Is The PSP Vita Worth It?

You’re thinking is the PSP Vita worth it.  It’s a difficult decision, and costs a medium serious sum of money.  Here I will go through all the reasons to get a PSP Vita, and to not get a PSP Vita.  Note, PSP Vita is also known as the PSP 2.

Reasons To Buy PSP Vita

  • Beautiful graphics on a large screen.
  • Twin thumb sticks make it potentially great for shooters.
  • Few good PSP Vita exclusive games yet.
  • Free online.

Once PSP Vita has more games it will be a definite buy.  Once the games prices drop, it will be a definite buy.  Until that point, it is still a questionable purchase.

Reasons To Not Buy PSP Vita

  • Expensive games compared to iPad, iPhone and Android.
  • Back touchscreen is a useless gimmick.
  • PSP Vita takes special Sony memory cards which are very expensive compared to generic versions.
  • Apple release a new iPad or iPhone every year.  Sony expects the PSP Vita to last 5 years minimum.  It will become very old and dated very quickly.
  • Half the battery life of the iPad/iPhone.  The PSP Vita battery life is just 3-5 hours for gaming, 5 hours for video and 9 hours for music.

I have compared the PSP Vita extensively to the Apple iPad, iPhone and iTouch devices here because that is the main competition for gaming.

Is the PSP 2 worth it?

Now here we are at the end.  Is the PSP Vita worth it?  Should you but one?  That is up to you to decide.  What I will say is buy the PSP Vita only if you are happy to use it for 2 years max before it becomes dated.  After 2 years the graphics of the PSP Vita will look terrible compared to Android and Apple devices of that time point.

The games for the PSP Vita are very expensive compared to Apple and Android devices too.  And there are no apps for anything useful like on the iPhone or ice cream sandwich for Android.  PSP Vita is literally just a gaming and Internet device.

Like my prediction on the 3DS, I think the time of single function gaming devices is over.  Once you have tried an iPad or iPhone or Android device it is difficult to be constrained by the PSP Vitas lack of choices and expensive games.

I would not buy one until average games are under $10 and blockbuster games are under $20.  I would pay $30 for a premium AAA twin stick FPS with online, like a new Call of Duty COD or the next EA Battlefield game.  I do not play indie or casual mom games, and so they are of no interest to my PSP Vita purchase.

In the end, if I buy a PSP Vita it is to play amazing games.  If Sony can make great games I want to play, then I will buy a PSP Vita right this minute.  Until then, hold on the purchase of the PSP Vita.


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4 Responses to Is The PSP Vita Worth It?

  1. It is a big no for me. The gaming handheld is a wonder to hold but its cost is outrageous. 100 bucks for a 32 gigabyte memory card…. Really Sony? To add to that shortcoming, there are the extreme lack of ps vita games. There is Killzone, and Uncharted but all the other “so called” vita exclusives are those I already purchased for consoles. This was a waste of 300 bucks along with that so called memory card. This is my opinion, if you’re going to spend all that money; you’re better off getting a next gen console. Heck, I would be happier if I had bought a 3DS, at least then I could get some games on it!.

    • Actually, I think the best thing to do would be to get a PS4, PS Vita and a Playatation plus membership. With the Playstation plus you get free games every month. And the games on playstation plus are good AAA games! Not like the junk xbox gives for free. But buying all three things will get expensive fast, like nearly $1000. Is gaming worth that much?.

      • Is gaming worth that much? That’s a question you have to ask yourself… To me? It is, to me, $1000 is a small price to pay.
        I have a top tier gaming PC that I built myself, is watercooled, and cost me around $4000, to build myself. If that was an alienware or such it would’ve probably been $10k…
        I also own a PS3, Xbox360, Wii, PSP, etc…
        I haven’t been into handhelds in a while now, but am in the market for one. I do have a PS4 on preorder, but it will most likely see very little play time except for exclusives that I can’t play on PC.
        But back to handhelds, I want one. I am caught between a PS Vita and 3DS. I love rpgs, I like shooter. I like pokemon, but I love jrpgs, Im partial to Playstation…

        I just am trying to decide if the PS Vita is a wothwhile investment over a 3ds.

        • How about picking a PS Vita and the flat 2DS?

          Also, the PS4 might have a special bundle with a PS Vita on release because they work well together. Lots of options!.