Perhaps the biggest launch event in Sony’s history saw the reveal of their handheld gaming device called PS Vita which is a predecessor for the PlayStation portable. Way better than any other handheld gaming and media streaming device like Nintendo DS, PS Vita will surely take the technology entertainment world by the storm. The overall design looks more or so like the PSP with attractive nifty improvement but it’s what lies under the hood of this handheld gaming device that matters. Honed by an ARM Cortex-A9 core (4 cores) processor, SGX543MP4+ GPU, video RAM of 128 MB and 512 MB main memory; the handheld gaming devices packs a punch all-right. The display is impressive too with OLED multi-touch capacitive 5 inch (16:9) screen with a resolution of 960X544 having 16 million colors.
The front and back cameras are impressive with a camera frame rate of 120 fps at 320X240 (QVGA) and 60 fps 640X480 (VGA) which is sharper than Nintendo DS, but I guess you might not be using it for taking images. PS Vita weighs at around 9.8 ounces and has dimensions at 3.3 by 7.2 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and has Bluetooth support as well. 3G and WiFi connectivity is also an option if you buy the PS Vita model that supports these functionalities, so you can extend your entertainment experience even further.
Coming on to the gameplay layout of PS Vita it is traditional PlayStation style with direction pads, four face buttons, start and select buttons, PlayStation button, two shoulder buttons and two analog sticks for controlling the in-game movements. Combine this with the front touch screen and back track pad and one has enough control in the games which enhances the experience even further.
The six-axis motion sensing system with three-axis gyroscope, three axis accelerometer and three axis electronic compass gives the device a very unique gameplay experience which compares to none other handheld device.
The interface has also been revamped considerably with a change over from the old XrossMediaBar (XMB) menu design of its earlier devices to a new one which looks more like a smartphone menu interface. The device comes with a preloaded web browser, music player, video player and photo gallery interface for storing pictures taken by the camera.
The best part is the huge line up of game titles launched for the PS Vita and they include some of the most popular games that we are accustomed to playing on the PC, PlayStation or Xbox along with some special titles only for PS Vita. Some of these include Uncharted Golden Abyss, Reality Fighters, Everybody’s Golf, Asphalt Injection, F1 2011, Top Darts, Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition, Ridge Racer, Silent Hill Book of Memories, Pure Chess, EA Sports FIFA Football and many other titles.
