PSVITA.TV just announced!!!

[nuckles87]

This whole thing seems kind of superfluous and pointless. The $99 doesn't come with a controller, so consumers who don't already have a PS3 or PS4 will have to buy the $150, which is only $50 less then the PS3. So, for another $50, a consumer can get a system with much better graphics, a MUCH better library of games, 1080p, and a blu ray player. Why would anyone buy the Vita TV over a PS3? Or an Xbox 360 for that matter?

Then there's the PS3/PS4 gamer, the person who can buy the $99 version. According to Wired, this thing won't be compatible with all Vita games, specifically the ones that use the touch controls and camera:

"Sony points out that the device will play, at launch, about 1,300 games. That’s because it can play all of the PSP and PSone games that are currently available to download via the PlayStation Network digital games service, plus many of the games that have been released so far for the PlayStation Vita platform. Sony said in a press release that the PS Vita TV cannot play all PS Vita games, since many of them use the touchscreen, motion sensors, camera and other inputs that are only available on the handheld unit."

So in other words, games like Tearaway and Gravity Rush, some of the Vita's few killer apps, won't even be compatible with this thing. Most of the Vita games that DON'T require these sorts of controls are already available on PS3 anyway.

Honestly, the most attractive thing about this device is it's ability to stream PS4 games onto another television. I could see myself owning a few of these things to spread around my house so that I never have to move the thing. But unfortunately, this feature won't even be available at launch anyway, as it is something promised in a future update.

Finally, there is the developer incentive: why would ANY developer work with this thing? It's not as if the Vita has much of a userbase yet. It's essentially just a cheaper, smaller PS3: any game a developer would make for this, they would also make for the PS3. Leaving this thing with few exclusives and leaving consumers with little incentive to buy.

I hate to say it, but this thing is borderline pointless for ANY consumer. Sony itself offers better alternatives. PS3 is a MUCH better value and much more affordable. Vita has more functionality and can be taken on the go. To top it all off, the Vita TV can't even play all Vita games, and these superior alternatives can be had for a mere $50: cheaper then a new PS3 game. At best, this thing seems like a PS4 peripheral. It won't be a particularly useful (or successful) standalone system.

I can't believe this thing is getting a better reception around here then the 2DS, when at the very least the 2DS was compatible with all of the 3DSs games and had an actual market.