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Topic: New Sony handheld?

Posts 21 to 40 of 40

JLPick

As far as it would be, I'd love to see Sony make a new handheld, but only if it's as nice as the PSP was in sales. PSP had many great games, and so did the VITA, but they both became hidden in stores compared to nintendo's handheld. The DS at the time had an extensive library that kept growing even when the PSP was born...many companies seemed to ditch the PSP (which was far better in graphics and design) and brought them over to DS instead (where the money was and the install base was). VITA was a great system...great graphics and was able to play a PS3 title, where 3DS was able to play an N64 title (with New 3DS able to play a Wii title)...but 3DS still had a bigger fanbase. Going back to it, even Sega and Atari couldn't compete in the handheld market, but Sony lasted a lot longer than they did. As I'd love to see a new Playstation Portable, I don't see them wasting the money to do so, especially since Playstation TV flopped and they still have yet to prove that Playstation VR is going to have a long lifespan...plus, they just made a more powerful PS4, and with the PS4 starting to go through it's time (I think it's coming up 4 years old), they'll be worrying about making a PS5 instead of a portable.

With this in mind, and if the Switch becomes a huge success...I can definitely see (not just Sony but also Microsoft) trying to cash in on some of that, by making their next systems also be a portable too (except with better graphics and stronger hardware). Yeah, I can see a PS5 home console/portable and an Xbox home console/portable...but I don't see Sony making a portable with the fact that they have a huge hit with the PS4 (which could soon outsell the PS2, which is still rated as the highest selling console of all time). Time will tell, and they never did do what they wanted to do with the VITA and PS3, so I could see them doing something in the future, but not for a while.

JLPick

PSN: JLpick

Rudy_Manchego

@kyleforrester87 I think so - I mean, they make tablets so the supply chain is still there and streaming games/content isn't the same as running locally so specs can be standard tablet specs.

Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot

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Mahe

@JLPick Just face it, DS, 2DS and 3DS were just better than the competing Sony systems. I played a fair amount with my PSP, but I played a lot more with my DS. Same thing with 2DS vs. Vita.

But this time Nintendo doesn't have a real portable in the market, so a PS Vita successor could do well, and it could actually be the go-to option for handheld gamers.

Mahe

themcnoisy

@Mahe Just face it, DS, 2DS and 3DS were just better than the competing Sony systems.

In what way though? The graphics are way better on Vita, the
Screens better, some of the games are brilliant and P4G is the best JRPG, Wipeout 2048 the best racer, Diagaea the best SRPG. Obviously the DS family are awesome too, Mario and Professor Leyton (possibly best puzzler / detective game) are some of my favourites over there.

But, the memory card situation is a catastrophe on Vita. Its so disgusting in the pricing that if another company forces proprietary memory solutions onto a product I'm never EVER buying it.

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Nintendo 2017: Super Mario Bros 3
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PSN: mc_noisy

kyleforrester87

@themcnoisy The memory card issue sucks, but I dont personally feel it contributed a whole lot to Vitas problems. It was the kind of problem a lot of people realised after they'd purchased the thing lol. Yeah it probably put people off buying some new games but I dunno.. The real problem for Vita was people expected PS3 style games on a piece of hardware with a fraction of the install base. Same problem PSVR will suffer from IMO..

3DS games are generally lower budget. As a piece of kit though the Vita far excels any Nintendo handheld. But obviously Nintendos are the more accomplished handheld systems overall.

Still, all that said and done, my 3DS is only used for 2 games where as my Vita saw 20+ so..

Edited on by kyleforrester87

kyleforrester87

PSN: WigSplitter1987

themcnoisy

@kyleforrester87 your probably right. The advent of Mobile phone popularity has had a huge effect, not just for games. Right now I could be sat on my vita - but I'm not. I'm on my phone. Maybe that's just the way of things. I have bought maybe 3 newspapers in over a year whereas I used to buy at least one a week. Maybe there's a place for handhelds but unless you go on a console strike like me then when the hell are you meant to play it?

I still think the memory card pricing is a joke.

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PSN: mc_noisy

JLPick

Never said the 3DS was not better, but the graphics were definitely better on the VITA. I don't own a VITA anymore, but I still have a 3DS for a few titles...don't really play it too much anymore though, but never stated that the 3DS was not better. 3DS had a lot more games, but some were shovel ware and the same old same old titles to just make a quick buck...others were superb for what the system could handle and really showed it off well. VITA, in my opinion, was a good system, but the expensive memory cards, the more Mature titles and the length of most of the titles (something that you wouldn't want to do if you were indeed playing on the go...you're going to want continuous saves in most titles) where what kept many people away, and nintendo has the kid-friendly theme going for them, which is why parents would rather see their kids playing on the 3DS (which even the system itself looks more kid-friendly than the vita) rather than the Sony mobile. Vita, I wasn't too greatly fond of, but PSP I loved to death! 3DS just has more of what I wanted...Mario, Zelda and Kirby and a boat load of puzzle titles, sim titles and party-type titles...Vita and PSP had the 'real' sports sims and the action adventure titles. Again, never stated the 3DS was bad compared to the VITA, but I'm not the nintendo fan that I once was either (Wii U was horrible in my opinion and I never fell in love with the Wii or 3DS like I did the original Gameboy and Gamecube)...and I'm still not feeling the hype for the Switch...not too impressive to me, but that could change later on.@Mahe

JLPick

PSN: JLpick

JLPick

Wait until people have to buy the memory cards for the Switch...they'll be acting like that's fine and they're pretty expensive too...Vita was horrible with the costs of them, and if Sony can make a handheld that doesn't use the expensive ones, I'd be in for them again...I always thought that was the main thing that kept people away from the VITA the most, because the VITA was a great system...still is.@kyleforrester87

JLPick

PSN: JLpick

Rudy_Manchego

The point of the Vita was to try and iterate on the PSP and bring console gaming handheld which is something the DS, 2DS and 3DS never set out or professed to do. The Nintendo systems are simpler and cheaper to produce for.

The core issue of the Vita was that it wasn't cheap to produce AAA games for, especially to utilise features etc. What tends to happen on Nintendo handhelds is that AAA games come out for consoles and then publishers produce a 'port' which is really a cheap cash in using the brand name for the smaller console. It costs a fraction of the console version but with brand recognition can be expected to flog a good few units.

With the Vita, you couldn't easily do a cheap conversion because actually, you could produce a fully fledged game on the hardware. That means more developers, more development time. That means it needs a biiig install base or a loooot of first party support from Sony. Neither happened which meant no one was going to invest that time to produce the necessary games. Then it becomes the old console viscious cirlce - no one buys system - no one invests in system- no one buys system.

The other point raised a lot of times on here is whether people do want console games on the go or if they want the quick pick up and play experiences that the DS, 3DS etc. are quite good at. The Switch is probably going to find out!

Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot

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BAMozzy

The main issue with the Vita was the price. On launch it cost more than a PS3 or Xbox360 did and you could buy a 3DS or DSi for a LOT less money. It also launched at the wrong time - with Smart-phones and now tablets taking over as the 'portable' option. These devices could play games as well as allow you to check emails, surf the web etc and when you got home, you have a console that offered gaming on a big screen with better graphics etc. Its more 'convenient' to carry just a smartphone than multiple devices.

The last handheld I had was a DSi and that only ever got used when I was sat in a doctors/hospital waiting room. If I was going out anywhere, I drove so couldn't game anyway. In the end that just gathered dust until I gave it to my Son to replace his that broke. I don't think he uses it anymore as he uses his smartphone and/or tablet because they are more versatile.

A pessimist is just an optimist with experience!

Why can't life be like gaming? Why can't I restart from an earlier checkpoint??

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kyleforrester87

@JLPick Yeah I'm not discounting the price of memory cards would have put the more educated buyer off but I agree with @Rudy_Manchego:

The core issue of the Vita was that it wasn't cheap to produce AAA games for, especially to utilise features etc. What tends to happen on Nintendo handhelds is that AAA games come out for consoles and then publishers produce a 'port' which is really a cheap cash in using the brand name for the smaller console. It costs a fraction of the console version but with brand recognition can be expected to flog a good few units.

With the Vita, you couldn't easily do a cheap conversion because actually, you could produce a fully fledged game on the hardware. That means more developers, more development time. That means it needs a biiig install base or a loooot of first party support from Sony. Neither happened which meant no one was going to invest that time to produce the necessary games. Then it becomes the old console viscious cirlce - no one buys system - no one invests in system- no one buys system.

It will always be software that makes or breaks the success of a console, and the Vita just didn't have the install base to support development of enough of the kind of games that it was marketed as being able to run. Of course, install base is tied to price (whether that be the Vita itself or its accessories) so it's a chicken and egg situation. So to that extent I agree, it could always be argued the other way, too.

I guess it's always about the right place at the right time at the right price!

Edited on by kyleforrester87

kyleforrester87

PSN: WigSplitter1987

kyleforrester87

@KratosMD Yeah it did have a bad launch but it was ultimately saved by consistently released quality software that didn't cost an arm and a leg to develop along with the price cut you mentioned that obviously helped things along. I guess Sony just weren't in a position to reduce the price of the Vita so quickly, and probably relied on the overpriced memory cards to make up for low profits on the Vita overall.

I am not sure it was an unwillingness to reduce costs, likely they just weren't able to do so.

Edited on by kyleforrester87

kyleforrester87

PSN: WigSplitter1987

Octane

@KratosMD Almost. It launched at $250 in March (February in Japan) and got a price cut at the end of July from $250 to $170.

Octane

Tasuki

I think price and competition killed the Vita in the end. I never owned a Vita, I have a 3DS but hardly play it as I am not a handheld gamer. I have even taken my 3DS with me when I go out of town on vacation and such but I never play it as I am too busy usually. With Smartphones and tablets people usually have them on them for other reasons other then for gaming, yet if they do want a game they have that option too, we're as a Vita or 3DS or primeary gaming systems. And I know mobile gaming has that stigmata that oh those are shovelware games and pay to win they aren't real games. A person would be surprised how many "real" games they have on those stores. For example the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series are available through the store. What about games like Pac-man 256, Lara Croft Go that started on mobile devices and then went to consoles? Pinball Arcade Table Top Racer? I can go on.

Now as far as games go the Vita had some good ones but again the two factors mentioned above is what kept alot of people from playing them.

I also think the PSTV would have done alot better for the Vita market if Sony would have marketed it right (like maybe call it Vita Home or something like that) But the TV name confused to many people who thought it was something like an Apple TV and able to stream stuff like Netflix and Hulu. But then again IMO those people were just stupid and didn't actually look into what it does just just assumed because it was called TV it was a streaming device, but I digress.

As I stated before I am not a handheld gamer, as I prefer to game on a big tv so I actually love the PSTV as it let's me play all these great Vita games on the comfort of my couch, I actually think that Sony had a great idea just bad marketing and stupid consumers ruined it.

But yeah just like the Wii U it was too much and just not advertised well.

RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.

My Backlog

PSN: Tasuki3711

Mahe

Some of the previous posts say that price was a dealbreaker for Vita and that's at least partially true. The launch price was too high, and the memory card prices were ridiculous. If Sony makes a new handheld, they need to pay attention to pricing.

Mahe

CrazyOtto

Another possibility is that it could be a digital-only portable PS4.

CrazyOtto

Mahe

CrazyOtto wrote:

Another possibility is that it could be a digital-only portable PS4.

This doesn't seem probable. The PS4 chipset has been designed as a home console, and even PS4 Slim isn't power-efficient or small enough to be considered viable for a portable modification.

If Sony does have a new handheld, it will have to have a different chipset designed with handheld use as its target.

Mahe

Rudy_Manchego

@ngallo22 I'd love to see it but to be honest, I don't see it happening. To be able to play PS4 games would mean some serious hardware which would make it expensive and probably a bit too bulky. The Switch is amazing but just can't run those type of games.

I think Nintendo have made that gamble and won with the portability but not sure that Sony would want the investment necessary to get another console off the ground, particularly with the Pro and PSVR just launching.

I'm with you though, a Vita 2 would indeed be awesome!

Now I may be an idiot, but there's one thing I am not sir, and that sir, is an idiot

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BAMozzy

@Rudy_Manchego The main issue is the battery. The technology is there to make a PS4 in a handheld essentially but the battery life would suffer - powering a 1080p screen, running at sufficient speed etc. When you look at the size of a SoC - just look at the size of the Scorpio's for example which is 3.5x the power of a PS4 but they could reduce the size down for the 1.86tflops to match the PS4. Stick on 8GB RAM and link that all together on a Motherboard - together with a decent flash memory (look at the size of a micro SD card - I know a 512GB is expensive but shows its possible - and that's assuming they keep a comparative storage capacity). Cooling would be an issue as well but the biggest problem would still be battery life - especially if you wanted to keep the weight and size down - to run all that, keep it cool and make it at a 'competitive' cost.

This is the Switch Teardown - look at the size of the motherboard (the odd shaped circuit board), the chip etc and there is quite a bit of 'space' on that motherboard that isn't utilised. Its also tiny - maybe a third of the size of the Switch itself. If Sony went for a 7.2" touchscreen, the size of an iPod mini for example, yes it maybe 'bigger' but would enable a bigger motherboard to fit a bigger SoC and more RAM too. No doubt it would be heavier and possibly thicker with the need for more cooling and a bigger battery to power it all. If they kept with 'fixed' controllers, that would enable more room to spread the build out. It does make it less 'pocket' friendly but its still as portable as an iPad.

Like I said, I have no doubts its possible. The main problem is the cost in making it and then selling at a competitive price. I doubt it would make financial sense though

Edited on by BAMozzy

A pessimist is just an optimist with experience!

Why can't life be like gaming? Why can't I restart from an earlier checkpoint??

Feel free to add me but please send a message so I know where you know me from...

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