What Mobile visited Sony Computer Entertainment today to take a look at PlayStation Vita, the first 3G enabled games console which is set for release on 22nd February in the UK after a pre-Christmas launch in Japan.
At launch, PlayStation Vita will be offered in ‘wi-fi only’ or ‘wi-fi + 3G’ variants and Vodafone are the partner network, set to sell PlayStation Vita with a pay-as-you-go SIM but Vodafone are also set to offer a range of contracts with the 3G PlayStation Vita included as part of the package. In the US, AT&T offer similar deals but, in the UK, PlayStation Vita isn’t locked to a network (after a negative response in the
US to the AT&T deal) so if you’ve got a pay-as-you-go SIM
from T Mobile or O2 for example, you will still be able to enable
the data features of PlayStation Vita for sharing game achievements,
GPS info and using dedicated apps to access the internet, social media
widgets and in-game chat features.
The PlayStation Vita looks similar to the original Sony PlayStation Portable but builds on the high-tech style with a 5 inch OLED touch screen with an impressive 960 x 544 resolution. The front and back of the PlayStation Vita feature touch sensitive capacitive controls and cameras while inside there’s the six-axis gyroscope tech for motion based games. Built-in GPS and a 4 core Arm Cortex A9 processor complete the next-generation specification. On paper and in the hand, PlayStation Vita is essentially a handheld PlayStation 3 with dual analogue controls and it’s powerful enough to beat the iPad 2 hands-down in gaming terms. Post launch, there will also be the opportunity to ‘remote play’ selected PlayStation 3 games and effectively stream them to your PlayStation Vita from your PlayStation 3.
The biggest challenge to PlayStation Vita will be the retail price of games which will cost around £30-40 in-store and as downloads. Importantly, all games on sale in-store will also be available on the same day online, though it’s expected that in-store games will remain cheaper because of the nature of high street discounts and competitive online retailer pricing. However, after witnessing the launch games in action, it’s clear the the development costs and production values of game series’ like FIFA and Uncharted are in-line with similarly priced PlayStation 3 games. To date, there’s nothing that conveys the same experience on iPad 2 and while the latest Android tablets have remote options for game controllers, there’s a lack of original games and, naturally, you won’t see a new Killzone or Gran Turismo on an Android tablet.
The games come on solid state cards rather than Sony’s older PSP disc format and there’s another slot for Sony’s own brand of memory cards which store downloaded games and media content. At launch, the biggest game available for PlayStation Vita will weigh in at 4GB, typically the size of a small HD movie download.
Despite the size and chunky feel of the PlayStation Vita, it’s surprisingly lightweight and the overall impression is that it feels like a traditional PlayStation pad, offering a good grip for the dual analogue stick controls. The touch screen is fast and responsive and launch games like Uncharted use touch screen navigation, dual analogue stick control and even the six-axis function for leaning across ledges in game.
The wi-fi + 3G PlayStation Vita will cost £279.99 while the standard wi-fi version will cost £229.99. The March issue of What Mobile magazine will carry a full review of the UK PlayStation Vita, on sale 16th February. If you’re already sold on the premise of the PlayStation Vita, GAME are currently offering an exclusive pre-order bundle with headphones and a PlayStation Network voucher.
