Overall Power
The Nintendo 3DS
People have stated that the 3DS is just a DS with 3D. These people are stupid and they are not your friend. Stay away from them. The 3DS is quite a powerful piece of hardware. While not a technically amazing game on home consoles, Super Street Fighter 4 is still one of the most visually impressive titles on home consoles, to date. Many (including me) feel it's THE definitive fighting game of this generation. The Wii didn't get a port because Capcom said it wasn't technically possible for the game to be done on that system. The 3DS has a version and it packs virtually everything the home console versions have. Every move, frame of animation, and button press made the transition from Xbox 360/PS3 to 3DS. You have games like Resident Evil Revelations and Mercenaries 3D that, at first glance, look HD worthy. Impressive effects abound. The fact that you can also view these games in 3D makes it all the more impressive. Like any system, you'll get your shovelware and games that are just "phoned in". These cash grab games shouldn't be used to define the potential of the 3DS. It's the Dead or Alives, Star Fox 64's, and Resident Evils that show what the 3DS can really do. Time and again, the 3DS has shown that it's capable of great things in the hands of a motivated developer.
The Playstation Vita
The Playstation Vita has the ability to pack a console experience sized punch. A game like Marvel vs. Capcom is almost indistinguishable from the console version (Just like SSF4 on 3DS, the background animations suffer, though). Uncharted on the PSV actually looks better than the vast majority of home console games. The Vita has power to spare. Also, keep in mind that these are just the launch games. As time progresses, expect the bar to be raised to unbelievable levels. Imagine if Sony's big studios (Naughty Dog, Santa Monica) put their resources into making the best Vita game possible. Yeah, I'm smiling, too.
The Final Verdict (Overall Power/Graphics): Okay. Let's call it like it is. The Playstation Vita's launch games are already more graphically impressive than games that seem to be pushing the 3DS to its limits. Yeah, a game like Resident Evil Revelations is looks great for a portable. Killing a giant tentacled sea creature may be more impressive than shooting random guy #3721 in Uncharted but it isn't doing anything that can't be done on the Vita. Artistic design is one thing. Technical prowess is another. When it comes to the quality of the image on the screen, the 3DS on its best day can't really hold up to the Vita at its best. All is nost lost, though. The 3DS has the ability to pull off some nifty 3D tricks that the Vita just isn't capable of. Also, keep in mind that the 3DS is no slouch. Even though the Vita is more powerful, so far, it doesn't seem to offer experiences that just aren't possible on the 3DS. Graphically, at the very least, the 3DS should be able to run a version of anything the Vita can. In terms of power, think of the Vita as a Dreamcast and the 3DS as a PS1. Does it really matter, though? In the world of handheld graphics, looking good enough is usually good enough. Most of us prefer to see cinematic games and amazing effects on our HDTV's. Nothing wrong with having this power on a portable but is it overkill?
The gap between power on the two platforms isn't nearly a pronounced as it was when it came to the DS vs PSP. A top teir 3DS game can actually compete with a top tier Vita game. "Competing" doesn't cut it though. This comparison is about winners and losers and, while it may be overkill to some, the Vita has the edge. When it comes down to power, the Playstation Vita just packs more of it. Graphics whores, your portable has arrived.
