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A Consolidated List Of All PS Vita Flaws

pramath

Banned
Okay, so before I proceed, let me make it clear what this post is not:
It is not a PS Vita hate post. I am not hating on the system. I believe Sony made a great, well thought out handheld (more so than Nintendo), and that they did learn a lot of things from the PSP/PS3 debacles. I also believe that the launch lineup for the Vita is definitely the best launch lineup for any system since the Dreamcast, and arguably ever.

Having said that, the PS Vita does have a laundry list of flaws, most of which are not ll that major (some of them might be dealbreaking depending on your perspective though), and many of these are flaws identical to ones that the 3DS was ragged upon for, or similar to flaws that the 3DS had. Here is a detailed list of these flaws:

---------------------------

>Battery Life: On medium settings, the PS Vita gets 3-5 hours of battery life. This teeters on being unacceptable; people like to point at the 3DS's oft quoted 3-5 hours battery life figure as a defensive comparison, but the 3DS's 3 hour battery life is on the highest settings. If the Vita gives out 3 hours on medium settings, I hate to think what it would perform like on high.
What's worse is that unlike the 3DS, you can't even change your own battery. You have to send the Vita in to Sony a la Apple and the iPod for them to change your battery for you.

>Entry Price: Honestly, the PS Vita is good value for money. It's $249/$299 prices are great, but as the PSP and PS3 amply demonstrated, customers don't really care about the whole 'value for money' angle, and spending that much money on a handheld system will probably be unacceptable to most, especially when the actual cost of entry is deceptively higher than what the price tag might indicate.

>No on board memory: And for a 2011 system, this is flat out unacceptable. The last system to be sold without on board memory was the Xbox 360 Core, and that was discontinued years ago. The Wii, which everyone likes to slag off on, comes with 512MB of system memory. The 3DS comes with 1GB of on board system memory and a 2GB SD Card included in the box. Microsoft was called out when its system had no on board memory. Nintendo is always called out if they make such an oversight. Why isn't Sony?

>Memory Cards are a requirement for many games, games won't even start without Memory Cards: This is where things start to get really bad. To play Uncharted: Golden Abyss (just one example), you will need to buy not only the system, but also a proprietary Memory Card. Not even Sony's own Memory Stick, but a new format made specifically for the Vita, made only by Sony, so the prices are never likely to go down, and not by much if at all. Considering that the cheapest card is $29, and the most expensive one is $119, (4GB and 32GB respectively), these prices are a rip off.
Adding insult to injury, the competing system 3DS uses the industry standard of SD cards, and comes with a 2GB SD Card included in the box.
The worst part is, you can't even start playing the game without the Memory Card... you need the cards to boot up the game. Seriously, this wouldn't have been an issue if the system had some on board memory just for saves, but the Vita lacks even that, making a Memory Card purchase necessary, meaning that the true cost of the Vita is in fact at least $280.
EDIT: Apparently, Sony says the prices are not final, in spite of their confirmation to IGN. This means that the final prices might be lower, thus addressing one of the biggest flaws with the system as it stands right now.

>No TV output: Not really a deal breaker, but a definite step back from all their other PSP models since the PSP 2000, which have included a TV out. An obviously deliberate omission to be included in a future revision.

>Backwards Compatibiltiy is a mess: Another big issue. The PS Vita uses a new proprietary cartridge format for its games, and so features no UMD slot. This means that it is not backwards compatible with any physical PSP games you might already own, not unless you take part in a UMD Conversion program, which requires you to pay for games you already own,and which doesn't even cover all games. Contrast this with the 3DS, which allows you to play all DS, DSi and DSiWare games right out of the box.
Digital copies of your games can and will be carried forward to your Vita, however, assuming you register the same PSN account to the device that you used to buy the games with on your PSP.

>Only one account per system: This one actually negates one of the big advantages that the Vita had over the 3DS- but only one account can be registered per Vita system. This means that you and your brother can't share a Vita, this means that you can't have multple accounts to get around region restrictions, this basically means that you are account locked onto your unit. Again, not a deal breaker, but a bit of a puzzling decision.
To some people, there might be a problem because they might buy games from all over the world. So if you have a US PSN account on your Vita, and you buy a game in the UK, you can't buy DLC for your game.

>You can't use the browser while playing games: It might seem like I am nitpicking here, but seriously, what the f**k is this? This is no biggie, I can always just use my smartphone or my PC if I want to consult a walkthrough, but why can't the Vita do this when even the 3DS can? One of the best things about the 3DS is suspending my current game, booting the browser up, going to GameFAQs and consulting a walkthrough on how to proceed, and then resuming my game. It adds to the self contained portable nature of the device that both these systems must exhibit if they are to survive in this iPhone/iPod world. Why can the Vita not access the browser when a game is being played, especially considering its great multitasking capabilities?
However, Sony have apparently said that they will be fixing this problem with a firmware update soon, so sit tight!

>PSOne Classic Games Won't Be Available At Launch: Remember the 3DS launch, where the eShop and DSiWare games weren't available at launch, and were patched in with a future firmware update? That is what this is like, only not quite as bad.
People hoping to play PSOne games on their shiny new Vita, hold up. You can't, at least not yet. That functionality will be patched into the Vita with a future firmware update.
Looks like Sony just pulled a Nintendo on all of us.

>You Can't Manage Your Vita With A Mac: If you want to manage all the media, games, apps and more on your Vita with your PC, you're fine. If you own a Mac, you're screwed, since the management software apparently is not compatible with Mac. Yet. Sony said they would be looking into fixing this issue soon.

---

Again, let me be clear, I plan on buying the Vita soon (possibly next summer, with ModNation Racers or Wipeout). However, it has a few flaws that people seem to like to ignore, and I think it is only fair to call Sony out on these.

EDIT: Just to stop all the whining about this thread being too 'negative,' here is a list of everything the Vita does right. That way, any potential buyer can weigh the pros and the cons of the system for themselves and see whether they think they want to buy the system or not:

>Dual Analog: The PS Vita has many control inputs, but this one is arguably the one that will matter the most. Dual analog sticks mean that not only will we have fully 3D games that actually control well without the weird ass workarounds that had to be created for PSP games (and will most likely also be created for 3DS games), but it also means that we can look at console style games on the system that will not be compromised as far as control is concerned.

>Rear Touch Panel: The Vita's big innovation, the touch panel at the back of the PS Vita adds a plethora of potential possibilities to the Vita's control scheme. Not only can the touch panel be used to simulate L2 and R2 buttons (that are otherwise missing on the system), but it can also be used to directly influence and interact with games in unprecedented ways (a great example of proper utilization of the rear pad appears to be Little Deviants)

>PSN Network Integration: The PS Vita is fully integrated with PSN. This means that you retain your PS3 PSN Id on the system, complete with your trophy collections, friends list and game history. This is possibly the Vita's biggest advantage over the 3DS (which has no unified account system and still relies on a friend code reliant friends list tied to the system).
The best part of this network integration is that if ever you lose your Vita, ot buy a new one, you get instant access to your games and friends on the new ones, without having to muck with patchy workarounds like the 3DS Transfer Utility App.
This also means that every game will probably support online in some way (unlike the 3DS where games that are online enabled can literally be counted on the fingers of one hand), and that online play should be smooth and without a hitch.

>System Power and Specs: The PS Vita is a very powerful handheld, powerful enough to get multiplat versions of games developed for the HD consoles. That is saying a lot. This means that for people who enjoy the idea of console gaming on the go, they will not have to put up with downgraded ports of their favorite games- the full experience can be had. The console is powerful enough to support it, and its control options and online play ensure that the experience will not be hindered by those factors either.

>Cross Game Chat: The one ace in the hole that Xbox Live held over PSN and the PS3, the PS Vita offers cross game chat. For people who enjoy social online gaming, this should be great!

>PS Suite Compatibility: Of course, there are many who *don't* want console gaming on the go and prefer bite sized gaming from their handhelds. The Vita has you covered. With the PS Suite, the Vita gains access to smartphone style games that will be released on both Android and on the PS Vita.

>OLED Screen:Seriously, this probably justifies the system on its own. The Vita sports a great big gorgeous OLED screen that really is like nothing you have ever seen before. This high resolution OLED screen is the best on any handheld system so far (and far trumps and dwarfs the 3DS's screen in comparison). The best part is that it is also touch enabled, and that moreover, it supports capacitive touch as opposed to the resistive style touch screen that the 3DS supports.

>Uses Cartridges: For everyone who was sick of the clunky and battery draining UMDs, this should come as a blessing in disguise. The PS Vita uses cartridges as its primary game format. The advantages of this are twofold:
One, we can do away with the long load times that plagued most PSP games.
And secondly, the size of Vita games may increase in the future, as opposed to the games being limited by the size of the format, as is the case when your format is optical.

>Digital Focus: Then again, there are those that think that the very idea of carrying game cartridges or discs defeats the purpose of a portable system. the Vita has you covered there as well. Every single game on the Vita can be bought online from the PSN Store... and the best part is, that most probably, games bought online wlll be cheaper than games bought at retail (which probably explains the high cost of the memory cards). So you just have to worry about carying your system with you, and you have all your games with you. No having to worry about losing small game cartridges. This is in sharp contrast to Nintendo and the 3DS, where they stubbornly maintain that retail games will never be offered on the eShop.

>PSN Store: The Vita gains access to the PSN Store, which not only boasts of better content than Nintendo's eShop, but also sports a better interface. Sharper, cleaner, better organized.
 

Gravijah

Member
hey you forgot that it doesn't seem to be coming in yellow, green, purple or light blue at launch. please edit the op!!
 

SoulPlaya

more money than God
I was so hyped up for the console, but then the mem card stuff came out, and I sort of lost my enthusiasm. Now, I'm just waiting to see what the 3DS redesign will offer before I make a decision about which to get.
 
Honestly, none of those are really cons for me. I won't turn Sony down if they want to give it to us, but their exclusion doesn't deter me in the slightest.
 

androvsky

Member
>Only one account per system: This one actually negates one of the big advantages that the Vita had over the 3DS- but only one account can be registered per Vita system. This means that you and your brother can't share a Vita, this means that you can't have multple accounts to get around region restrictions, this basically means that you are account locked onto your unit. Again, not a deal breaker, but a bit of a puzzling decision.
To some people, there might be a problem because they might buy games from all over the world. So if you have a US PSN account on your Vita, and you buy a game in the UK, you can't buy DLC for your game.
For clarity for people just finding out about this one, you can change accounts, you're not stuck with one account for the life of the system. The problem is you have to jump through extra hoops every time you want to change it, like resetting to factory settings.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
No Vita blowjobs either which is a biggie

Ridiculously overpriced memory cards is the only major flaw I can think of and that's a pure design choice. Good jon, Sony.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Er-You can change the 3DS's battery? You can unscrew the back, sure. But you can't simply buy a new one can you? You have to get it from another 3DS (or Nintendo, I guess?)
 

Gravijah

Member
Er-You can change the 3DS's battery? You can unscrew the back, sure. But you can't simply buy a new one can you? You have to get it from another 3DS (or Nintendo, I guess?)

you can buy third party batteries, which last much longer than the shitty stock battery.
 

btkadams

Member
>Battery Life:
• agreed
>Entry Price:
• not a problem for me
>No on board memory:
• agreed
>Memory Cards are a requirement for many games, games won't even start without Memory Cards:
• this is definitely a huge blunder, but i won't be affected by it
>No TV output:
• AGREED, the psp go rocks as a portable ps1 (with dualshock support!!)
>Backwards Compatibiltiy is a mess:
• i get that the umd thing is an issue, but aren't they doing a program for trading them in? regardless, i have a huge psn collection of psp games so this isn't a big deal for me
>Only one account per system:
• doesn't affect me (or most people), but this is definitely lame
>You can't use the browser while playing games:
• didn't sony say they were patching that in right away?
PSOne Classic Games Won't Be Available At Launch:
• this is also unacceptable; i really don't get why sony is doing this
 

Takao

Banned
I kid you not, on Saturday I was one click away from making this thread, but called "you probably shouldn't buy a vita", and I included such factoids as the browser not supporting flash, no Kutaragi, Ridge Racer looking like trash, etc. I however reconsidered since my time on GAF in the future is not guaranteed, so I didn't want to shorten that by any chance...
 
>No TV output: Not really a deal breaker, but a definite step back from all their other PSP models since the PSP 2000, which have included a TV out. An obviously deliberate omission to be included in a future revision.

Wanna hear the kicker? dev kits have an HDMI out
 

pramath

Banned
I kid you not, on Saturday I was one click away from making this thread, but called "you probably shouldn't buy a vita", and I included such factoids as the browser not supporting flash, no Kutaragi, Ridge Racer looking like trash, etc. I however reconsidered since my time on GAF in the future is not guaranteed, so I didn't want to shorten that by any chance...

Really? I thought you were big on the Vita though!
 

Jive Turkey

Unconfirmed Member
For clarity for people just finding out about this one, you can change accounts, you're not stuck with one account for the life of the system. The problem is you have to jump through extra hoops every time you want to change it, like resetting to factory settings.

Which is a pretty big hoop...

Most of these aren't huge concerns to me except the battery life and the nickel-and-diming. Those two are enough for me to hold on for a little while.

Redesign lol!
 

Anth0ny

Member
So funny how they're making many of the same mistakes Nintendo made with the 3DS.

Honestly, I was going to pick up a Vita at launch so I could play PS1 classics on the go. My PSP is scratched to hell, so instead up picking up a new one, I was just going to upgrade with Vita. Now I can't do that. No Vita games interest me right now.

Might as well wait for the inevitable price drop/inclusion of a memory card and game for $250.
 

TheNatural

My Member!
What would you consider an actual con for a home console/handheld device?

If price isn't a problem for most here, how about throwing some of that wealth my way. Make it rain baby.

Main 3G Vita model + memory card (if its not included and necessary for game) + game = $370 + tax (a little under $400 in my state)

Damn @ people who can afford or want to blow $400 on a handheld. I've got some beachfront property in Iowa to sell you too.
 

LuchaShaq

Banned
Memory card prices are enough of a slap in the face that they could release 10 games that were 100 on metacritic + universally loved on gaf somehow for 5$ a pop and I'd still wait until it was hacked to take non proprietary memory before I even considered the other issues.


It's the principal not the money. I'm not rich but if I can afford the flight to New Orleans + hotel + week long cruise for me and my significant other, the price of a vita + card isn't nothing but it's not a big deal.
 

Gravijah

Member
If price isn't a problem for most here, how about throwing some of that wealth my way. Make it rain baby.

Main 3G Vita model + memory card (if its not included and necessary for game) + game = $370 + tax (a little under $400 in my state)

Damn @ people who can afford or want to blow $400 on a handheld. I've got some beachfront property in Iowa to sell you too.

the 3g model is useless, at least use the wifi model.
 
I'm going to hold out until the Cave shmup releases. One (region locked) account per system is very disappointing. Memory card prices and game selection should be better by then. Hopefully a TV out model will be available too. (That was a pretty big deal for me with the PSP 1)
 

Takao

Banned
Really? I thought you were big on the Vita though!

Sometimes I like to post weird things.

My list also include such PlayStation Classics such as "It has no games", "It has symmetrical inputs", etc.

Your list is also missing no Mac support for the Vita to PC transfer app at launch, though Sony said they're working on that. Sony also said the browser thing should be fixed in a firmware update IIRC.

If price isn't a problem for most here, how about throwing some of that wealth my way. Make it rain baby.

Main 3G Vita model + memory card (if its not included and necessary for game) + game = $370 + tax (a little under $400 in my state)

Damn @ people who can afford or want to blow $400 on a handheld. I've got some beachfront property in Iowa to sell you too.

People bought $400-$600 consoles back in 2006. To me at the very least, I expect more value from my handhelds than I do a console at this point.
 

TheNatural

My Member!
the 3g model is useless, at least use the wifi model.

Well $350 then, not much difference. I kind of figure Sony might pull a fast one though with the premium unit, and outsupply the $250 version by 4:1 or so, so the $250 will be hard to find and people will be forced to get the $300 one.

But yeah, I mean Sony wouldn't stoop to such levels would they? They haven't done that in the past right ... :p
 

Man God

Non-Canon Member
List warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs. I was wondering when it would pop up. I was not disappointed.

I'm honestly shocked that I was first, I just typed it out figuring it would be the joke post answer to someone moaning about Monster Hunter.

Battery life, cost, memory card prices are the big ones for me. That and being completely unimpressed with my launch PSP though the Vita library does seem a bit better thought out for the first year or so.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
The collective 'wtf Sony' decisions on the Vita have sworn me off one until custom firmware draws me back. I am so against closed and proprietary systems. Especially batteries.
 

Derrick01

Banned
These are a lot more serious negatives than I was anticipating considering the price. It just seems like Sony has no idea what they want to do and in result end up shooting in the dark and screwing a lot of shit up. Pretty sure I'll be cancelling my preorder and waiting a while for things to be sorted out.

Not necessarily redesign status like the 3DS is, but waiting for price drops and features to be added through firmware.
 

btkadams

Member
Sometimes I like to post weird things.

My list also include such PlayStation Classics such as "It has no games", "It has symmetrical inputs", etc.

Your list is also missing no Mac support for the Vita to PC transfer app at launch, though Sony said they're working on that. Sony also said the browser thing should be fixed in a firmware update IIRC.



People bought $400-$600 consoles back in 2006. To me at the very least, I expect more value from my handhelds than I do a console at this point.

they did?!!!!! yes!
 

neptunes

Member
I thought the PSOne compatibility was fine, it's just the other emulators they're having problems with ratings and licenses (TG-16). Since each release got it's on ESRB rating or something like that.

If the PS2 was able to emulate the PSOne through software, I think the Vita is fully capable.
 

pramath

Banned
Sometimes I like to post weird things.

My list also include such PlayStation Classics such as "It has no games", "It has symmetrical inputs", etc.

Your list is also missing no Mac support for the Vita to PC transfer app at launch, though Sony said they're working on that. Sony also said the browser thing should be fixed in a firmware update IIRC.



People bought $400-$600 consoles back in 2006. To me at the very least, I expect more value from my handhelds than I do a console at this point.


Lol, people really complain about symmetrical inputs? :lol

I'll add in the Mac Support and internet browser update portions to the OP.
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
None of those are really problems for me... though the battery life is a bit disappointing.
 

Forkball

Member
I played the Vita and Sony did the classic touch screen mistake: analog controlled games with touchscreen menus.
 
I am inclined to call shenanigans on the OP. Too many references to Sony getting away with things Nintendo doesn't, assumptions about things like batter life, Majora's Mask avatar, and the same OP who urged people not to wait for the 3DS redesign. That's just how it looks to me personally, I'm not trying to be accusatory.

A lot of these things dampen my enthusiasm for the system though. Region free gaming is a major selling point to me, and it looks like that won't be easily acheived. Those memory card prices are painful as well. I think I'll see how final impressions are when the system launches, but I'll likely wait a while before jumping in.
 

JWong

Banned
A lot of non-issues, really.

Memory Card being the biggest issue, but will die down when bundles come out.
 
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