playstationvita
Latest
IRL: A look back at the original PlayStation Vita
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. For now, the new PlayStation Vita is available in Japan only, which leaves US gamers with a tough predicament: pay through the nose to import it, or settle for the old model. Even our own Mat Smith, who owns the original Vita, is finding it tough to recommend it over the 2013 edition. But oh, how he does miss that OLED screen.
Minecraft creeps to PlayStation 3 on December 17th
The extensive console exclusivity period Microsoft enjoyed with Minecaft on Xbox 360 is coming to a close, as the first-person world-building game digs in on PlayStation 3 tomorrow. Like its 360 brethren, Minecraft on PS3 is limited by the console's minuscule RAM -- the procedurally-generated worlds you'll explore are just a wee bit smaller than what's possible on a computer. Of course, PlayStation 3 isn't the last stop for the Minecraft train: Vita, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions are all expected at some point in 2014. It's unclear whether the PlayStation version of Minecraft will experience the same flood of add-on, PlayStation-specific content as DLC post-launch, but developer Mojang says that, "would be cool!" We can't help but agree. As far as price is concerned, Mojang and Sony aren't saying; we're gonna take a wild guess that it'll be about the same as on 360, where it's $20.
PlayStation 4 and PS Vita bundle now available in the UK, but it's no bargain
Remember that rumored PlayStation 4 and PS Vita bundle that was due to reach the UK in time for the holidays? It's now official -- if not the discount that some were hoping for. Sony UK head Fergal Gara tells Eurogamer that some stores are carrying the device combo starting today, but it will cost only slightly less than the £500 ($816) you'd pay to get the systems one at a time. Appropriately, a few shops will offer a "soft bundle" that involves regular PS4 and Vita boxes. The kit doesn't make much financial sense, then, but Gara describes this as a philosophical move that highlights the PS4's Remote Play feature. To us, the real problem will be supply; when the PS4 is flying off shelves, there may not be many bundles to sell in the first place.
PlayStation 4 mobile app headed to Vita in next update, dubbed 'PS4 Link'
When is Sony's PlayStation 4 mobile app coming to Android and iOS? That's still unknown, but apparently it'll arrive on Sony's own PlayStation Vita handheld in the "next update." That's according to SCE Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida answering questions on Twitter (as per usual). He also refers to the app as "PS4 Link" -- in previous sightings, the software was referred to as the "PlayStation App." As for when the next update arrives on Vita that's another unknown, though we'd expect as much before the PS4's November 15th retail launch. Sony says the app will enable browsing your friends list and messaging players, watching and sharing streamed gameplay clips, and more -- it also stands to reason that Vita's version of the app will enable Remote Play functionality, though we'll have to put it to the test later this year when Sony's new game console arrives at Engadget HQ.
New PlayStation Vita and PS Vita TV eyes-on
Two new devices from Sony today -- and we're still a little shocked. Alongside a thinner, improved PS Vita, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House took to the stage to introduce a little TV-connected device called the PS Vita TV. It's capable of playing Vita games, handling Connected Play with your future PS4 and running a whole host of media and streaming services. We weren't allowed to touch either device (though we admit we did handle the new Vita's controls a little bit, sorry Sony...) so you'll have to make do with our gallery of angles just below. Full hands-on impressions, it seems, will have to wait until next week.
This week on gdgt: Droid Ultra, TomTom Runner and binge-watching TV
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Ubisoft isn't afraid of mobile gaming, sees a bright future in Wii U and Oculus Rift
Ubisoft's Alain Corre isn't worried about the rise in mobile gaming. On the contrary, Corre, who heads up the company's overseas operations, seems to welcome the uptick in iOS and Android gamers and not resignedly, either. "What we like in mobile gaming is that it's bringing a lot of new people to games," he told us. "Which for us is very good because it's a teaching thing and... at one point, some of them will feel a bit limited with the scope of mobile games and they'll want to experience something different in gaming." Whether it's the limitations of the casual genre or outright boredom, Corre's confident a chunk of these new gaming converts will seek out home console or PC experiences. Something that's more along the lines of a Watch Dogs or Assassin's Creed, perhaps. And with the advent of the next-gen, the timing for this gaming initiation couldn't be better for Ubisoft.
State of the PS Vita: Sony's portable gets a second lease on life
Consoles don't ever really come back from the dead, they just usually become niche. But the PlayStation Vita, Sony's redheaded portable stepchild, is currently having its Lazarus moment more than a year after release; a solid second chance at relevance. It's a resurrection owed entirely to the indie community, a fact Sony's more than happy to acknowledge -- just look at the company's recent marketing and Gamescom presser for proof. But before we talk Vita 2.0 and the promising future ahead, let's rewind a bit to examine the missteps that almost pushed Sony's powerhouse portable off a cliff.
Sony drops PlayStation Vita price to $199, confirms Fez and other indie games are on the way
It's not just PS4 news from Sony at its Gamescom keynote today, the company has also just confirmed a big bit of PlayStation Vita news: it's dropping the MSRP to $199. That price goes into effect tomorrow. Sony also says that it's dropping the cost of the memory cards for the device, although it's not offering specific prices for those just yet. What's more, the company has also confirmed that a slate of indie games are heading to the handheld console this year, including Fez, which will also be making its way to the PlayStation 4 -- again, further specifics will have to wait, but we'll bring you those as soon as we know them. Update: We've just received specifics about those memory card price drops. The 4GB unit is falling from $19.99 to $14.99; the 8GB from $29.99 to $19.99; the 16GB from $59.99 to $39.99; and the 32GB from $99.99 to $79.99.
Sony PlayStation Gamescom 2013 liveblog!
While Microsoft continues to trip over itself in the lead up to Xbox One, Sony's PlayStation 4 message is staying on target and sailing straight into gamers' good graces. And, after an undisputed win at E3 this year, there's little doubt Gamescom 2013 will slow Sony's roll, instead giving the company yet another opportunity to increase its already positive mindshare and deliver on next-gen promises (PS Vita Remote Play, anyone?). So, what can we expect from Sony's center stage spectacle today? The company will probably dive a bit deeper into the particulars of its indie strategy and, hopefully, announce a hard date on that PS4 holiday release -- which is what most of us care about, anyway. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess. So, hang tight, we'll be back with the blow-by-blow (and every gloriously awkward corporate potshot) right here at 9AM PST / 12PM EST.
gdgt's best deals for August 19: PlayStation Vita, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include a pair of products that received excellent gdgt scores. The PlayStation Vita has hit a new low price at Target (for now), while the Lenova IdeaPad Yoga has shed $250 off its MSRP. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Sony's Yoshida confirms all PlayStation 4 games work with Vita via Remote Play (with minor exceptions)
Sony's PlayStation Vita is getting a major content boost when the PlayStation 4 launches later this year, as all PlayStation 4 games will run on the Vita via Remote Play. The only exceptions offered by Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida were, "unless the game requires specific hardware like the camera [PS4 Eye]." It also stands to reason that PlayStation Move-specific titles won't run via Remote Play, nor anything else that requires peripheral hardware (the Buzz! series, for example). The PlayStation 4's Remote Play functionality with the Vita is said to be far more robust than its previous PlayStation 3 / PlayStation Portable iteration. Developers can even put Vita-specific controls in their PS4 games, enabling Wii U-esque second screen functionality, Yoshida told us earlier this year. We'll have our Vitas on-hand at E3 in a few weeks when we expect Sony will offer first hands-on with its next gaming console.
Sony lifting development license fee on PlayStation Vita and Mobile starting ... yesterday
Sony's already got a low barrier to entry for developers on its PlayStation Mobile platform, which encompasses the PlayStation Vita handheld game console and a variety of smartphones -- just $99 for a license enables publishing across all PlayStation Mobile devices. Apparently that fee is too much for some folks, so Sony's waiving it altogether. Starting right now (as of yesterday, actually), Sony's "removing any existing barriers" between developers and the PS Mobile platform by dropping the publishing fee, thusly making it all the easier for devs to push their games to the Vita and various smartphones. There are already some great indie games featured on Sony's PS Mobile store, including Vlambeer's Super Crate Box and Super Icon Ltd.'s Life of Pixel, and this paves the way for even more. Of course, Apple's iOS publishing fee is $99 per year and the App Store is certainly more flush with content than Sony's Mobile store, which tells us it isn't the license fee that's stopping people from pushing their games to PS Mobile.
Sony announces Jak and Daxter Trilogy coming to PS Vita this June
Despite what the sales figures might imply, the general consensus is that, for the most part, the PlayStation Vita's a neat portable console -- although some still argue Sony could do a little more to give its precious handheld a boost when it comes to available content. And just as it did with the PS3, the Japanese electronics maker has now announced that a remastered collection of Jak and Daxter is headed to the PS Vita as well, which includes Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II and Jak 3. The trilogy's said to be debuting on the PlayStation Vita at some point in June of this year for $29.99 in North America, or a corresponding €29.99 for those located across the pond in Europe. Not too bad a price to pay for some nostalgia-filled gaming sessions, eh?
The DualShock 4 is 'near final' hardware, Remote Play is more than an afterthought, and other notes from Shuhei Yoshida
The only hardware shown on-stage during Sony's PlayStation 4 event was the retooled DualShock controller, the DualShock 4. No box. No PS4 Eye. No new version of Move. As for the console itself, its absence makes some sense in light of today's news from SCEA prez Jack Tretton that the console's internals are "still in development in terms of final specs and design." So, how final is the only piece of hardware Sony was willing to trot out? "It's near final. It's just gonna be small tweaks being done," Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida told us in an interview this morning. Sadly, he also admitted we won't be able to touch any of it anytime soon. "By E3, I think" was the best he could offer. He blamed Sony's hardware folks for not allowing access, despite him pleading with PR to give hands-on time. "I was just asking our PR team can we just let you touch this stuff. Our hardware guys don't want you to find out some detail that ..." he said, trailing off. "Some dirty secret?" we asked. "Of course," he responded with a smile. Moving on to Vita and the Remote Play functionality on PS4 (which allows you to play any PS4 game on your Vita, via streaming), Yoshida said that -- unlike with the PlayStation 3's Remote Play functionality -- Sony's asking devs to try their game via Remote Play on Vita before submitting final code for publishing. He also said that, using Remote Play, developers could implement Vita-specific controls. "Some PS Vita games make use of the edge of the screen to add contextual buttons -- that works really well, I think, and it's easy to see. So that kind of thing I'd like to see developers do on PS Vita over Remote Play," Yoshida explained. He also apologized for not showing the final box, getting out ahead of the inevitable question from the room full of journalists. But hey, we sympathize -- Sony's gotta save something for E3, right? PlayStation Plus on PlayStation 4 may also be on that list; when we asked Yoshida about its presence on the next Sony game console, he coyly answered, "I know the answer, but we're not talking about it. I'm a subscriber, so I'd like to see it." Us too!
Sony isn't cutting the Vita price in North America due to international exchange rates
Despite the PlayStation Vita getting a recent price cut in its home country of Japan, Sony says it isn't getting a similar price adjustment in North America. The Vita recently dropped from 30,000 yen (3G) and 25,000 yen (WiFi-only) to 19,980 yen, but Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida tells Joystiq that that same price drop won't happen in the US. He cited exchange rates as the primary reason -- Japanese Yen has dropped in value to (currently) 0.93 cents to every US dollar, meaning Sony actually loses money in exchange on products sold outside of its home territory. The Vita launched in February 2012 and has suffered from poor sales throughout the past year -- Sony's hoping to revitalize that a bit with PlayStation 4 connectivity. Via Remote Play, Sony hopes to ensure that nearly all PlayStation 4 games are streamable on Vita. Whether that'll be a feature that consumers use is another question altogether; Remote Play exists on PlayStation 3 already, and it's not what we'd call a great experience.
PlayStation 4 supports remote play on PlayStation Vita
Sony is eking more out of its Gaikai acquisition than we thought -- it's using the streaming game technology to allow for remote play on the PlayStation Vita, advancing what we saw with the PS3. From a brief demo on stage, the company showed gameplay of the PS4 title Knack on the Vita with little apparent degradation in the visual quality -- it's not leaning on the smaller system's processing, after all. There was also a hint that remote play might not be exclusive, although there's nothing specific in this regard. Not every game will support remote play, either, so don't expect it to be a ubiquitous feature -- but it may help justify the Vita as a companion. Check out our liveblog of Sony's event to get the latest news as it happens!
PlayStation Home Arcade brings parts of Sony's Second Life-esque world to PlayStation Vita
You like the games in Sony's PlayStation 3-based social network, Home, but not the endless Quincying? We can fully respect that, and we're glad to tell you that Sony's doing something specifically catered to your wants, fictional person -- today, PlayStation Home Arcade launches on the PlayStation Vita, bringing arcade games from the network to Vita with none of the awkward virtual dancing found on PS3. The software previously popped up on the Vita's store, but Sony wasn't saying a word at the time -- and now we know why. To access PlayStation Home Arcade, grab the free download from the Vita's PlayStation Store gateway; we're not seeing it pop up in the store just yet, but keep your eyes peeled! When it is available, to access the games, open up the application and download away -- they range from free to $1.49. For a full list of titles and the official word from Sony, head past the break. For a horrifying demonstration of Quincying, watch this. [Photo credit: PushSquare]
The PlayStation Vita only holds 100 content bubbles, regardless of available memory
Sony's PlayStation Vita gaming handheld caps its selectable content at 100 items, one unlucky forum user recently found out. Despite having a 32GB memory card for the Vita with 9GB of free space left, the Vita told him (as seen above) that the device caps displayable content at 100 items. Worse yet, anything beyond the 100 had to be outright deleted, and the Vita had to be restarted -- if you want to access anything beyond the 100, you need to delete something else. Egads! The Vita in question contained a 32GB memory card with "around 50 [PlayStation] Minis, 10 PSOne titles, 20 or so mandatory apps, and 20 Vita/PSP games/apps" -- something we could easily see ballooning now that PlayStation Plus is on Vita. Management of memory card data can (thankfully) be handled on a PC or Mac using Content Manager Assistant, lest you worry that your data is trapped. Still, having to hot swap between (expensive, proprietary) memory cards on the Vita kinda flies in the face of large storage capacity memory cards, like the 32GB one employed by the unlucky person who discovered the limitation. For its part, Sony isn't saying anything just yet, but we'll update if we hear more. [Photo credit: "shagg_187," NeoGAF]
PlayStation Mobile's 'New Year giveaway' offering six free titles over six weeks
For those who haven't yet found a reason to check out the three-month old PlayStation Mobile store, Sony's got a rather compelling one for ya: freebies. Starting today, one game will be available gratis every seven days as part of a "New Year giveaway," which will last six weeks in total. To obtain the complimentary titles, you'll need either a Vita, or a device that's been PS-Certified -- an honor currently bestowed upon several Sony slates, a bunch of Xperia and Sharp handsets, and HTC's One series Android phones. Samurai Beatdown is the first cross-platform game to lose its price tag, so if you've got rhythm, hack and slash your way over to the PlayStation Mobile store to get downloading.