!!! PS Vita Review !!!

djdaviep

Well then  it is finally here the PS Vita has landed in the UK and I have snatched up one for myself so with a handful of games and hours racked up fiddling with all the cool features I have finally come up with this review.

So this review will cover the basics from the unit itself through to gameplay and graphics, also covering areas you guys have been asking information on like connectivity and apps like "near" so here we go lets begin.

Lets start with the PS Vita unit itself as you can see it resembles the the style of the PSP but comparing it to the PSP i had there is a few major differences for instance the Vita has an awesome 5 inch multitouch screen compared to the PSPs 4.3 inch TFT screen also in addition to the touch screen there is a touch panel on the back of the unit which did take a little while to adjust too but both are very responsive and are featured in many of the games and apps in one way or another.

Other new additions on the PS Vita are dual analog sticks instead of the PSPs lonely one which i feel is awesome adding more freedom for movement, sixaxis motion sensing for added movement options through gameplay with tilting and front and back cameras to take pictures and videos but mainly going to be used for augmented reality gaming like in "Reality Fighters" as shown below in this trailer.



Right next up is the user interface now the Vita has gone for a much different approach then the PS3 and PSPs XMB interface of scrolling side to side then flicking up and down the Vita however uses the touch screen to move around kinda like smartphones and tablets where you can edit your screens change backgrounds, place apps and games where you like so when you switch the Vita on your home screen will have what want to see on it im a huge fan of this as i hate having to scroll page after page to get to a feature i use all the time it is very easy to edit and change backgrounds as well adding that extra bit of uniqueness to you Vita.

A cool thing i found with the Vita is that you can have several apps on in go you dont have to shut of one to use another it will basically minimize the app in the background till you want it again or for instance play music stored on your memory card in the background as you play a game and maybe have a app like near or Facebook open at same time so you can keep up to date with your social feeds on the fly to i found that really cool but im just weird like that lol.

Speaking of apps the Vita comes with a handful of apps to kick off with video and photo apps as standard and the friends and party chat apps too and the social corner stone called "near" which lets you see and interact with PS VIta users in the surrounding areas allowing you to go in depth finding out what people are doing and what games there playing you can also rate the games share your opinion plus in some instances send free gifts for other gamers in the area to download helping you enjoy a very social experience on the Vita the video below shows the app in more detail it is a really deep function for the console.



Right another big thing people are asking about is the connectivity of the vita to the web and also to the PS3 via remote play so here is a quick overview on them both.

Firstly web connectivity i picked up the WIFI version of the vita as i will mainly be using it in WIFI areas with my unlimited BT hotspot minutes plus its a fair £50 pounds cheaper then the 3G version which obviously can work anywhere unless your in the most remote part of the world lol connecting online is very simple it explains the set up at the start and once it is done you dont need to worry about reconnecting each time your on (assuming same with 3G i have not looked) but with the WIFI you have a menu to pick up the free WIFI spots with ease no hassle.

Now remote play a big feature many users are interested in where when connected you can use you PS3 console through the handheld which is a awesome idea..............BUT its not fully working yet lol shame but basically you connect via web or if your near your PS3 its private connection as long as the units are paired kind of like a blue tooth connection (which the vita also has to connect a headset) the issues i found is you can not play PS3 games on remote play or PS3 games stored on the hard drive like the minis BUT certain games can especially the PS1 titles on your hard drive it can also steam videos on your hard drive and pictures as well but not able to access the apps like netflix, lovefilm or iplayer but hopefully Sony will sort these issues out in the coming months as far as i know japan has it running properly but we all know there just to advanced for there own good.

Here is a short video demo on the remote play function showing you how to set it up and more.

A quick note on the Playstation store on the vita i feel it is very simple and easy to access covering content from vita games and demos to minis and social apps laid out just like the store on the PS3 plus there are a couple of free games on there to download like Cliff diving and Fireworks both using the augmented reality  function really well.

Tip for the wise get a memory card as you will need one as the vita has hardly any core memory for installed games, saves and data i think you get get them up to 32GB.

Now to the main reason to get the PS Vita.... gaming lol i picked up a handful of the release line up and one that stood out the most and would recommend it if you want to use all the cool features of the vita like the touch panels and the sixaxis feature is Uncharted Golden Abyss if you know about the Uncharted series of game you will know there some of the best games ever to grace the PS3 and this Vita only title is no exception below is a video of running game play showing some of the cool features in action.



Well that about wraps it all up for this review i would say this is just a scratch on surface to what the Vita will bring use over time with more apps and games that will keep taking advantage of all the cool features of the console itself i feel it is a awesome piece of equipment the one downfall is in my mind it is rather expensive but what you expect for something as cool as this with so much available in the palms of your hands.

All in all i love the PS Vita with every aspect from the game play through to the social side of things it works well its not complicated and its appealing to a growing audience i would recommend this to any gamer new or experienced with so much going on the vita there is something for every gamer out there.

So i give the PS Vita an awesome 9.5 out of 10 as it is the best handheld on the market in a different league altogether from the previous Sony handhelds and it will also take something huge to out do it, dont get me wrong Nintendo have a huge following with there DS and 3DS but this hot piece of kit if you want to narrow it down into one sentence is "An amazing top of the range gaming experience in the palms of your hands".

Thank you for reading the review and if your not already a part of the Gamer 4 Life page on facebook go ahead and give us a like leave a comment and all the usual stuff and i will be bringing more PS Vita reviews in the future from games to new features as they hit the heldheld.

Peace out

Davie