Why it’s still worth buying a PlayStation Vita in 2020


It’s been eight years since the PlayStation Vita launched across the world. It was the successor to the PSP, and even though it wasn’t widely accepted, the PS Vita still has a loyal following, with games coming out and enthusiasts looking to mod the software in innovative ways.

Of course, the Nintendo Switch is currently considered the pinnacle of handheld gaming, but there's still space for a Vita in your life.

In everyone’s life! Once you've got one, you may well start to think of your Vita as an essential device that it's always worth taking on the go.

You can't play Tomb Raider, Wipeout, Tekken or Metal Gear on the Switch, but you can dive into all of those iconic titles on a Vita. And that's not the only reason why the Vita is still relevant in this new decade, and why you should perhaps consider one.

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The screen is fantastic

Can you resist the allure of the Vita?
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Can you resist the allure of the Vita?

The first model of the Vita came out with a fantastic OLED 5” screen. Considering it was first released in April of 2012, it still looks amazing now (especially on high-end games like Metal Gear Solid 2).

OLED was still new at the time, so people with smart devices were largely content with LCD screens and an average brightness level.

But with the Vita, right off the bat, a colourful and bright OLED screen was there, showing off all the games with a degree of sharpness that eclipsed the ‘New 3DS’ of the time.

Granted, the second-generation model came out with an LCD screen for cost-reasons, but the first-gen, if you can find it, is the way to go.

The library is impressive

You won't struggle to find good games.
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You won't struggle to find good games.

A year after it launched, Sony enabled PSOne Classics to be played on the PS Vita (and any of these games you previously purchased, were now able to be downloaded onto the handheld).

Playing games such as Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider 2 and Tekken 2 on the OLED screen was fantastic.

There’s also the ‘HD Collection’ series from Sony. Jak And Daxter, Sly Cooper and God Of War were included. It would be great to see these on PS5 or PS Now, but this is the next best thing for now.

The only caveat is the memory cards. They seem to have a high price still, especially for 16GB cards.

They were a standard that would only work on the Vita. You couldn’t just slot in an sd-card, but there are ‘ways’ of making one work with a Vita.

The games on Vita, such as Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Wipeout 2048, were incredible experiences that you could immerse into on a train ride.

Bring a few cartridges along, fill up the memory card with PSX Classics, and you’d be good to go for a weekend.

The sound is phenomenal

It's hard to find an image that represents sound.
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It's hard to find an image that represents sound.

This is a point that’s not been highlighted enough about the Vita: the speakers are phenomenal. The bass on them as you’re racing through a track in Wipeout is incomparable, especially when you consider the audio capabilities of a PSP or a 3DS.

When you pair your headphones to your Vita, the fun can really begin. If you combine the Vita with the superb noise-cancelling skills of something like the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, it sounds like playing Metal Gear Solid 2 in your own private theatre.

And even if you have something as simple as Apple EarPods, the Vita will still sound great.

The PS Vita may have been kicked into the ether by some, but this old dog still has some tricks, and playing the first three Metal Gear entries with noise-cancellation headphones is something that you need to try before this year ends. You won’t go back.

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