Is the PS Vita dying? or is it already dead?
I didn’t originally intend this post to be a rant, but, at this rate, it probably is. I’ve been quite vexed recently. No, it’s not because of bad grades, and no, it’s not because I didn’t get the high-score in Terminal Velocity. The reason for my agitation was because of a morbid sight.
The morbid sight of my PS Vita, sitting inside its case, hidden deep inside my drawer with the rest of my miscellaneous things. I can just take it out, put it to charge, and play some games on it. But, I don’t feel like it.
The PS Vita was unique in almost every single way. There was an initial rush of consumers because it was one of a kind. With 2 analog sticks, dual touch pads, and a pandora’s box of other features, it was held to be one of the greatest portable console of our generation.
Then, why am I not sitting behind it with my face inches away from the gorgeous, 5-inch screen?
Most users’ argument would probably go along the lines of, “there’s not much games on it” or ” I just don’t feel like it”. Like it or not, the PS Vita is dying. But, why?
There are a myriad of factors, so, I’m going to go over the important ones, then skim over the less important ones.
Firstly, let’s begin with the lack of AAA titles. By lack, I mean rarity. The PS Vita is built for AAA titles, but Sony feels that indie titles and minis will suit it better. Come on! The PS Vita is built with the greatest hardware for its time, and I feel that it’s a waste of money, as well as potential.
The AAA titles that already exists are stale after this long period of time. Taking LittleBigPlanet as an example, we can see that the lack of DLCs/Updates provides you with the same old *** over and over again. The repetition is getting a bit bland, isn’t it?
Then, Sony goes way over it’s head and openly declares the PS Vita as a “legacy platform”. I mean, what’s the deal with that?!
Often a pejorative term, referencing a system as “legacy" often implies that the system is out of date or in need of replacement.
Here is the definition of “legacy platform” straight outta Wikipedia. You can probably see how stupid this is.
Second, let’s go over Sony’s memory cards. Proprietary memory cards = better security. But, also, proprietary memory cards = $$$. At launch the PS Vita’s memory cards cost $30, $45, $70, and $120 for the 4, 8, 16, and 32 gig options, respectively. Currently, they cost $18, $22, $40, $80 for the 4, 8, 16, and 32 gig options, respectively. Not a dramatic decrease in price, but a decrease, nonetheless.
Now, let’s take a look at the Nintendo 3DS’ memory chips. The 64 gig option costs less than $30 while the 128 gig option costs less than $80. The PS Vita supports 64 gigs, but, at $130.
You can see that the 3DS offers double the storage but just shy of half the price.
But, why are there no AAA titles for the Vita? You can point fingers at Sony, or the Developers, but, I think the problem lies with us, the consumers. There’s a lot of negativity in the air about the Vita, and social media aids in this approach.
Personally, I believe that the hacking scene pumps new blood into the Vita, and this has, of course, shown similar results on the PSP. Maybe, history will repeat itself. The hacking scene has a lot more to offer than what Sony ever could, and I think that’ll make all the difference.
I still regret buying the Vita. I paid over $500 on it, and there it is, in my drawer catching dust. I could sell it right now if I want to, but, I’m confident that the hacking scene will surely bring the Vita back on it’s feet in no time. Then again, only time can tell.
So, to address the main question. No, the Vita is not dead, but it sure is dying. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below. Until next time, have a good one.
Cheers,
Hyperaktiv







Me too, I’ve similar feeling about the Vita.
At first, I used it for gaming (mostly) and also as a multimedia system. The screen was gorgeous.
After a while, I used the Vita mostly for multimedia. Now, it just sits in the drawer collecting dust as it was replaced by Android photo/tablet. 🙁
I hope the homebrew scene picks up like the PSP days. still have my ffvii jap console. I invested in 2 Vita’s one on lower firmware for homebrews and one for latest official.
Interesting article, until you realize it has very little substance to it. You seemed like you wanted to make something that went about talking about the Vita and wondering whether it was dying or dead, but instead you just listed off three problems and promptly concluded without reason that its not dead at all. Too short for what you seemed like you were approaching, and no substance beyond whats already known to all of us here.
I got a good amount of Games for the Vita, but then I see all the PSX and PSP Games Sony is re-releasing and I am thinking, I can use either TN, ARK, or my Android Devices for that. Thankfully they released God of War and Mortal Kombat for the Vita, and also got Pinball Arcade for it. But come on. Get some of the SFIII or even one of the SFIV Games going on it.Maybe even MvsC2.
Now that there is Rejuvenate, the Vita is now getting more options for it. However, keep wishing for more explanation for it. Like do we need to have it connected via USB AND WiFi to the Computer in order to run Homebrew????? Otherwise a lot of us are sitting with a Waiting to Connect Message. Not to mention, hopefully soon we can see a Installer for Homebrew so we wont need a PC or Android Device every time we want to load a Emu or Homebrew Game
> Like do we need to have it connected via USB AND WiFi to the Computer in order to run Homebrew?????
In official PSM, there’s no such a thing, you can run your homebrew without connecting vita to PC. It’s limitation of rejuvenate (the exploit) instead of PSM built by Sony.
I still use my Vita time to time but not like I used to.
I still use my Vita everyday for gaming and music. My smartphone is nicer for music but I hate gaming on it. If anything I rather have a fully modded PSP 3000 with 128 GB of storage than a 64 GB PS Vita but that’s just me.
Hack PS Vita real?
you were misinformed.
go read this, what is really “legacy” here.
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/27/sony-clarifies-legacy-platform-statement-our-portable-business-will-be-continued/
well yeah there’s not much game for west, but for Japan, there’s tons and tons of that.
It’s not diyng, it’s already dead. Maybe the scene can RESSURRECT it
It’s dead, Sony allowed the system to die slowly but steady. The scene brings just hope to a dead handheld console, even if PS Vita games could be loaded like the psp games years ago, there’s not much titles to play on it..
damn, you paid $500 for a vita? thats wild.
The Vita isn’t a BAD system, its just being overshadowed by smartphones. The Vita may have physical buttons and different games, but you use controllers on phones or even get a case with buttons on it for your phone. You can play emulators on your phone with actual buttons. Some of the best Vita games (IMO) seem to be ports. God of War Collection and Final Fantasy X/X-2 are great games, but are just ports. Mortal Kombat is a port as well (its not too bad of a port, its nice to play that game on the road…). I think the Vita may have done alot better if it wasn’t for the smartphones being populated with games. Games on smartphones are also alot more affordable. Some of the more expensive ones may be $15, but you’re not going to get many PS Vita games for that price…
Ps Vita is still alive in Japan. I think the problems is lack of translations(english version) on those japanese titles.
I brought the vita for psOne classics and knew pretty much about the quality of psp games. They focus on bad ports of console games and should have given it new and interesting exclusives. The 3ds works because it offers different content from the console. Even developing sequels for good games would have worked. Example the third birthday for the psp was a good game and that title encouraged new adopters.
it is because of those smart phones that made par with our sweet handheld consoles.
It died the moment sony stopped supporting it in favour of pushing it as a remote play device.
I’ve been playing my vita every day for the last 3 years and still play old games.. Idk maybe I’m weird.. I don’t need new games every 3 months to keep me happy with my purchase
I friggin sold mine already..yeah the vita really get too boring you wont even bother to look where you last put it. until we can get alot of good and better games and maybe cfw on the vita I am surely gonna buy one again.
PS Vita is great handheld console,for me. I thinks it better than 3Ds but lack of AAA games making it less worth buying, having two analog stick and the design it feels great, I hope Sony will support the Vita and put out some AAA games, like Uncharted 2 maybe for Vita, or Bring Monster Hunter to US side and the indie games are great also,. sorry for my bad english.
Mine got stolen / liberated by an unknown party. Never bothered replacing it.
Yes, it’s dead in the West at least. The major developers have given up on it, and while JRPGs imports are still going strong, it’s not why I bought the Vita.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do in December once my PS Plus subscription runs out and I lose access to the games on it, seeing as how I can’t renew it without losing Rejuvinate.
General western gamer => The vita is dead
JRPG fans that don’t understand Japanese => If only XSEED and KT would bring more titles to the west.
Fans fluent in Japanese language => *reads Dengeki Playstation* there goes all my savings this month… again.
PSVITA? Ah, right, I bought it too! But.. where the heck is it, right now?
Nella stanza più remota della torre più alta del castello!
Chi sarà l’hacker/Principe Azzurro che verrà a salvarla?!
vita isn’t dead.
we are dying w8ing for a hack.
seriously? another one?
just put this debate to rest once and for all already
the VITA is dead. DEAD.
Sony realized that its a losing battle in the portability scene and cut their loses, especially since everybody have a smart phone in their pockets nowadays. yes, we may dislike mobile games for all our lives but that doesn’t change the fact that mobile games are generating revenues multiple times that of dedicated portable game systems. if i’m not mistaken, Sony had brought up multiple times the point of competing against smartphone mobile gaming and that it doesn’t seem to paint a very good picture for Sony’s handhelds.
all that Sony is doing to VITA now is patching up its grave with more cement to prevent the hackers from getting into it.
Sony is now only focusing all their resources to PS4 and PS VR.
For me, it’s 3ds that is dead. DS was, is great system, with awesome and overwhelming amount of games. 3ds is, well, Pokemon/Nintendo playground, pretty much exclusively.
BUT.
It catters to casual user. It has great library of “kids games”.
It is, arguably, known as family friendly.
Vita was never like that. It was designed with, oh gods, hardcore gamers, with promise of if not directly designed AAA titles, at least decent ports of PS3 era titles. And some games prove that it was great strategy – yes, even that laughably short CoD shooter.
But there was never a broader market for such a device. Most people that want to play “hardcore” do it on home consoles or PC. On the go gaming have been in the meantime eclipsed by smartphone (which in itself isn’t a bad thing), so any potential buyer land before of dilemma – yes, I need a phone anyway, so why should I buy another handheld when my phone do a decent job at it?
I, for one, bought my Vita knowing it’s fate. I bought it about a week after its debut and never looked back. I’ve had my whole PSP library (yes, legal), i did got some great games and I still get new ones, perks of being dungeon crawler fan, so Vita is in semi constant use baring real life occurrences.
I do, however miss one thing.
Tech demos showed us PS2 games running straight on vita hardware. So, where are my ports, I ask?
Wah 3ds kiddy friendly ? Yes, mostly but what about senran kagura or that dead or alive game ? As for phone game dilema, I chose Vita instead of phone, I was dumb, but this choice had advantages. Bigger competition just means you need more agressive marketing and better solutions. By using similar logic we can say, why would I want PS4 or Xbox when I can get, for that price a farily decent PC that can do all they can, and even more ? (no controller can be used on PC too). It’s marketing, games and well other stuff…
Currently I study at university, sometimes I’m stuck in there for 8+ hours with hour and half long window. That would be perfect time to play games on Vita, go to internet, read wololo… with one little problem, Vita can’t connect to school network… for what reason I have no idea, but every modern “Vitaesque” device can do that, even old smartphones. Maybe even Vita could, but it needs software update which it will never get. So sometimes I just borrow Tablet instead, play some crappy stuff, watch vids and read news… and let Vita rest in my bag. This is shamefuru tho, it’s a missed oportunity, one of many missed oportunities.
Is this title clickbait? Or is it just circlejerking?
Doesn’t matter as long as it plays Earth Defense Force.
It’s been dead since Year 2. That’s why Sony clearly stopped supporting it and whatever games that were in the pipeline already were being finished or canceled then. After that, Sony only cared about Indie games because, well, they largely suck and are easy to port. No cost on their end.
Sigh, once again a post like this. I won’t even bother reading it, since everyone keep saying the same things, “Bohoo Sony won’t release AAA games on Vita, I wasted my money” or “Haha enjoy your NOGAMES, 3DS won!” or again “WHAT!? How can a memory card cost this much, I’m ENTITLED to spend almost nothing on it”.
I don’t even want to argue anymore, since it’s like I’m talking to a wall.
Sony isn’t developing AAA titles for Vita? Whatever, there are a tons of third party games that come out every month, so many that I find myself buying more than I can play.
It’s true that memory cards cost. A lot. I had to pay around €80 for my 64gb memory card, while the Micro SD I got for my phone, also 64gb, was €32. But now, let me ask you a question: why are PSVita memory cards so pricey? Take some time, don’t worry.
Done? Let’s see if you got it right, then. It’s because Vita 1000, the OLED model, was sold at a loss, so Sony had to inflate memory cards cost.
It’s truly a shame that Sony couldn’t (and can’t even now) understand the potential of that gold mine it held in its hands.
But, alas, these are just my two cents, and they are probably going to be ignored once again.
Definitely right.
I can’t stand people saying that there are no games on this device. Damn it, do they still have a brain ? OK there are ports (and good ones such as minecraft/terraria/don’t starve), niche (Diva), JRPGs, indies and few AAA. Who cares ? My 64gb is still full of them and the last custom bubble campaign didn’t helped at all !
PSstore is full of gem and even if I use VITA for emulation, I still spend a lot for gorgeous new games: Duke3D (not new but whatever…feels good in the pocket), shovel, super meat boy, senran, jet set…
3DS has plenty of games ? Hum, not for me, sorry, i’m too old for pokemon or zelda/mario reboots. Without metroid hunter and trauma center, my n3dsxl would be taking dust for sure (can’t stand its shi**y right stick…what do they have in mind ?).
The VITA will be the last true handled ?
What a beautiful legacy.
I love my vita and probably the only reason I do is because I enjoy those japanese rpgs that keep popping up on it. If you haven’t tried persona 4 golden then you are missing out big time.
Sony is doing alot wrong recently.
They failed to realise the sense of buying a porable gaming device and were too selfconfident to notice their competitors. But why did that happen? It’s very simple. They thought of it as a small Ps3 device. The gaming experience is good enough right? Maybe but that does not matter. There are only two things that matter. 1.) How much are YOU willing to pay 2.) the amount YOU want to have for it.
Sony was quite confident that we would spend much money for good looking games. Yes why not but it’s not enough for that much money. It’s like buying sweets. You need to have quality AND quantity. Only if you have both you can succeed and get the most out of your plattform. There are countless ways to archieve that or give this up.
The title should be
The PS vita stillbirth
I love my vita. It’s in my pocket right now! I just wish there was a solution for vita cards. Like a micro sad card wired into a vita card
Best Idea 😀 Maybe one day^^
Great my nii, but still lacking great games for fill it. It’s a shame, but $ONY doesn’t do anything new, instead of that is closing all the good apps for the portable
Wow good Statement ^^ I like your Comment bro
no psvita is not dying. Just need more development brand market and west AAA game titles
I <3 my PS Vita. It gives me access to the world of PSP and PS1 in a postable form. There IS android for that too, but I find it way more efficient in the Vita. Persona 4 is a neat +
….You do realize you can buy a PSP for like $50, put CFW on it and it will do the exact same thing the Vita is doing as in playing PSP ISOs and PS1 ISOs, as well as GBA, GBC, NES and SNES ROMS and even some N64 games to a degree without audio, right?
If the PSP can do all that perfectly, then it’s not impressive at all that the PS Vita can do all that.
some time i am thing about this -> may be sony is behaind of this hack and try to keep vita alive !
YES, PERFECT TIME TO HACK IT
Not fair, Vita is not dying, I could confirm that I have a vita that I use at least once in a year…oh wait…I mean, sometimes. About games, Vita have a wide catalogue, just let me list 20 of the most top games on vita:
1…I forgot the name of the game
2…Is the second part of the game I forgot
3…Indie version of the game that I forgot the name
4 to 20…A lot of DLC ot the game that I forgot the name
Ohhh I remember now, the game is Mario Kart…wait…that’s for Nintendo…
Well what I mean is I have a great vita console that looks awesome on my wall next to my 5 years old photo…