Review: Sony Slims down Playstation Vita

€199.99

When the PlayStation Vita launched in Japan at the end of 2011, there were high hopes that it would be a hit with consumers, echoing the PlayStation Portable and putting Sony back on the map.

But times had changed considerably and mobile devices were gaining a considerable grip in the portable gaming market. Nintendo suffered the same fate with the 3DS; when you take into account the convenience and value for money of tablets and smartphones plus the games, the additional expense for the Vita seemed a little too much for most games fans.

Sony has gone back to the drawing board, as it has previous form for doing , and cast a more critical eye over its handheld console.

The result is the Vita Slim. It replaces the original device whose manufacture stopped at the start of the year.

Everything on the Vita Slim has been trimmed down, from its size and weight to its screen technology. Presumably, this is to help trim down one of the most important features to consumers: the price.

The new console is priced at €200, which compares to around €250 for the original at launch. So how does it compare with the mark one Vita?

The good . . .

If you found the original Vita hard to handle, your irritation has been answered. Its successor’s slimmed down dimensions make the it much easier to hold and access controls, although the rear touch panel is still slightly awkward to operate.

The new version comes with 1GB of internal storage, so there is no need to go and spend out money on a memory card if you want to purchase your games digitally and who wants game cards lying around anyway?

They’re an inconvenience to carry and store, so the download option makes much more sense.

The charging cable is micro USB, so no more proprietary chargers, which is a relief. That means no more scrambling for a single cable that will inevitably get lost. If you have an android or Windows phone, you’ll have plenty lying about the house already. Battery life has been improved on the new Vita, eking out an extra hour or two of gaming, web browsing– whatever you want to do.

The price is also a little more palatable.

The bad . . .

Put the Vita and the Vita Slim side by side and you’ll notice a difference in the screen quality.

That’s because the Vita Slim has an LCD screen compared with the original Vita’s OLED touch screen. While both have their advantages, the OLED screen looks considerably better, especially in terms of colour reproduction. Both screens are the same size, however, and, unless you have them side by side, it’s unlikely that you’d notice the slightly less favourable quality of the LCD. It’s also worth remembering that the change in screen is likely to be responsible for the boost in battery life.

& the rest . . .

Sony’s second crack at this portable console keeps a vital component for the PS Vita: its control system.

As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Sony has been wise to heed this.

The Vita Slim may also have one important thing in its favour that its predecessor didn’t: the link with the PlayStation 4. Although the original Vita has the same capacity to function as a second screen for the PS4 while streaming games from it, it didn’t have that feature when it launched. Combined with the cheaper price tag, it might just be enough to give the new console that extra boost in sales.

While the Vita Slim comes with built in storage space, you’ll probably end up buying a memory card anyway, because with many of the games available on download, that internal storage will be rammed to capacity in no time. Game saves and system updates will all eat into that space.

The 3G connectivity is still optional, though you will pay for the privilege.

The verdict

HHHH The sleeker Vita performs just as well as its predecessor and handles a little better. But will a price cut be enough to persuade gamers to upgrade?