With Sony Having two handhelds, the PSP holding its on against the Nintendo DS! I consider it to be a huge success especially being Sony's 1st handheld. With over 75mil and counting who wouldn't?

Vita is a great piece of tech but is flawed by its price and expensive memory cards! It had a bad year but hopefully (will with a price cut) it will overcome this matter next year!

This thread is to point out the pros and cons of each!

Remember everything has both not just pros or just cons.

Lets Discuss

PSP: Third party support.

Vita: Everything else.

Genuinely. Vita is more comfortable, better screen, dual analogue is a huge improvement, the game cards are miles better than UMD's etc. etc.

Basically, it's better hardware and design by absolutely miles.

But none of that means squat if it isn't getting the games, and at the moment, it just isn't getting the games. Don't get me wrong, because I'm definitely not saying "it has no games", but compared to the PSP the library is lacking.

Then again, I'm comparing it to an 8-year PSP library, so I guess we'll have to see. The prospects seems bleaker though. Some big IP's were more than happy to throw their weight behind the PSP; while there's still time for this to happen on Vita, I'd wager there's going to be noticeably fewer of them.

Doesn't help that Sony is slacking with IP's, though. It took time to get some of the big guns out for PSP as well (hi2u Gran Turismo) but there were third party efforts to fill in the gaps on PSP. Less so on Vita. Sort it out, Sony. GoW and GT stat.

Exactly.  The PSV feels like the perfect evolution of the PSP.  Now the games need to evolve and all will be well in the Sony handheld universe.

Vita is by far the most perfect handheld I have ever owned. It feels great in your hands and the analogs are excellent. The D-Pad is incredible as well. I hope that D-pad makes it's way to the next PS console controllers because it is much better than the one on the dualshock.

It just needs more JRPG support for me, which by the looks of things could be on the way as long as they get localized.


PSP has a great library, but I always hated the nub. It was uncomfortable for me.


Other than those, I have no issues with either. Yeah, we can complain about price of this and price of that, but PSP memory sticks were ridiculously expensive at first too, so in time the prices will work themselves out. Well, maybe they could have done without the back touchpad, but who knows, maybe Tearaway will change my thoughts on that.

PSP:

Pros: Really solid game library, can get many cheap games on UMD, can have custom firmware to do a lot more (great emulator machine!), can use pretty much any cheap micro SD card with an adapter, can use Video Out to connect to your tv.

Cons: 1 nub, specs/screen not as good, UMD drive uses more power (somewhat offset with games that can have install data)

PSV:

Pros: Better hardware/specs/screen, 2 nubs

Cons: Vita library is lacking (3rd party support is still very sparse), can't play all psp games (UMD only) and the digital ones are usually overpriced, feels awkard holding/using it (IMO), overpriced memory cards that can only be used with Vita. No custom firmware, no Video Out, Very pricey/overpriced.

I love the Vita. It's awesome. PSP as a console just can't be compared to this masterpiece. We just need more great games :)

I do enjoy my PSP, but not a lot of the games really capture my interest so much, that's not too say I haven't had some good fun but I would really only play my psp if I had no other option for gaming.

The PSP's single analog stick is a bummer and makes some games that could of been great with dual sticks a little clunky and it also fingerprints a lot but apart from that the design of the system is ok.

As for the Vita I really have no opinion.

Btw could anyone suggest me a few psp games that they really liked, I seem to struggle finding many games that are really good.

They both have their drawbacks. I own both of them and I told myself I would not buy the Vita until I saw some serious software support from Sony. (I still bought it at $180) I know the hardware Sony produces has plenty of potential, but recently, that has been it. They don't follow through with great applications to take full advantage of the capabilities.

Example: I can't stream from website like di.fm, Grooveshark, and other adobe player sites. It's you tube, and that's it. (unless you're counting that worthless Music Unlimited Application that sucks because it limits you to Sony published music) I know this console is not a smartphone, but it has the tech to do everything a smart phone can do except work on the GSM or Version Networks. (Maybe the 3G version can) The damn thing is a tease, while it should be an alternative option to a land phone (compete with Vonage/magic Jack), for those people wish to use skype to make calls. This an example how Sony misses out on opportunities to make trends instead of following them.

They could have done the same with PSP & PS3. If it's lacking support from some type of media, buy it from independent software developers and then sell it as extras in the playstation store. Example: I Love that flac codec and no console out there supports it. Sony, make it happen by enticing the creator to sell it $.50-.99 cents on the Store. I would pay that, if part of is going to the creator of the codec. Example for the PSP: The lag on the Final Fantasy Tactics is horrible, I needed to crack the damn thing to apply a patch. (Sony to the rescue, by accepting 3rd party modifications on some of the games) Sony should accept that the PSP is a victim of its tight restrictions, they should have turn it around by creating a marketplace for passionate gamers(who can code and modify games) & and game developers to come together. Sony misses on opportunities to create a devoted & loyal fan-base that would follow onto the next line of consoles.

I believe that if they would make their consoles highly customizable based on the Korean model (where one is sold the vanilla experience, but one may purchase plenty of upgrades to customize the experience to be unique to the user) and include in the mod community you find on PCs (pay for their work and regulate the improvements) Sony could create a massive following (who have a high attach rate). I can see them shifting the tables on Nintendo & Microsoft who would be looking at to copy this model. Alas, I know I'm nothing but a dreamer because Sony shows no signs of loosening its tight grip of restrictions that it places on its hardware.

PSP Grades: Hardware: B+  Software: C+

PSV Grades: Hardware: A  Software: C+

PS3 Grades: Hardware: A- Software: C+

Gradescale rate: F-> A+ (Based on year of release compared to PC/smartphone capabilities.)

Just move on to Vita since it can play PSP and PS1 games. I played PS1 games like Zanac x Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2 on my Vita.

I love my Vita, this generation I bought both a 3DS and a Vita (my first two handhelds). I have never desired a handheld before this gen, but the Vita really won me over. I love everything about it, it's just an absolute shame that there is no market for it anymore, and it will probably be the last non Nintendo handheld for a long while. This is the first handheld I've played that is really aimed at western gamers, I love that, I look forward to the future.