PlayStation Vita Hyped as Challenger to iPod Touch

[Michael Essany]

If it seems that every new gadget that comes down the pike is eventually referred to as a "rival" to one or more iDevices, you're not alone in that estimation. This week, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Sony hyped its next-generation gaming device - the PlayStation Vita - which will turn up in the US before the end of 2011.

The new device is aimed at competing with the likes of Apple's iPod Touch and the plethora of smartphones and tablets on the market. After the device was first unveiled in January, the show on Monday revealed other details, including the name and basic price.

Clearly, some are calling it a competitor to the iPod touch. Priced at $250 (or $299 for the 3G version), Sony says the handheld gaming system is ready and able to take on all challenges and become a major player in the realm of must-have portable devices. Taking a page from the first three years of Apple's US iPhone strategy, Sony revealed that it will work exclusively with AT&T as the carrier for the Vita.

No shortage of mobile gaming fans, however, are psyched about the PlayStation Vita, which serves up a quad-core processor as well as quad-core graphics to go with dual analog sticks and - you guessed it - front and rear-facing cameras. Still, despite what most see as "competitive" pricing, some analysts believe that Sony is putting too-high a price tag on the Vita for its initial market introduction. "That's fine for core gamers who want to play games all the time, but it's too expensive for the mass market," Dan Ernst, a Hudson Square research analyst, tells Yahoo Finance.

Regardless of whether the Vita will hit it big and capture some of the iPod touch market share, the global games market is more lucrative now than ever, with some projections putting the market at $65 billion this year, an increase from $62.7 billion in 2010.

Source: Yahoo Finance

[OETProductions]

I don't see myself getting this!

[unison999]

I would get wifi version.
Hate iPhone with no analog stick, not everything have to be digital jobs.

[jasvncnt10]

Yeah....cause they did so well with the PSP. Should have been called POS.

[Zeal]

I personally hate games on the iTouch or iPhone -_-

[Imahottguy]

This is how the PSP should have been from the get go. Problem is $250 is WAY too much money for a portable gaming system. To compete with the iPod Touch, this device would need to do more than just play games. I bet it will have some crappy UI for a web browser, and a FS Explorer and a music player, but that is not enough. The iPod Touch is not successful just because there are some cool-ish games for it. It is successful because of the iOS and the App Store- two things that Sony will never have.

I want to like this, I reallly do. However, at that price point, I could never justify picking one up. If the price were, say, $189, then you have got a winner. The psychological aspect of having the device under $200 is huge, I would think that Sony gets that.

I love how people hate on the games for iOS. They act as if the sole reason the iPod Touch is around is for gaming. Apple could release their very own gaming handheld, but they realize that the bus for that came and gone. PSP is made for gaming, that is the sole purpose of the device. The fact that it can go online, and play music are little added bonuses.

I personally love iOS games. I'm not a hardcore gamer, and I like simple games that I can pick up and play for a few minutes at a time. iOS is great for that. There are a few games that try to compete with the likes of the DS and PSP, and some do well. Thing is, they are on different levels. PSP = Games, iPT = Games, Apps, Media, etc.

[ensigma]

This is how the PSP should have been from the get go. Problem is $250 is WAY too much money for a portable gaming system. To compete with the iPod Touch, this device would need to do more than just play games. I bet it will have some crappy UI for a web browser, and a FS Explorer and a music player, but that is not enough. The iPod Touch is not successful just because there are some cool-ish games for it. It is successful because of the iOS and the App Store- two things that Sony will never have.

I want to like this, I reallly do. However, at that price point, I could never justify picking one up. If the price were, say, $189, then you have got a winner. The psychological aspect of having the device under $200 is huge, I would think that Sony gets that.

speaking from a direct sense, no sony will never have iOS or app store since that's apple exclusive, but they do have their own versions which of course is still inferior

[mmaboi21]

This is how the PSP should have been from the get go. Problem is $250 is WAY too much money for a portable gaming system. To compete with the iPod Touch, this device would need to do more than just play games. I bet it will have some crappy UI for a web browser, and a FS Explorer and a music player, but that is not enough. The iPod Touch is not successful just because there are some cool-ish games for it. It is successful because of the iOS and the App Store- two things that Sony will never have.

I want to like this, I reallly do. However, at that price point, I could never justify picking one up. If the price were, say, $189, then you have got a winner. The psychological aspect of having the device under $200 is huge, I would think that Sony gets that.

I love how people hate on the games for iOS. They act as if the sole reason the iPod Touch is around is for gaming. Apple could release their very own gaming handheld, but they realize that the bus for that came and gone. PSP is made for gaming, that is the sole purpose of the device. The fact that it can go online, and play music are little added bonuses.

I personally love iOS games. I'm not a hardcore gamer, and I like simple games that I can pick up and play for a few minutes at a time. iOS is great for that. There are a few games that try to compete with the likes of the DS and PSP, and some do well. Thing is, they are on different levels. PSP = Games, iPT = Games, Apps, Media, etc.

Very very true, you figure 50 more bucks and you have a ps3... thats a ridiculous price.
Great point bro

[MetallicaFan1991]

This is how the PSP should have been from the get go. Problem is $250 is WAY too much money for a portable gaming system. To compete with the iPod Touch, this device would need to do more than just play games. I bet it will have some crappy UI for a web browser, and a FS Explorer and a music player, but that is not enough. The iPod Touch is not successful just because there are some cool-ish games for it. It is successful because of the iOS and the App Store- two things that Sony will never have.

I want to like this, I reallly do. However, at that price point, I could never justify picking one up. If the price were, say, $189, then you have got a winner. The psychological aspect of having the device under $200 is huge, I would think that Sony gets that.

I love how people hate on the games for iOS. They act as if the sole reason the iPod Touch is around is for gaming. Apple could release their very own gaming handheld, but they realize that the bus for that came and gone. PSP is made for gaming, that is the sole purpose of the device. The fact that it can go online, and play music are little added bonuses.

I personally love iOS games. I'm not a hardcore gamer, and I like simple games that I can pick up and play for a few minutes at a time. iOS is great for that. There are a few games that try to compete with the likes of the DS and PSP, and some do well. Thing is, they are on different levels. PSP = Games, iPT = Games, Apps, Media, etc.

The DS sales prove otherwise that "bus for handhelds came and went".

$180? Are you kidding? A cheapass 3DS isn't even that cheap.

You get a quad core CPU and a quad core GPU with a OLED screen, for $250, that is cheap.

You don't get decent games on iOS or online play, PSP Vita will have Uncharted and LBP, two games better than any iOS game.

[z3r01]

PSPVita WiFi + MyWi FTW!

[glassJAw]

What! 250.00 for this bad *** machine sign me up. I think the price is perfect to contend with the nintendo 3DS or any iPod touch. For that price you can choose any of the three. When it comes to games for me iOS lacks controls, therefore I really can't get into the game. And Nintendo has games that just don't interest me. I'm so getting this

MetallicaFan1991= Awayze! that's crazy I didn't know that was your handle. Awayze is a beast at MW2!!!

[spazturtle]

The DS sales prove otherwise that "bus for handhelds came and went".

$180? Are you kidding? A cheapass 3DS isn't even that cheap.

You get a quad core CPU and a quad core GPU with a OLED screen, for $250, that is cheap.

You don't get decent games on iOS or online play, PSP Vita will have Uncharted and LBP, two games better than any iOS game.

The quad core is a big fat joke, you can only use one core to run games on. When playing games only two cores are turned on, one for the game and one for the OS.
It is not 3D and has a worse GPU then the 3DS.

[anekin007]

Wow I can't believe the writer thinks iPod touch is a best portable gaming device and the Sony vita is a challenger?! People don't buy iPod touch solely for games and it's not ment to be a gaming system. Compare same game for game Sony and nintendo blows away the iOS games by playability, sound, and graphics. Only reason why games are popular on iOS because most of them are Free or $0.99 compared to $40. I'm sorry if you think $250 is too much for high end portable hardware or maybe iPod touch are overpriced. Yes for $50 more you can get a ps3 but how old is the ps3 which is non portable and how much was it when it released? Game prices have not change much from decades ago systems and games relatively stayed the same. It's nice to see the game industry evolving from just button smashing to motion and touch.

[MetallicaFan1991]

The quad core is a big fat joke, you can only use one core to run games on. When playing games only two cores are turned on, one for the game and one for the OS.
It is not 3D and has a worse GPU then the 3DS.

Clearly you don't know Sony PlayStation products, the 3DS is a crappy low res screen with old graphics and 3D on it sucks without glasses.

So PS3 has a inferior GPU to the Xbox 360 but it still has better graphics, its the quad core CPU then that will do all the work.

Either way it still is a quad core device and will have better graphics than the iPod Touch and 3DS, the OLED screen will help a lot at making colours look nicer as well.

[kaician]

The DS sales prove otherwise that "bus for handhelds came and went".

$180? Are you kidding? A cheapass 3DS isn't even that cheap.

You get a quad core CPU and a quad core GPU with a OLED screen, for $250, that is cheap.

You don't get decent games on iOS or online play, PSP Vita will have Uncharted and LBP, two games better than any iOS game.

1. There is online play with iOS. In fact there are already several MMORPGs out and about.

2. The 3DS is also being lambasted for being such an expensive system for what you get.

The iOS systems aren't dedicated game systems, but if people choose them to play games as much as they are now, and that can affect the companies' bottom lines, they very much become a competitor of the same order.

[spazturtle]

Clearly you don't know Sony PlayStation products, the 3DS is a crappy low res screen with old graphics and 3D on it sucks without glasses.

First the 3DS has a more powerful CPU and GPU than the PS2, second the 3DS has a nice high res screen (800 × 240) it has a slightly higher dpi than the psp vita and the 3D works very well, have you even used one (I have)?

So PS3 has a inferior GPU to the Xbox 360 but it still has better graphics, its the quad core CPU then that will do all the work.

We are not talking about the PS3 so why did you bring that up?

Either way it still is a quad core device and will have better graphics than the iPod Touch and 3DS, the OLED screen will help a lot at making colours look nicer as well.

Like I said the PSP Vita's CPU is a joke, it only uses one core for gaming, one for the OS and god knows what it does with the other two.
People who have played it at E3 say the OLED screen is a bit naf.
Oh and this 'portable' device has 45 minuets of battery life, yup 45, that is what all the people at E3 are saying.



TL;DR
45 minuets of battery life
Ca only use one core for gaming
lower dpi screen than 3DS




EDIT:

What on Earth are you talking about? One core for the OS and one for gaming? I'm not sure how you came up with that but it's far from the truth. This device is sporting a quad-core Cortex A9 SoC. That's a ridiculously powerful piece of silicon without taking the GPU into account.

The way it's motherboard is designed it uses DCT (Dedicated Core Tasks) this does mean though each core can be optimised for its task.

[politicalslug]

The quad core is a big fat joke, you can only use one core to run games on. When playing games only two cores are turned on, one for the game and one for the OS.
It is not 3D and has a worse GPU then the 3DS.

What on Earth are you talking about? One core for the OS and one for gaming? I'm not sure how you came up with that but it's far from the truth. This device is sporting a quad-core Cortex A9 SoC. That's a ridiculously powerful piece of silicon without taking the GPU into account. This device is easily going to claim the title of most powerful ARM based device of 2011. The 3DS, like everything from Nintendo of late, is an underpowered novelty device.

That said, this device will ultimately fail in the market, and not because of hardware. It will fail because the competition, smartphones and iPod touch-like devices, have larger ecosystems with literally hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, and gaming only makes up a fraction of those devices' capability.

[cookie181992]

While the playstation vita is impressive (very impressive in fact) it isnt fair to compare it to the iPod touch.
PSV = dedicated gaming system
iPod touch = personal media player with limited gaming capabilities
It just isnt right to compare them as they are clearly different products

[delusion950]

I would get wifi version.
Hate iPhone with no analog stick, not everything have to be digital jobs.

lol agree =)

[tribe51]

Clearly you don't know Sony PlayStation products, the 3DS is a crappy low res screen with old graphics and 3D on it sucks without glasses.

So PS3 has a inferior GPU to the Xbox 360 but it still has better graphics, its the quad core CPU then that will do all the work.

Either way it still is a quad core device and will have better graphics than the iPod Touch and 3DS, the OLED screen will help a lot at making colours look nicer as well.

Actually 360 and Ps3 have very similar graphics when you take into account that some games look better on one of the systems depending on how and by whom its programmed. That being said, I think the Vita will be the new standard on handheld visuals and that that standard will hold up for quite some time.

I think its unfair to compare the Vita to the DS because the Ds has been bought by many parents for their kids and by gamers who love Nintendo. The PSP and now the Vita are systems that the DS demographic wont be as excited about so I cant see it reaching the crazy sales figures Nintendo as enjoyed with its handhelds. I can see the Vita selling reasonably well to start and then it will take off more once they have price change and get some killer games. This is similar to how things played out with the PS3.

I agree with those who say that the Vita shouldnt be compared to iPod touch/iPhone. I have an iPhone and there are a good number of games that work well with touch screen but its not the same as analog sticks and actual buttons. iOS games are mostly all priced under $10 and we all know that wont be the pricepoint for Vita games so thats, to me, puts them in different categories.

Just my 2 cents.

Youre spot on when referring to device capability. The nicest thing about iOS devices is that they are small and can do many things. This means you have to carry less and not tote around multiple devices in your pocket. I end up playing game son my iPhone when im unexpectedly waiting somewhere or delayed, the device is with me and ready to go. I know I wont be carrying around a device such as the Vita with me at all times. Aside from the durability factor, its just not practical and that is something that will mean less Vita sales as compared to iPod touch/iPhone.