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If Sony were to release a successor to the Vita what kind of specs would it have?

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Genio88

Member
Tegra X2 just to say "we have that Pascal baby!" but of course it'll fail costing 400$, with no good games and selling 1/4 of Switch
 

mjontrix

Member
The Switch already has the equivalent of quick charging, also you seem to be under the impression that the Switch has some sort of infinite space inside of it. 5000maH batteries are physically larger than the one in the Switch (which in and of itself is the smallest size for its battery spec), and there is no room for such a thing. The larger size also messes with the heat budget as the square-cube law is always a problem for electronics of growing size and heat constraints.

The X1 on 20nm is the current chip, there is nothing newer at this grade of processing (or a year+ ago when things were finalized). You're using X2 as the equivalent of a buzz word with no meaning.

X2 was not (hell, is not) available for the mass production required for a handheld launch.

Corrected.
X2 are on 16FF. And wouldn't have been available for mass launch by Switch's release date.

The issue I was trying to get at is that the main flaw is using X1 in a portable device. The only other portable device with it is the Pixel C Tablet and that has a massive battery (34.2 Wh) as well as being heavier than competing tablets at that size; which gets over 5 hours gaming performance. Half that capacity and we get about 3 hours or so which matches up with the switch.

They really needed to use the X2, or ported the X1 to 16FF somehow. And Sony can take advantage of that failure with a portable device on 12FDX or even 22FDX although the later needs to be seen in Action first. They need not use a more recent node process because it'd take years to develop the console if they haven't started yet even with using the Vita as a starting point. And the key is bundling it with PS5 unless they get under $100 BOM first go which I can say is impossible.

Even the cheap chinese platic tablets are only that cheap because Intel dumped all those Atom chips but I digress.
 

2+2=5

The Amiga Brotherhood
Let's not forget that the 3ds was weaker than vita but also had worse battery life, we can't be sure that something better than switch power and/or battery wise isn't possible, the problem is that the improvement wouldn't be big in any case, maybe a cheap Vita pro would be the right thing to do.

About the resolution anything over 720p on a 5.5 inches screen is a waste, on the GPD Win you can set the game resolution(obviously since it's a handheld pc) and the difference between 720p and 544p is already small, the difference between 720p and 900p or 1080p would be even smaller.
 
I'd say it's possible to get a more powerful handheld than the switch, however it wouldn't be a huge difference, perhaps not even enough to recognize it. So far only the newest Power VR powering the iPhone 7 is the only GPU that is faster than the X1:

tegraklj1m.jpg


Link: Source

-Also note that the tegra X1 is compatible with most current gaming engines, thanks to its maxwell architecture, also nvidias GPU expertise in terms of drivers and optimization tools surely outperform PowerVRs...

Switch doesn't run at max clocks.
 

bobawesome

Member
I'd just like something with the form factor and build quality of the Vita. The Switch is way too wide with the joycons attached and overall the build quality seems pretty poor. Paint that is already chipped/chipping after only a few weeks and how prone the back is to damage... I won't even get started on the dock and screen situation.
 
Let's not forget that the 3ds was weaker than vita but also had worse battery life, we can't be sure that something better than switch power and/or battery wise isn't possible, the problem is that the improvement wouldn't be big in any case, maybe a cheap Vita pro would be the right thing to do.

About the resolution anything over 720p on a 5.5 inches screen is a waste, on the GPD Win you can set the game resolution(obviously since it's a handheld pc) and the difference between 720p and 544p is already small, the difference between 720p and 900p or 1080p would be even smaller.

The 3D effect was taxing. And I'm not sure if Near worked the same way, but StreetPass was eating battery life while in sleep mode.

Regardless, we know from looking at the competition that the 3DS at the time wasn't as high-end a piece of mobile hardware as the Switch is now, and the Switch battery couldn't be any bigger and still fit in there.
 

GLAMr

Member
Something using x86 plus Pascal would be sweet, as it would surely make things easier for sharing code between the hand held and the PS4 while having a lot of power on the go.

I'm not aware of any Intel+nVidia SoC, so that would be an expensive custom job. Otherwise maybe AMD could make a sweet ultra-low-power SoC?
 

ggx2ac

Member
Something using x86 plus Pascal would be sweet, as it would surely make things easier for sharing code between the hand held and the PS4 while having a lot of power on the go.

I'm not aware of any Intel+nVidia SoC, so that would be an expensive custom job. Otherwise maybe AMD could make a sweet ultra-low-power SoC?

No and no.

Intel gave up on Atom and AMD sold their mobile division Adreno to Qualcomm years ago.
 

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.
 

Agent X

Member
I don't think Sony will dare to take another step into the handheld market after the horrible performance of the Vita. Even Nintendo is careful nowadays by releasing the Switch as a portable that can also be used as a home console

By the same logic, should Nintendo have dared to take another step into the home video game console market after the performance of the Wii U?

I think there is the possibility that Sony could give the portable market another try. As you said, they might have to adjust their strategy and give their system some sort of edge. It would be an uphill battle for sure, but it wouldn't be impossible.

I had a dream that Sony releases a handheld that can be played portably like a psp/vita, but ALSO can slot into a VR headset.

Imagine wireless VR like Gear VR, execpt much more powerful for gaming.

This is a definite possibility. A future Sony system could serve as the successor to both the PS Vita and the PSVR.

People here really think a portable with PS4 power can be done?

Probably not right away, but it might be possible in 2-3 years. It depends on when Sony decides they want to put out their next portable.

This is also affected by Sony's intentions. Do they want to create a "super-powered PS Vita" or a "portable PS4"?

Regardless of which direction they take, their new system absolutely must have out-of-the-box compatibility with one or more of Sony's previous systems.

The Switch has no backward compatibility, and is building a new game library from scratch. Normally, this would be the kiss of death for a new portable in this day and age. The only reason Nintendo is even getting away with this at all is because they've proven their success with portables in the past. It is already a glaring shortcoming for the Switch, but for Sony (or Microsoft) it would be disastrous.

While I think both the "Super Vita" or "Portable PS4" have potential, I'll go with the "Super Vita" scenario for now. Keep in mind as you read this, almost everything could apply to a "Portable PS4" as well, with some slight adjustments (depending on how Sony chooses to evolve backward compatibility on the "standard" PS4).

  • The system should be about the same size as the existing PS Vita. Maybe slightly larger. I don't think it should be as large as the Switch.
  • Battery life should be comparable to the existing Vita.
  • The system needs to include a docking cradle with connectors for AC adapter, HDMI out, and one or two USB 3.0 ports. The USB ports could be used to connect USB flash drives, external hard drives, or controllers. Oh, and maybe a USB Wi-Fi adapter (more on this later).
  • Detachable controls like the Switch Joy-Cons? Don't bother. While this is a nice feature of the Switch, it's not essential. The "Super Vita" (or "PS4 Portable") would be able to use external controllers anyway.
  • Keep the built-in controls like the existing Vita, but add L2/R2 triggers (analog, of course) and L3/R3 click to the thumbsticks. The front touch screen will stay, but...
  • Lose the rear touch pad if it means saving manufacturing costs and increasing comfort and durability. Yes, this means a few key Vita games might be rendered incompatible (if they're not patched), but I'm looking at the bigger picture.
  • The standard external controller would be none other than the venerable DualShock 4. Why mess with success? 60 million people already have at least one. Pair it to the system using the included dock, and you're good to go.
  • So, about that dock...it's a great way to output up to 1080p to your TV, using the HDMI port. But did you know that you could also purchase an inexpensive Wi-Fi adapter to stream your games and movies from the portable unit to your TV without having to physically attach it to the dock?

As far as game compatibility goes:

  • The system should be compatible out of the box with all downloadable PS1, PSP, and PS Vita games. (If they "lose the rear touch pad", though, then some Vita games might be incompatible, unless they're patched or an optional "rear touch pad attachment" is created.)
  • Since this system is considerably more powerful than the classic Vita, it now has enough muscle to play downloadable PS2 games, too.
  • Remote Play can be used to play games from a PS4 in the same house, now with higher fidelity.
  • You could also play PS3 and PS4 games through PlayStation Now.
  • If we're going with the "Portable PS4" scenario, then the system could also play downloadable PS4 games directly. PS4 Blu-ray games could be installed from either an external Blu-ray drive attachment (for the docking cradle), or from an actual PS4 system on the same network that is registered to the same PSN account.
 

kaiyo

Member
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.
What mid end phone has 4k? Only 4k phone out now is the Xperia Z5 Premium. Xperia XZ Premium comes out in June. Neither are mid end.
 

asagami_

Banned
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

Yeah but even if such thing exist (hint: no way lol) it would cost a lot. I don't want a $1000 machine.
 
is ps3 emulator on handheld technologically possible? it would be great if they make a handheld that can play all psp, vita (execept those that need rear pad), ps1, ps2 and ps3 games.
 

FirmBizBws

Becomes baffled, curling up into a ball when confronted with three controller options.
More than one game that's worth playing and no propriety memory cards. Making a vita more powerful isn't going to change anything, it was more powerful than the 3ds yet less successful and less memorable as a gaming device.
 

ggx2ac

Member
Spec it up in a way that it can run ps4 games at 540p, sorta like the whole ps4 and ps4 pro thing.

Easier said than done.

GPU power and RAM can be scaled down to run a game at 540p but they need a CPU to run as good as what PS4 uses to give developers less of a headache when porting games.

Then, even if they got that done. Not every developer is going to port their game over so the portable would need some exclusives to make up for the lack of parity between software libraries.

So then, that means Sony may as well prepare a PS5 Portable when they make a PS5 because it would be easier for them to try to plan for parity between software libraries by trying to make development between platforms more manageable.
 

Kthulhu

Member
A portable x86 handheld isn't happening any time soon.

Assuming one ever happens. I can't think of a reason a manufacturer not concerned with Windows support would ever make a battery powered device that isn't ARM based.

Sony had a great opportunity with the Vita but failed to support it. If there is a successor I don't think that would change.

This is probably my biggest concern. The Vita's near non-existent 1st party library and lack of 3rd party support essentially made it only good for obscure titles, indies, and PSP and PS1 emulation. (And I guess remote play if your internet is good enough)
 

MrBS

Member
I have no idea. I'm not sure going cheap or bleeding edge expensive would work either way. I hope the switch does well. The vita isn't going to be profitable for niche developers forever.
 

Pasedo

Member
I think if they stuck to a strategy like they did with the PS4 where they screamed power it could do well. I think it's one of the main reasons PS4 is winning this gen because it was by far a more powerful console than its competitors and people fell for that pitch. Imagine an unveiling at the next E3. The PS4 Vita. 2x more powerful than the Switch, 8GB Ram, 7in 1080p OLED screen, 60fps guaranteed gaming. Several times more powerful than the iPhone 7 etc... Again position it as the most powerful handheld you may see a similar surge in interest as the PS4. I'd love a portable PS4. Remote play over Internet at this stage is too gimmicky and does not work well. I'd rather something I can simply install a game into pick it up and play AAA titles. Cmon Sony you can do it :p lol
 

ggx2ac

Member
I think if they stuck to a strategy like they did with the PS4 where they screamed power it could do well. I think it's one of the main reasons PS4 is winning this gen because it was by far a more powerful console than its competitors and people fell for that pitch. Imagine an unveiling at the next E3. The PS4 Vita. 2x more powerful than the Switch, 8GB Ram, 7in 1080p OLED screen, 60fps guaranteed gaming. Several times more powerful than the iPhone 7 etc... Again position it as the most powerful handheld you may see a similar surge in interest as the PS4. I'd love a portable PS4. Remote play over Internet at this stage is too gimmicky and does not work well. I'd rather something I can simply install a game into pick it up and play AAA titles. Cmon Sony you can do it :p lol

So it's cheaper than buying a PS4 Slim right?
 

Guess Who

Banned
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

ITT, people who know absolutely nothing about mobile hardware.
 

Pasedo

Member
If it's more expensive than a PS4 Slim I wouldn't buy it, plus how would the battery life be for it?


I mean I am only talking theoretically here as I'm not sure if any of this is even possible but I'm certain most people are willing to pay more for a PS4 they can play on their train commutes, on a long flight, road trips, the family holiday. etc.. I'm not a tech guy but couldn't you use two X1s and essentially two high capacity batteries. Yes it would nt be as slim as a Switch but itll still beat lugging around a laptop. As I mentioned earlier something like this would also steal share from the lower end gaming laptop market.
 

Nightbird

Member
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

The sad thing is that we have people out there who would think that this is a completely reasonable expectation to have.
 
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

Good luck actually achieving this in a portable form factor with the way mobile hardware and battery tech are right now.

Your post is the definition of a pipe dream.
 

swit

Member
Are there even any plans for low powered x86 mobile CPUs? Intel knocked itself out of the smartphone chip market recently, iirc. Not sure about AMD plans in this space. With 7 nm technology node production expected for 2018 there will be (probably) significant power jump soon compared to current chips, but without proper x86 mobile CPU, PS4 doesn't sound like something achievable in portable form factor.
 

Jimrpg

Member
I love my vita, its my favourite handheld easily and would be my favourite were it not for the PS2 which may never ever get dislodged as my all time favourite.

There's so much variety on the system, so many great Vita only games and so many great games that are definitely preferable on hand held. For example - Steins;Gate is way better on a handheld due to the amount of text on the screen.

If there is a successor, it'd be nice if it were close to PS4 spec, that way we can get PS4 games ported across.

Features I'd want -

- No Backtouch
- No Cameras
- L2/R2/L3/R3 buttons
- VR compatible (slot it straight into a VR headset box)
- Backwards compatible with all existing Sony digital games and Vita carts.

If it were close to PS4, you could just turn down some settings and then port it across and itd be easy to get PS Vita 2 games.
 

MTC100

Banned
By the same logic, should Nintendo have dared to take another step into the home video game console market after the performance of the Wii U?

The WiiU was a really stupid idea, they would've been much better off with a more powerful WiiHD with half the power of an xbox one probably. Also your comparison is completely off. The WiiU was the successor to the best selling home console of its generation, the Handheld after the Vita would be the successer to one of the worst selling handhelds ever. In a sense the Vita was to the PSP what the WiiU was to the Wii. A lot of bad choices and too strong of a competition, the HH market got pretty much taken over by Smartphones the last 5+ years.
 

Jimrpg

Member
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

See resolution is the one thing I don't want.

a 5 inch 540p resolution screen is still perfectly fine. My Vita screen is great.

If need be - get rid of the bezel and have a 6 inch 720p screen. But resolution is a huge power/battery/GPU killer and handheld games don't need it. The Vita 540p screen still has >200PPI which is retina capability. So long as its not like the 3DS XL screens then I want to keep resolution lower.
 

Jimrpg

Member
The WiiU was a really stupid idea, they would've been much better off with a more powerful WiiHD with half the power of an xbox one probably. Also your comparison is completely off. The WiiU was the successor to the best selling home console of its generation, the Handheld after the Vita would be the successer to one of the worst selling handhelds ever. In a sense the Vita was to the PSP what the WiiU was to the Wii. A lot of bad choices and too strong of a competition, the HH market got pretty much taken over by Smartphones the last 5+ years.

And you know, I hope the switch does well, so we can get some people back into HH gaming. It's a really great way of playing games, and to be honest, I don't think Apple really do a great job like Sony or Nintendo does when it comes to getting games on the system. For reasons I don't know why, I enjoy the titles that come out of Sony and Nintendo way more than on my phone.
 
What mid end phone has 4k? Only 4k phone out now is the Xperia Z5 Premium. Xperia XZ Premium comes out in June. Neither are mid end.

Yeah but even if such thing exist (hint: no way lol) it would cost a lot. I don't want a $1000 machine.

ITT, people who know absolutely nothing about mobile hardware.

Good luck actually achieving this in a portable form factor with the way mobile hardware and battery tech are right now.

Your post is the definition of a pipe dream.

You guys need to check the batteries on your sarcasm meter.
 

MTC100

Banned
And you know, I hope the switch does well, so we can get some people back into HH gaming. It's a really great way of playing games, and to be honest, I don't think Apple really do a great job like Sony or Nintendo does when it comes to getting games on the system. For reasons I don't know why, I enjoy the titles that come out of Sony and Nintendo way more than on my phone.

Most people consider smartphone gaming as a shallow experience compared to real handhelds, however most people are sadly absolutely fine with spending hundreds of Dollars for so called free to play games... each month... -I know, cause at work I am often seeing the bills of people getting addicted to those crappy games. :/
 
slightly more powerful than PS4 (come on, its 2017), 10 hours battery life, dual analog, L2/L3/R2/R3 buttons, 4k resolution (I mean even a mid-end phone has got 4k screen now, it cant be that exp to manufacture), backward compatible with PS1/2/3/PSP/Vita games

20GB on board memory, microSD card and launch it at $150

Boom, we kill Nintendo for good with this.

I love my vita, its my favourite handheld easily and would be my favourite were it not for the PS2 which may never ever get dislodged as my all time favourite.

There's so much variety on the system, so many great Vita only games and so many great games that are definitely preferable on hand held. For example - Steins;Gate is way better on a handheld due to the amount of text on the screen.

If there is a successor, it'd be nice if it were close to PS4 spec, that way we can get PS4 games ported across.

Features I'd want -

- No Backtouch
- No Cameras
- L2/R2/L3/R3 buttons
- VR compatible (slot it straight into a VR headset box)
- Backwards compatible with all existing Sony digital games and Vita carts.

If it were close to PS4, you could just turn down some settings and then port it across and itd be easy to get PS Vita 2 games.

I love how these two posts are basically the same, except one is joking and the other is dead serious.
 

Defuser

Member
Frankly I rather see Sony do Windows handheld like the GPD win. Sell the concept of playing your steam games on the go. That way they can also released a updated hardware every 2/3 years because its technically a UMPC. This also helps Japan as they put out alot of VN games.etc on windows.
 

NolbertoS

Member
GAF likes to speculate so much that we are down to speculating about systems that will never exist. I am going to start a thread about what a modern Atari Jaguar would look like.

Modern Jaguar is nothing. Let us speculate how a modern Game Gear would look :D

its sarcasm BTW, i love the vita, but that is one market segment Sony can't dominate
 

Jaagen

Member
I mean I am only talking theoretically here as I'm not sure if any of this is even possible but I'm certain most people are willing to pay more for a PS4 they can play on their train commutes, on a long flight, road trips, the family holiday. etc.. I'm not a tech guy but couldn't you use two X1s and essentially two high capacity batteries. Yes it would nt be as slim as a Switch but itll still beat lugging around a laptop. As I mentioned earlier something like this would also steal share from the lower end gaming laptop market.

Two X1s would be a horrible idea, seeing it would be an unnecessary complication. Waiting for a more powerfull GPU would be a much viser solution.
 
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