontinuing PS Vita. However it still has a rich library of games spanning four PS generations and that really makes up for your money’s worth.
Some of the titles I have played so far are –
- WipEout 2048
- Mortal Kombat
- Fifa 15
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss
- Tearaway
- Silent Hill: Book of Memories
- Persona 4 Golden
I will keep adding to this list when I start any new game. As I have mentioned before, the library is huge and you can play all kinds of game from retro to PS Vita graphics.
PlayStation Remote Play
If you own a PS3 or a PS4, you can use your PS Vita for PS Remote Play service. The PS Vita offers increased portability for PS3 and PS4 owners thanks to the remote play feature, which enables the PS Vita to control a PS3 or PS4 and even play compatible games on it.
The PS Vita 1000 seems to be at a slight advantage here because of the beautiful OLED screen. But you can enjoy your PS3 or PS4 games on both the devices irrespective of the different screen types.
Modding Possibilities
Disclaimer: This blog does not support hacking or modding any consoles of Sony or any other company. Modding a PS Vita or any console can lead to permanent damage of the console as well as legal actions from the parent company.
PS Vita is still a great console out of the box and does not need to be hacked or modded to enjoy games on it. But there is a huge community including me who have modded their PS Vita to just get extra juice out of it. Again, modding does not always mean that people want to rip off developers by buying games for free. I know that is a possibility that opens up when you mod a console but let’s be grateful to all the developers because of whom we get to play such fantastic titles. Let’s buy games by paying the amount it deserves officially.
With this message out of the way, I will say that modding a PS Vita could be the best thing for you if you’re into exploring what it has to offer. I will mention just some of the things that I have tried on my modded PS Vita
- Homebrew
- PlayStation Vita Emulators to play 8-bit & 16-bit games
- PSP Games on PS Vita
- Indie Games
I will create more posts related to this topic and put up links here for references.
Portability
With the current surge in travel after more than two years of lull, having a backup portable gaming device really makes a lot of sense. I know I might get comments saying that we all carry portable devices in our pocket which might even be much beefier than a Vita. But, call me old school, I don’t like gaming on a touch screen with touch controls. The feel of the physical keypad, analog stick and buttons are just too good to ignore. If the pre-owned PS Vita has a good battery intact, you can easily get 3-4 hours of gameplay on the device which should be good for short to medium flights. You can buy a 64 GB Sony memory stick for PS Vita (expensive) or if you’ve a modded PS Vita you can force it to use the generic SD card as a storage device using a converter called SD2Vita. Again, I will try and create a post around this topic as well and will add the link here reference.
PlayStation Vita Community
I just can’t miss adding this to the list for reasons to buy a PS Vita in 2022, even in 2023.
The PS Vita community has just come alive and is surprisingly growing every year. It’s been more than 10 years since the release of PS Vita and you can find almost everything related to a PS Vita online including Tips & Tricks for PS Vita, Hacking Modding guides for PS Vita, Best games for PS Vita, etc.
Reddit has so many subreddits with active users who can help you on anything related to PS Vita. Again, I am going to add some good subreddits as well as other blogs and tutorials which cover many topics related to PS Vita.
I can really keep going on and on about why anyone should get a PS Vita even now, but I need to sleep now as it’s past midnight writing this post.
Conclusion
It’s a yes! I know my article might seem a little biased as I have not discussed any cons of a PS Vita. But then again, I strongly feel it’s a really good gaming device to have in your back pocket and it won’t go stale for a long long time. If you can find a PS Vita which you can afford, go on and buy one. If this article helped you to make this decision then please leave a comment as it will make me feel good. Also, if you think buying a PS Vita doesn’t make sense at all, please leave a comment with your reasons. I might not agree with those but it would be an interesting read for me. Finally, in case you do buy a PS Vita and need any help with it, please leave a comment or email me at support@timeforhobby.com.