The Portable Gaming Experience: A Look Back at the PlayStation Vita

The PlayStation Vita, also known as PSVita, was a portable gaming device released by Sony in 2011. The device was designed to provide a console-like experience on-the-go, with features such as a large screen, hardware controls, and a robust lineup of games. In this article, we will take a closer look at the PlayStation Vita's capabilities, its performance, and its impact on the gaming industry.

The YouTube App: A Step Back in Time

One of the most notable aspects of the PlayStation Vita was its YouTube app, which looked remarkably similar to those of competing platforms from four years prior. This was a major letdown for some users, who had been expecting more advanced features. However, it's worth noting that the PSVita's screen and speakers were among its highlights, providing an immersive experience that few other portable devices could match.

Trophies: A Layered Incentive System

Another feature of the PlayStation Vita was its trophies system, which provided an added layer of incentive to play games. Trophies were awarded for completing various tasks, from trivial ones like collecting all the coins in a game to more challenging objectives that required actual skill and dedication. This system helped to create a sense of accomplishment and motivation among players, making the gaming experience even more engaging.

Internet Browser: A Solid but Limited Experience

The PSVita's internet browser was not as fully functional as those found on Android devices or iPhones, but it was still quite good. The screen was easy to read, and the device's large size provided enough real estate for a comfortable browsing experience. While it may not have been as robust as some of its competitors, the PSVita's browser was a solid choice for accessing online content.

Performance: A True Console Experience

One of the most impressive aspects of the PlayStation Vita was its performance. When first released in 2011, demos of the device showcased games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which left gamers gobsmacked by its capabilities. The PSVita's hardware and software were designed to provide a console-like experience on-the-go, with visuals, sound, and controls that rivaled those found on traditional gaming consoles.

The Initial Lineup: A Promising Start

When the PSVita was first released, it had a promising lineup of games, including Unit 13, Wipeout 2048, and Everybody's Golf. These titles were well-received by critics and players alike, offering a mix of action, racing, and sports gameplay that showcased the device's capabilities. However, some titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified and Assassin's Creed Liberation failed to live up to expectations.

A Revival with the PlayStation 4

The release of the PlayStation 4 in 2013 brought a new wave of life to the PSVita, thanks to its Remote Play functionality. This allowed players to stream games from their consoles to their devices, offering a seamless gaming experience on-the-go. Games like Muramasa: Rebirth and Killzone: Mercenary showcased the device's capabilities, providing console-quality experiences that were unparalleled in portable gaming.

The Decline of Support

However, by 2014, things started to decline for the PSVita. The removal of support for many apps and the release of Borderlands 2 with a shoddy port left many users disappointed. Despite this, the device still had a solid lineup of games, including titles like Sound Shapes, Gravity Rush, and Persona 4 Golden.

Conclusion: A Masterpiece Worth Preserving

In conclusion, the PlayStation Vita was a masterpiece of portable gaming that stood the test of time. Despite its flaws, it provided an experience that few other devices could match, with features like hardware controls, trophies, and console-quality graphics. While it may not be cutting-edge in today's market, the PSVita remains a beloved device among gamers who appreciate its unique blend of portability and power.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat is up guys Mr H boss here welcome to my full review of the PlayStation V to slim in 2015 to 2016 ah the PlayStation Vita where to begin in 2012 the PlayStation Vita was announced to an incredible appeal we were literally stunned this thing the successor to the PlayStation Portable which was an incredibly good success after a slow start was set to crush the handheld market so here is my full review updated for this current year of the PlayStation V slim starting with the build so when you first pick up the PlayStation V slim I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how light it is although still retaining the look of a premium and luxury piece of Kit it actually feels extremely comfortable in the hands the ergonomics are improved from the original and the curved edges make it fit extremely nicely in the hand it also looks amazing this actually takes a lot of the visual appeal from the PlayStation Portable and UPS it even more with a more modern look while it is truly great that the PlayStation Vita was the first portable device to have two analog sticks they lack resistance and they're a little bit too small to be comfortable in long periods of time the buttons though are extremely nice to press they have a good amount of travel and are not tiring even after quite a bit of use the start and select buttons are are a little bit too recessed but this is not a deal breaker CU you barely need to press them the shoulder buttons are as good as they get on a portable device but that's not to say that anywhere near as good as something like those of the dual shock 4 and not to mention that you're actually lacking two more shoulder buttons now something that actually disappointed me about the PlayStation V slim is that the body actually flexes being primarily a plastic construction and taking a significant hit in the build quality Department from the original this device can occasionally Creek Flex Bend and just feel a little bit worrying in your hand the packaging is so so I mean it looks fairly nice but comes with little else except for the V the things you absolutely need and some AR cards but nonetheless overall I'm fairly impressed with the V slim it's built lightly it's actually comfortable to hold it looks very nice and it's got a matte finish which is a big upgrade from the original moving on features which includes functions and capabilities of the PlayStation betus slim now considering that this review has been updated for 2015 and 2016 I'll be comparing it to those sorts of devices not to those it was originally released against so to begin with we have the display it is a 960x 544 resolution LCD panel and you can tell that even on close inspection it really doesn't actually look that bad even though there are phones with the same screen size and eight times this resolution I have to say when you actually playing it looks just as good the colors are still fine blacks are still fairly deep and contrast is just about on point the range of colors is a little bit more natural than those on the original PlayStation V2 with the OLED display but that does not say that it looks worse it just looks a little bit more muted which some people may prefer now the cameras on the device are pretty horrendous I mean the rear camera and the front camera produce grainy images in low light grainy images in highlight and to be honest it's not something I'd recommend using the PlayStation vaa 4 it'll just about cover your needs in terms of augmented reality but little else now in terms of the apps on offer the PlayStation beta was released with a wide selection this was at the time when Android was slightly less developed and was just coming into its own so compared to those devices in 2012 the PlayStation VA was actually surprisingly well featured since it's release though while Android is skyrocketed with the number of apps sort of doubling or tripling the PlayStation vaita has plummeted with it actually losing support for quite a few of its apps stuff like ni YouTube Facebook has all been taken and updates no longer being supplied having said that though the fact that you can even use things like maps go on the internet surf the web check your emails on the portable games device is more than we can say about the previous generation and perhaps in some cases even the 3DS although the 3DS does offer these features the Playstation Vita and V Slim do it better just as an example I mean the YouTube app on the Vita looks just like the competing platforms did about 4 years ago the speakers and the device are one of its highlights beating still most devices that don't specialize in them then we have trophies which is like an added layer of incentive to actually play the games on top of all the in-game rewards you receive you'll receive this sort of overarching reward system so you'll be rewarded by a bronze trophy for just trivial tasks a silver for difficult tasks and a gold for sort of tasks which actually require real skill and then there's obviously the platinum trophy which is sort of so difficult to actually achieve that people actually take a lot of pride in them and that actually makes it a really great system and I think it does actually help people to play games then you have the internet browser and while not quite as fully functional as an Android device or an iPhone it is actually pretty good it's quite fast the screen is easy to read on and the screen is also large enough for you to have enough real estate to enjoy the experience so now the most important category performance so jumping back a few years to 2011 when we first saw demos of the PlayStation beta or NGP as it was called then playing uncharted golden Abyss we were literally gobsmacked PlayStation Vita was showcased as being able to actually provide the first handheld console experience and they weren't kidding playing on chter Golden Abyss really did feel like you were holding a console in your hands this thing filled aoid that the 3DS didn't and really satisfied a lot of Hardcore Gamers the PlayStation Vita had a seriously strong lineup releasing alongside games like Unit 13 Wipeout 2048 and everybody's golf all of which were pretty well received although none of these quite lived up to the sort of window that was uncharted golden Abyss at least in the visual department they were still very pleasing to the eye there are also some real letdowns in 2012 though such as Call of Duty Black Ops declassified and Assassin's Creed Liberation both of which had incredible potential but both of which let down 2013 was a good year for the Vita with games like muramasa rebirth and kzo mercenary excelling extremely well there was then obviously the hope that PlayStation 4 would bring a Revival to the system with its Remote Play functionality and it games like muramasa and killz and mercenary which truly demonstrated what the system is capable of and that it really could pull off true console quality games games that looked felt and sounded like real console experiences it was really really nice to see and then by 2014 things really started to Plum it of the few games it received Borderlands 2 is obviously the main pull and this could have actually been really great being an incredibly good game and while the fact that you can play this whole thing on the go is impressive the port really is shoddy with issues left right and center and the things didn't really improve in 2015 with support for many apps removed and the games just becoming more of the same having said that though looking back at the PlayStation vaa Library it is very solid I mean right from its launch window right through to the end of 2013 we were getting consistent releases some real AAA titles there and titles which you cannot get a similar experience on the go things like Sound Shapes things like Gravity Rush things like Persona 4 Golden these were true gems and experiences that cannot be had elsewhere the performance of the device in terms of the actual experience of gaming it offers really is quite something else so the verdict Sony created a real Masterpiece the PlayStation Vita amongst all its flaws is a stunning piece of Kit they've managed to create something that has really stood the test of time that even today 4 years after it was first announced PlayStation VA can still compete with modern devices in terms of screen quality battery life controls graphics and features whil it's far from Cutting Edge in this day and age it still offers something that you cannot get elsewhere the ability to play full featured console games on the go the ability to actually use Hardware controls the ability to collect trophies it's all something that is really just PlayStation and not really something your Android phone can replicate whil compared to the original PlayStation Vita the PSV to slim has definitely lost some of its build quality this is easily made up for by Slimmer lighter build inbuilt memory and longer battery life so it's definitely the model I'd recommend you get anyway guys thanks for watching I hope you like this video please give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe for more awhat is up guys Mr H boss here welcome to my full review of the PlayStation V to slim in 2015 to 2016 ah the PlayStation Vita where to begin in 2012 the PlayStation Vita was announced to an incredible appeal we were literally stunned this thing the successor to the PlayStation Portable which was an incredibly good success after a slow start was set to crush the handheld market so here is my full review updated for this current year of the PlayStation V slim starting with the build so when you first pick up the PlayStation V slim I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how light it is although still retaining the look of a premium and luxury piece of Kit it actually feels extremely comfortable in the hands the ergonomics are improved from the original and the curved edges make it fit extremely nicely in the hand it also looks amazing this actually takes a lot of the visual appeal from the PlayStation Portable and UPS it even more with a more modern look while it is truly great that the PlayStation Vita was the first portable device to have two analog sticks they lack resistance and they're a little bit too small to be comfortable in long periods of time the buttons though are extremely nice to press they have a good amount of travel and are not tiring even after quite a bit of use the start and select buttons are are a little bit too recessed but this is not a deal breaker CU you barely need to press them the shoulder buttons are as good as they get on a portable device but that's not to say that anywhere near as good as something like those of the dual shock 4 and not to mention that you're actually lacking two more shoulder buttons now something that actually disappointed me about the PlayStation V slim is that the body actually flexes being primarily a plastic construction and taking a significant hit in the build quality Department from the original this device can occasionally Creek Flex Bend and just feel a little bit worrying in your hand the packaging is so so I mean it looks fairly nice but comes with little else except for the V the things you absolutely need and some AR cards but nonetheless overall I'm fairly impressed with the V slim it's built lightly it's actually comfortable to hold it looks very nice and it's got a matte finish which is a big upgrade from the original moving on features which includes functions and capabilities of the PlayStation betus slim now considering that this review has been updated for 2015 and 2016 I'll be comparing it to those sorts of devices not to those it was originally released against so to begin with we have the display it is a 960x 544 resolution LCD panel and you can tell that even on close inspection it really doesn't actually look that bad even though there are phones with the same screen size and eight times this resolution I have to say when you actually playing it looks just as good the colors are still fine blacks are still fairly deep and contrast is just about on point the range of colors is a little bit more natural than those on the original PlayStation V2 with the OLED display but that does not say that it looks worse it just looks a little bit more muted which some people may prefer now the cameras on the device are pretty horrendous I mean the rear camera and the front camera produce grainy images in low light grainy images in highlight and to be honest it's not something I'd recommend using the PlayStation vaa 4 it'll just about cover your needs in terms of augmented reality but little else now in terms of the apps on offer the PlayStation beta was released with a wide selection this was at the time when Android was slightly less developed and was just coming into its own so compared to those devices in 2012 the PlayStation VA was actually surprisingly well featured since it's release though while Android is skyrocketed with the number of apps sort of doubling or tripling the PlayStation vaita has plummeted with it actually losing support for quite a few of its apps stuff like ni YouTube Facebook has all been taken and updates no longer being supplied having said that though the fact that you can even use things like maps go on the internet surf the web check your emails on the portable games device is more than we can say about the previous generation and perhaps in some cases even the 3DS although the 3DS does offer these features the Playstation Vita and V Slim do it better just as an example I mean the YouTube app on the Vita looks just like the competing platforms did about 4 years ago the speakers and the device are one of its highlights beating still most devices that don't specialize in them then we have trophies which is like an added layer of incentive to actually play the games on top of all the in-game rewards you receive you'll receive this sort of overarching reward system so you'll be rewarded by a bronze trophy for just trivial tasks a silver for difficult tasks and a gold for sort of tasks which actually require real skill and then there's obviously the platinum trophy which is sort of so difficult to actually achieve that people actually take a lot of pride in them and that actually makes it a really great system and I think it does actually help people to play games then you have the internet browser and while not quite as fully functional as an Android device or an iPhone it is actually pretty good it's quite fast the screen is easy to read on and the screen is also large enough for you to have enough real estate to enjoy the experience so now the most important category performance so jumping back a few years to 2011 when we first saw demos of the PlayStation beta or NGP as it was called then playing uncharted golden Abyss we were literally gobsmacked PlayStation Vita was showcased as being able to actually provide the first handheld console experience and they weren't kidding playing on chter Golden Abyss really did feel like you were holding a console in your hands this thing filled aoid that the 3DS didn't and really satisfied a lot of Hardcore Gamers the PlayStation Vita had a seriously strong lineup releasing alongside games like Unit 13 Wipeout 2048 and everybody's golf all of which were pretty well received although none of these quite lived up to the sort of window that was uncharted golden Abyss at least in the visual department they were still very pleasing to the eye there are also some real letdowns in 2012 though such as Call of Duty Black Ops declassified and Assassin's Creed Liberation both of which had incredible potential but both of which let down 2013 was a good year for the Vita with games like muramasa rebirth and kzo mercenary excelling extremely well there was then obviously the hope that PlayStation 4 would bring a Revival to the system with its Remote Play functionality and it games like muramasa and killz and mercenary which truly demonstrated what the system is capable of and that it really could pull off true console quality games games that looked felt and sounded like real console experiences it was really really nice to see and then by 2014 things really started to Plum it of the few games it received Borderlands 2 is obviously the main pull and this could have actually been really great being an incredibly good game and while the fact that you can play this whole thing on the go is impressive the port really is shoddy with issues left right and center and the things didn't really improve in 2015 with support for many apps removed and the games just becoming more of the same having said that though looking back at the PlayStation vaa Library it is very solid I mean right from its launch window right through to the end of 2013 we were getting consistent releases some real AAA titles there and titles which you cannot get a similar experience on the go things like Sound Shapes things like Gravity Rush things like Persona 4 Golden these were true gems and experiences that cannot be had elsewhere the performance of the device in terms of the actual experience of gaming it offers really is quite something else so the verdict Sony created a real Masterpiece the PlayStation Vita amongst all its flaws is a stunning piece of Kit they've managed to create something that has really stood the test of time that even today 4 years after it was first announced PlayStation VA can still compete with modern devices in terms of screen quality battery life controls graphics and features whil it's far from Cutting Edge in this day and age it still offers something that you cannot get elsewhere the ability to play full featured console games on the go the ability to actually use Hardware controls the ability to collect trophies it's all something that is really just PlayStation and not really something your Android phone can replicate whil compared to the original PlayStation Vita the PSV to slim has definitely lost some of its build quality this is easily made up for by Slimmer lighter build inbuilt memory and longer battery life so it's definitely the model I'd recommend you get anyway guys thanks for watching I hope you like this video please give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe for more a\n"