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[Nealand Liquor]

With all the talk at how beautiful the Vita's OLED display is, I'm surprised nobody ever talks about how it is impossible to play the damned thing outside; Shit I'm equally surprised Sony let this, what I see as a massive flaw for a bloody portable console, design ever reach the development stage. How the hell did Sony's engineers expect to play the console on the go? It is fucking baffling for Christ sakes!

Ok so now that I got my mini rant off my chest, how does vitagaf deal with this when you are out and about?
Have you figured out a way to play it on the go, or have you simply given up trying to play it outside?

Edit: I'm talking about outside in the shade ffs. I am well aware of how electronic displays work in direct sunlight. Quite frankly I thought my fellow gaffers would be able to pick up on that fact since it is commn knowledge.

 

[Betta Lines]

I think the last handheld console you could play in bright sunlight was the GBA.

 

[Dragon]

How do you play with an iPhone outdoors? Same way and why dedicated e-readers beat smartphones handedly in certain ways.

 

[Emitan]

I don't think I've used a handheld outside since the GBA

 

[mangochutney]

With all the talk at how beautiful the Vita's OLED display is, I'm surprised nobody ever talks about how it is impossible to play the damned thing outside; Shit I'm equally surprised Sony let this, what I see as a massive flaw for a bloody portable console, design ever reach the the development stage. How the hell did Sony's engineers expect to play the console on the go? It is fucking baffling for Christ sakes!

Ok so now that I got my mini rant off my chest, how does vitagaf deal with this when you are out and about?
Have you figured out a way to play it on the go, or have you simply given up trying to play it outside?

Where do you live?

I can play it OK outside in the UK, of course not known for it's impactful sunlight.

If anything I'd like it to have a lower screen brightness setting!

 

[cultureculture]

When I had a Vita, I mainly played it on public transport if I was playing outside. Trouble was, I was playing Gravity Daze, and the turning of the tram I was on as it went round corners was enough to set off the gyro, making it damn near impossible to play. In the end, I mainly played Vita in bed.

 

[Duxxy3]

Outdoors? What is this, the stone age?

 

[phanboy4]

Who goes outside?

 

[giancarlo123x]

My baby never leaves its glass case. It sits on a pedestal.

 

[Mafusto]

I don't think I've used a handheld outside since the GBA

The GBA had the only game that required you to play outside

Spoiler

Give me a new Boktai Konami!

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

It's the same with all handhelds in bright sunlight.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Play in the shade. It's not worth risking skin cancer to play games in the sun, anyway.

Same deal with your phone.

EDIT: e-Ink Kindles work wonderfully in sunlight.

 

[Off-Kilter]

People still play handhelds outside?

.....in the outdoors?

 

[Salaadin]

My hopes for another Boktai game have been ruined.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Is this the first piece of consumer electronics you have ever owned?

 

[Absinthian]

They are meant to be played on busses and subways.

 

[Betta Lines]

If anything I'd like it to have a lower screen brightness setting!

Indeed, I was disappointed to discover that Vita is actually not a great bedtime console because it is too bright to play in the dark. My iPad gets far more use simply because it doesn't hurt my eyes.

 

[KalBalboa]

Is this the first piece of consumer electronics you have ever owned?

Haha.

Sorry, this got me laughing.

 

[hellmonkey]

Im not sure what kind of tech is behind LCDs and how visible they are in and out of direct bright light, but my phone screen is a good example, maybe. I have a Droid 4 and the screen on it is less than stellar. Pixel density is pretty low and certain colors look just plain awful. However, it is 100% usable in direct sunlight, even with my black wallpaper. Im not sure if its certain screen type, or pixel size or what.

Maybe its just a limitation in screens right now. You can have an amazing looking screen, but stinks in direct light, or you can have an average screen that works everywhere. I have no idea if this is actually true or not in general, but it certainly is for my phone.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Tried to play it on the beach on Samui, I never realised how shit it was outside until I actually exposed it to sunlight.
Shows how dull it usually is here in Scotland, coz I tend to use it in the garden a lot.

 

[Dragon]

Indeed, I was disappointed to discover that Vita is actually not a great bedtime console because it is too bright to play in the dark. My iPad gets far more use simply because it doesn't hurt my eyes.

You shouldn't be looking at any screen like the iPhone's or Vita's without having a light on in your room anyway. It's really bad for your eyes.

 

[Out_Of_Ammo]

I can't remember what was the last handheld I owned that you could use outside in bright sunlight... This is really nothing new.

 

[No Love]

People still play handhelds outside?

.....in the outdoors?

This was my thought as well. Being outside doesn't involve playing Vita. Vita is made for indoor nerding.

 

[Nealand Liquor]

How do you play with an iPhone outdoors? Same way and why dedicated e-readers beat smartphones handedly in certain ways.

I don't have an iphone, but my Galaxy S3 works just fine outside. I wouldn't be as bothered by this if I could still see what as going on in the shade, but even then it's a mess.

Where do you live?

I can play it OK outside in the UK, of course not known for it's impactful sunlight.

If anything I'd like it to have a lower screen brightness setting!

Canada, BC. Granted it is very sunny in the summer, but our weather is much like yours the rest of the year.

 

[weevles]

If I'm outdoors playing, it won't be electronic games.

 

[RE_Player]

I've owned every Nintendo and Sony handheld and have never played any outdoors. Usually I just play them in bed.

 

[jaxpunk]

words

I look forward to your, 3ds, any smartphone, most tablets and everything else threads and how they also don't play well with sunlight.

 

[Dragon]

I don't have an iphone, but my Galaxy S3 works just fine outside. I wouldn't be as bothered by this if I could still see what as going on in the shade, but even then it's a mess.

I have a Galaxy S3 and it's putrid outside. Especially if you use auto-brightness to save on battery life. I come out of the subway here in the city and bam have to go and manually set the brightness to see shit. I'm going to disagree with you on this one my man!

 

[Pop]

Outside? I don't go out there

 

[andycapps]

Pssh, gamers don't go outside.

 

[EsotericManiac]

i have to max my brightness on my phone to see it well in the sunlight.

if the vita allowed you to do this, it might be possible

if you vita is too bright at night, hold down the ps button and lower the brightness. not a big deal

 

[Aytrial]

Natural sunlight, it burns!

 

[rothbart]

It's true. I couldn't even play it in the car with no direct sunlight on the screen. It's a fantastic screen indoors, terrible outside. The screen is like a mirror outside...

 

[gruenel]

How do you play with an iPhone outdoors? Same way and why dedicated e-readers beat smartphones handedly in certain ways.

My iPhone is much brighter than the Vita.

If I'm in direct sunlight, I can't see shit on both, though.

I guess it's a drawback of the OLED tech. The OLED displays on Samsung phones have often been critizised for being too dark as well.

 

[Septimus Prime]

No matter how bright your device's screen, it's not brighter than the sun, gnoma sayajin?

 

[boohowc]

should change this thread title. this isn't a vita specific issue...

 

[useyourfist]

Indeed, I was disappointed to discover that Vita is actually not a great bedtime console because it is too bright to play in the dark. My iPad gets far more use simply because it doesn't hurt my eyes.

You can turn the brightness down, or do you mean you want it lower than the lowest setting?

 

[HalfwayOrb]

What's this outdoor you speak of?

 

[JWong]

An umbrella should be included with every handheld device.

 

[Dreamgazer]

It's true. I couldn't even play it in the car with no direct sunlight on the screen. It's a fantastic screen indoors, terrible outside. The screen is like a mirror outside...

I just played dragon crown in my car yesterday cause it was too rainy for me to run indoors.
Had no problems.

 

[Betta Lines]

You can turn the brightness down, or do you mean you want it lower than the lowest setting?

Yeah it doesn't go anywhere near low enough.

You shouldn't be looking at any screen like the iPhone's or Vita's without having a light on in your room anyway. It's really bad for your eyes.

The iPad 3 goes really really dim. I don't feel any eyestrain in darkness. Vita on the other hand simply has to be played with my bedside light on.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

I don't always go outside.

But when I do, it's to not play videogames.gif

But yeah, my iPhone is the same way. Can't play dem Dots outside, everything looks like green.

 

[sunnz]

Yeah it doesn't go anywhere near low enough.


The iPad 3 goes really really dim. I don't feel any eyestrain in darkness. Vita on the other hand simply has to be played with my bedside light on.

Some say the latest vita patch makes the brightness at the lowest level even darker.

It is perfectly fine for me when it's pitch black in my room though,

But yea, outdoor is isn't that good, like pretty much any other device.

 

[Nnamz]

I haven't been able to "game outdoors" during the day since the GBA. All the phones I've owned, my PSP, my 3DS, and my Vita are IMPOSSIBLE to play with in direct sunlight outside.

However I don't see how this is a dealbreaker. I'm not 9 years old. My time outside is spent walking somewhere or doing a physical activity. My portables get portable play time when I use public transit OR if I have a break at work/school/friends house/gf's house

 

[Nealand Liquor]

Is this the first piece of consumer electronics you have ever owned?

Yes, all the others have been industrial electronics.

It's one thing to not be able to play in direct sunlight (and expected), but completely another to not be able to make out what is going on in the shade.

 

[Colonel Nasty]

To be fair the XL looks like shit outside too.

 

[Ingueferroque]

And your 3DS plays fine in the sunlight how?

 

[rothbart]

I just played dragon crown in my car yesterday cause it was too rainy for me to run indoors.
Had no problems.

Well, you were playing on a rainy day, I was playing on a sunny day but I figured not having direct sunlight on the screen would be enough, but simply being really bright outside made it hard to see the screen even though it was just ambient light and the screen was reflecting something awful.

 

[Betta Lines]

Some say the latest vita patch makes the brightness at the lowest level even darker.

Oh, I haven't tested that. Will try tonight and report back!

 

[Grief.exe]

LCD screens 101