As the debate rages on about the war between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and which is better for all your next-gen needs, there’s another battle being fought but on somewhat of a smaller scale: that between the Nintendo 3DS and the PS Vita. Which is best for your gaming on the move? We take a look at both handhelds to see who is winning this war so far.
PS Vita:
First up is Sony’s offering to the handheld world, the PS Vita. This console stemmed from the PlayStation Portable (PSP) which was first released in 2005. In my opinion it was a total game-changer; although the graphics could at times could be hit-and-miss, they’d never been seen on a handheld before and everybody I knew had one – including me. So fast-forward to 2012 and the release of the PS Vita, a massive improvement on the PSP in terms of there being crystal-clear HD visuals and a new, never-before-seen touch-pad on the back which added a new element to gaming. Sony also announced that their new handheld would be compatible with the PS4, where you could play your games remotely on the Vita screen and vice versa.
On paper, the PS Vita should be absolutely dominating the mobile gaming market but it’s simply not. On release it had all-round positive responses from critics but didn’t sell well due to its price, which was around £200 (depending on whether you bought a bundle pack). The available games probably had something to do with the lack of enthusiasm also as they haven’t really been up to scratch so far; and another big reason could be the fact that Nintendo had its revolutionary handheld out at the same time.
The PS Vita looks very impressive.
Nintendo 3DS
When Nintendo’s offering was released in 2011 there couldn’t have been any more hype surrounding it. The concept was something that the public in general – and not just gamers – had to see, and that was 3D without the glasses. I remember being desperate to see what this would look like and I’m sure Nintendo were very happy and rubbing their hands together with glee; but upon its release, it was an absolute disaster. Firstly, the 3D element made a lot of users quite nauseous and kids under six were advised not to play due to the fact it could severely damage their eyes. In addition, a law suit was filed by a former Sony employee Seijiro Tomita claiming that Nintendo infringed a patent on the 3D screen and they were forced to pay Tomita $30.2 million in damages. Things did get better for their company however with the 3DS XL, with its greater battery life along with a bigger and clearer screen.
Nintendo have been dominating the mobile gaming market since the original Game Boy back in 1990. Can you really name a serious competitor that’s challenged them in this area in the last twenty-four years? Nope, me neither. I believe the a Vita is the nearest thing to a challenge the company has had, but due to the 3DS’ superior games and all-round family-friendly attitude it’s stayed on top. And it may well be there until the Vita can release some massive titles that the hardcore gamer just has to go out and play.
Don’t look at it too long, it might make you sick.
Nintendo may be winning the war with Sony but how long can they hold off from phone and tablet gaming? Will they get pushed out to the point where there’s just no room for them anymore and consoles like the Vita and 3DS are totally obsolete? Because let’s face it, why would you pay out for a mobile console when you already have one in your pocket anyway?
Do you known a PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS? What are your thoughts on handheld gaming? Let us know in the comments below!
