It’s fair to see Sony’s Ps vita is an interesting gadget. For the first time, thanks to a set of killer specs, true console like gaming can be experienced on a portable device. I have owned one since launch, and here is what I love and hate.

Love:

The screen:

If you’re not under direct sunlight, the 5 inch o-led screen is not only the best one to have been laid down onto a portable console; it rivals the best of today’s smart phones. The colours are deep and accurate, and the viewing angles are superb. And with the 960×544 resolution, it leaves little to be desired.

Pure hard-core gaming:

The graphics on this device are incredible. Though a little less detailed, games look very similar to what the ps3 produces. This means that the games are incredibly immersive, and puts it way out in front of anything on smartphones. There is solid line up too, complementing every gamers desire with titles such as Wipeout2048, Unit 13, Uncharted and Fifa Football. On top of this, the physical controls means you can forget about where you fingers are on a screen, and play the way hard core games should be played, especially with the dual analogue sticks. The touchscreen and back panel add little, but they are a nice addition to broaden the way we play.

The design:

The PS vita looks incredible, I Never thought i would say this about an entirely plastic device, but this games console really does look elegant. It’s not the thinnest slice of tech, but thankfully it’s surprisingly light. On top of this, Unlike the PSP go, its comfortable to hold, with nice feeling analogue sticks.

The touch screen:

In a gaming device, some may see a touch screen as a rather pointless addition. However the PS Vita offers an Apple like screen, which is incredibly fluid. It makes Getting around the operating system much easier and a lot more pleasant than the old PSP way, whilst adding some interesting gaming possibilities, like touchscreen shooting on Fifa Football.

The operating system:

From what I think is a result of Sony making both hardware and software here, the operating system is incredibly fluid and easy to use. Games appear as attractive little bubbles, with 10 on a page. Once clicked, applications are displayed as a series of windows which can be scrolled through.

The price:

The price? This writer must really be a Sony fan boy, I hear you cough in shock. I’m not being biased hear, I don’t see why everyone is complaining about the price tag. In my book, £209 with a free 8gb memory card and half price selected game is a good deal for the amount of tech you’re getting here for your money, especially seeing as an iPhone 4s will set you back £499.

Hate:

The loading times:

Whilst waiting for a while doesn’t sound like the biggest troubles, it’s a big enough deal for me to find that I often can’t be bothered to go on the device whilst I am on the go. Whilst I’m out and about, I want to quickly play a game rather than spend the most time watching loading screens.

No game to game multitasking:

Sometimes I will be on Fifa, and feel like I quickly want to jump into a bit of racing on Wipeout. The vita does no cater for this need very well! Games have to be closed down before starting another. Very annoying, especially seeing as the load times are so long.

A big portable:

I accept that for that beautiful 5 inch screen, a trade off had to be made somewhere, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating when my portable won’t fit into my jeans pocket. It could also be a bit thinner, but thankfully it’s incredibly light.

The browser:

This device had a quad core processor, a 5inch screen and a 3G option. It has an amazing browser, I hear you assume. Sadly I will have to come out and say it, the browser is terrible. Web pages take ages to load and the scrolling is very unsmooth…wasted potential I think.

As you probably noticed, there were more loves than hates in this list. Despite the setbacks, it’s a really fun device and finally offers true portable gaming on the go.

By Max Harrington