It’s finally here! Sony releases the PlayStation VITA to combat against Nintendo’s 3DS. Does this spell victory for this newly released handheld or will it hardly break past the influence left by Nintendo’s 3D breakthough?
First thing that is noticeable is how solid and well-built the VITA is. In comparison to the Playstation Portable (long live the PSP!), the size and the weight are almost the same.  So the look and feel is familiar.
On the right are four face buttons, START, SELECT, and the right analogue stick while on the left, you have the d-pad the left analogue stick, and the PlayStation button.  It is note worthy that the d-pad face buttons themselves are the same size as the Nintendo 3DS. And while the analogue sticks are also smaller in size, they actually feel great to control with and are quite responsive to my commands.
Also worth noting are the cameras which are placed on the front and rear. A slot for the memory card is located on the bottom while on the top you have a slot to insert your game card and an accessory port. Adding protection to these slots are plastic covers, which is a really clever feature to keep the dust and other debris out.
Looking at the top of the VITA, the power is located on the left while the two buttons to control the volume are on the right. These buttons have a circle shape and metallic appearance which blends well with the VITA’s appearance.
There’s also a touchpad on the back of the VITA as well as two shoulder buttons on the top. So the design may have some few modifications but the looks are sleek and sexy! Furthermore, the included grips make it easier to hold onto the VITA than the PSP.
The OLED screen is 5 inches from left to right and sparkles with beauty and shine. The colors are bright and vibrant while the detail in graphics is just marvelous. The screen is not only pleasing to the eyes, but it’s also easy on the eyes. There’s no ghosting effect and the screen can be seen from almost any angle without distortion.
In terms of the touchscreen capabilities, it’s very responsive and straight forward. The PS VITA’s screen ranks up there in comparison to the smartphones that’s in the market. It’s also sturdy and seems resistant to damage.
The interface is also pleasing to look at with its friendly and welcoming interface. When you look at the IOS for the iPhone and iPad, you have different screens that you switch from left to right. For the VITA, you get the same treatment but this time, you scroll up and down. So again, the familiarity kicks in here, but this time for the Apple user.
Every game and application is represented by a bubble icon with a unique color and design inside. You can move these within a certain preset position. This is done by pressing and holding on one of the bubbles until you enter into an edit mode. As a result, you have a very user friendly interface here. As you can place up to ten bubbles in total for each screen, you have a lot of freedom as to how you want to arrange your games and application in a similar fashion to the smartphones.
You can even customize the background as well as the color of each of the screens that comprise the menu. Just like the PlayStation 3 and PSP, you have choice as to whether you want to use a photo or wallpaper file that’s stored in your console.
When you first open an application, you access the “LiveArea†which lets your launch the application as well as provides additional details, including the manual. This is also where it shows if there’s new updates, add-ons, etc. So it changes potentially every week with new content being released. And when it does, you’ll get a notification icon on the top-right side of the screen. There’s also a menu that acts as a summary of all notifications, including trophies earned, content that’s downloaded and PSN messages received, which is convenient and intuitive.
The PS VITA really packs in some power as evidenced from the operating system’s performance. Pressing the Playstation button while playing a game will let you access the menu. This happens instantaneously without slowdown or loading screens. So not only does the VITA sport a nice look, but it also has some horsepower under the hood.
So there you have it! Not only did the Playstation VITA meet expectations in today’s standards, but it surpasses in terms of quality and capabilities. Some gamers may have their gripes with the console. For instance, there’s no removable battery which can be irritating during a long airplane flight. But overall, it’s a great console that is brings life to its audience. And that’s what VITA is all about: life!
