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PS Vita OS Thread: Beautiful Chaos

Peterthumpa

Member
Sony is doing so many, many things right here that it's almost too good.

If this thing doesn't sell well, seriously - there's no hope for serious portable gaming as we know it anymore. Portable gaming's future will be on smartphones, like it or not.
 

Cruzader

Banned
Wow tons of info I didnt know about! Thank you OP!

Im an avid gamer but I dont have too much time to invest in huge threads such as the TGS ones that have tons of info spread into alot of pages.

All I can say is wow. Sony delivers for a 2011 OS/Device. Puts the competition to shame. DAUYM.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
Nuclear Muffin said:
The browser is as fully featured as Safari on iOS and you have the other apps running in the background at the same time as well. Seems plausible to me.
I don't think iOS and Vita's OS are going to prioritize applications in the same way, though. I would be really disappointed in Sony if they gave more than 128mb of RAM to background processes.
 
Holy sweet Jesus at that OP. Great work Bad_Boy.

The PS Vita system's web browser is the perfect place to enjoy the internet. Surf the net, browse your favourite pages and type using the touch screen keyboard on the stunning 5 inch OLED screen. Pinch to zoom is supported. You can also open up to 8 windows. It can also be used while in a game.

Game changer.
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
kaysee said:
PS suite will really open up the system.
I just want that official Minecraft port on Xperia for Vita!

chubigans said:
You can do that with the 3DS as well...but the low resolution and lack of multitouch makes it a bit cumbersome to use.
Yeah, that browser is absolutely terrible.

I doubt I'll use this browser either but seems more convenient.
 

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Regarding aesthetics...it's helpful to bear in mind that everything outside of the base OS is in its own app - so the designers of each app has some creative freedom in determining their own look. Some interface widgets are standard though, like the back and options buttons.

The whole thing seems to be built around 'apps' and running them in parallel. I'd say the resource allocation for the game execution space and the app execution space is fixed by the way...closing apps in the background probably just frees space for other apps, not the game. I think it's basically like it's running two devices in parallel - a single core + xxxMB RAM device for apps and a tri-core/xxxMB device for games, both very separate.
 

Jinfash

needs 2 extra inches
Great work Bad_Boy, although I'd love it if someone can help you out with the 3 seconds of notification center footage that was wedged in the OS trailer (not demonstration) at the start of the conference. I thought it looked interesting, and I believe it hasn't been covered/screen'd yet.
 

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
Goldrusher said:
The most important question remains unanswered...

Can we have multiple user profiles on the thing ?
Unconfirmed, and probably unlikely imo. Seems much of a personal device than a home console.

Jinfash said:
Great work Bad_Boy, although I'd love it if someone can help you out with the 3 seconds of notification center footage that was wedged in the OS trailer (not demonstration) at the start of the conference. I thought it looked interesting, and I believe it hasn't been covered/screen'd yet.
Do you have a link of the video? And at what time does it occur? I can always add it to the page.

gofreak said:
Regarding aesthetics...it's helpful to bear in mind that everything outside of the base OS is in its own app - so the designers of each app has some creative freedom in determining their own look. Some interface widgets are standard though, like the back and options buttons.

The whole thing seems to be built around 'apps' and running them in parallel. I'd say the resource allocation for the game execution space and the app execution space is fixed by the way...closing apps in the background probably just frees space for other apps, not the game. I think it's basically like it's running two devices in parallel - a single core + xxxMB RAM device for apps and a tri-core/xxxMB device for games, both very separate.
This is my big thing about it too. I think from our point of view, people who havent used it yet, will be a bit taken back at how everything is jumbled together. But I think it'll make much more sense in our hands.

The live area for example, is a disconnect from the design because every live area looks different. But to me, this is no different than putting a game in your PS3, and have the whole screen's wallpaper/music change.

I think it's a really beautiful OS. Though I would make some personal changes, like the bubbles. Hopefully we'll have custom themes in the future?
 

ctrayne

Member
chubigans said:
What does that mean, exactly?
The look and feel of the OS is all over the place. It may (functionally) be the best thing since sliced bread, which it seems to be, but it's visually inconsistent and looks like a bad cell phone OS. Polar opposite of the XMB. Not a huge deal, but it's objectively poor visual design. Which is bizarre coming from Sony, who usually is great with visual language.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
ctrayne said:
The look and feel of the OS is all over the place. It may (functionally) be the best thing since sliced bread, which it seems to be, but it's visually inconsistent and looks like a bad cell phone OS. Polar opposite of the XMB. Not a huge deal, but it's objectively poor visual design. Which is bizarre coming from Sony, who usually is great with visual language.
Opus Angelorum said:
There is a lack of cohesion across the interface, mainly because they allow each element to have its own design.
That's true, but then again the PS3 is an example of a visually consistent interface across all apps- and it's sterile and boring.
 
chubigans said:
That's true, but then again the PS3 is an example of a visually consistent interface across all apps- and it's sterile and boring.

I guess my point is that it's unlike Sony to design an OS like this, and I don't think it works (from what I've seen).
 
I think this is worlds better than most phone UI's out there. Even though it lacks a distinct visual identity, it's more interesting to look at than the drab, cold XMB or sterile iOS.

WP7 is still the most visually stimulating mobile UI, plus it's cohesive to boot. Vita's animation-heavy menus remind me of it.
 

ctrayne

Member
chubigans said:
That's true, but then again the PS3 is an example of a visually consistent interface across all apps- and it's sterile and boring.
Oh, I think the XMB is great. It may be "sterile" but it flows very well. I was hoping for an evolution of that, not a complete 180. I'm not worked up over it or anything. It's just surprisingly "Web 2.0" in a bad way. Seems to lack some of the basic elements of good design.

SI1hn.jpg

Hideous stuff there. The icons are goofy and the font is tiny and lost in the background. The trophy looks like ye olde MS Paint. I hope they clean it up a bit.

I think Metal Gear Acid 2's UI is a great example of a cool looking but very useable system.
 
hmmm i might reconsider putting the effort into getting music on this thing since it'll play during games.
Also I really hope there will be skins, i'd love lbp skin that turns the bubbles into level pins/buttons.
 

Auto_aim1

MeisaMcCaffrey
Opus Angelorum said:
I guess my point is that it's unlike Sony to design an OS like this, and I don't think it works (from what I've seen).
Colorful and less intimidating means they're probably targeting a younger audience. It's good for sales.
 

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
-Pyromaniac- said:
Also since when does no flash support mean no youtube support, lol.
There's flash on PS3, there's limited flash on PSP, it'll definitely be on the Vita methinks.
 
chubigans said:
There's flash on PS3, there's limited flash on PSP, it'll definitely be on the Vita methinks.
I'm just saying, I can go on youtube.com on my ipad now and it works perfectly with no flash support. They have an HTML5 site as well I believe.
 

Cruzader

Banned
-Pyromaniac- said:
I'm just saying, I can go on youtube.com on my ipad now and it works perfectly with no flash support. They have an HTML5 site as well I believe.
I hope they make a Youtube app that launches upon hitting a youtube link. Works awesome on my iTouch.
 

watershed

Banned
Nice OT, although it seemed strange at that press conference Sony did do a good job of educating people about the OS and its various features. Such nice features.......
 

neptunes

Member
-Pyromaniac- said:
I'm just saying, I can go on youtube.com on my ipad now and it works perfectly with no flash support. They have an HTML5 site as well I believe.
Well they said the Vita browser is based off Webkit. so I guess most HTML5 websites should work.
 

Goldrusher

Member
Bad_Boy said:
Unconfirmed, and probably unlikely imo. Seems much of a personal device than a home console.
That's would be a big fuck you to all the PS3-gamers who are used to the current system.
I buy games from every region and would like to continue doing so with the Vita.

And what if you have multiple kids. Plural. They won't be able to easily switch profiles and use their own saves, friends and unlock trophies.

And call it piracy, but what if you do buy multiple Vita's for your kids... Wouldn't it be nice if parents could use 1 account to buy games with, which all 3 kids can use on their Vita ?
 

rpmurphy

Member
Goldrusher said:
And call it piracy, but what if you do buy multiple Vita's for your kids... Wouldn't it be nice if parents could use 1 account to buy games with, which all 3 kids can use on their Vita ?
Buy physical games and share it?
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Goldrusher said:
That's would be a big fuck you to all the PS3-gamers who are used to the current system.
I buy games from every region and would like to continue doing so with the Vita.

And what if you have multiple kids. Plural. They won't be able to easily switch profiles and use their own saves, friends and unlock trophies.

And call it piracy, but what if you do buy multiple Vita's for your kids... Wouldn't it be nice if parents could use 1 account to buy games with, which all 3 kids can use on their Vita ?

This isn't a charity Sony's running, fella! Seems to be pretty much the same as the PSP setup. The thing being region-free and packed to the balls with this kinda stuff should keep the moral indignation/gamers rage at least a little on the downlow.

Amazing OP btw. This thing is just... packed. I didnt know it came with some funky minigames on it in the form of tutorials. Thats really cool.

I see the Bubbles as Sony's approach to the iOS/Smartphone setup of choosing your icons on your homescreen (itself an extension from the computer desktop), but making it a bit quirkier and fresh so as to not seem too "me too". I would have loved a Hexagon approach instead, like a honeycomb of apps and stuff, but I guess that kind of shape isnt as 'user friendly' *has idea stuck in head of focus groups voting on the friendliest shapes somewhere in the depths of Sony HQ*
 

Bad_Boy

time to take my meds
Goldrusher said:
That's would be a big fuck you to all the PS3-gamers who are used to the current system.
I buy games from every region and would like to continue doing so with the Vita.

And what if you have multiple kids. Plural. They won't be able to easily switch profiles and use their own saves, friends and unlock trophies.
I think the idea is to have multiple Vita's. Being a personal device. Expensive yes, and it sucks. But multiple PS3's sounds so much worse.

Goldrusher said:
And call it piracy, but what if you do buy multiple Vita's for your kids... Wouldn't it be nice if parents could use 1 account to buy games with, which all 3 kids can use on their Vita ?
This would actually be pretty smart. Though doubtful.

I think we are lucky that PS3 let us have this ability. Home consoles before it never really did multiple user accounts in that fashion.
 
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