I have a 3DSXL and a Vita, although I rarely play either of them, and I probably haven't played them enough to give them a fair rating, although I think I like my Vita slightly more. I got my 3DSXL right when it came out in America, in August 2012, and my Vita I got this september

That's fair enough, though seriously, you need to check out Tearaway, it has dat Nintendo/Rare magic of the early N64 days going on!

I used to be a huge Nintendo fan myself, Vita is the first Sony system I've truly been blown away by. It's been the indie stuff on it thats really wowed me so much though. The Vita is just IMO the perfect home for the likes of Hotline Miami, Thomas Was Alone etc. They feel at home on the system, far more so than they do on home consoles or PC.

Btw, a lot of the best Vita games also cost less than a Virtual Console title from the eShop :)

i disagree, the vita games dont cost less than 3ds virtual shop and while Hotline Miami is awesome its not a game you can play long. I believe tearaway is overrated.

I personally think the 3ds xl is just the best handheld. I dont understand how anyone can not love it, or want to search for an improvements.

Seriously the 3d xl fulfills every gamer need i could ever have.

Have 2 3DS now.  Traded in my original DS for a cosmo black 3DS launch day.  Just bought the Zelda XL bundle for $142 at Target on turkey day.  How can ya pass up a deal like that.  I think they are great pieces of hardware, with an outstanding library of software, and I really enjoy playing games in 3d.  The new streetpass games really up the ante for a reason to always take it with you on the go, and with MiiVerse coming this month, I'm stoked.

A few friends of mine have a Vita, and it is a really cool piece of tech.  I can't justify the expense because, as they admit, they don't even use them often as there just isnt enough compelling software at this time.  They always have their 3DS with them.

Yup, sounds about right.

Yep it has a stellar lineup for fans of racing games, TPS games and FPS games... Sports games are also better on Vita. (I'm glad you said every gamer need you could have as it shows you play a much narrow spectrum of software than I do)

It has a stellar line up of Nintendo games. And some very nice Japanese RPGs etc. It does not have a well rounded software library unless all you play are Nintendo titles.

It's great that you love it. But I'm fed up of this whole "yeah all those Vita games are over-rated. OMG these equivalent 3DS games are stunning!" when the reality is, the software lineups are actually very similar in quantity and quality. The fact that Vita hardware and OS are the equivalent of a generation ahead just also gives a lot more scope to future development, if only they could find a way to market their consoles.

I bought my 3g model Vita when it launched in Australia in 2012.

I give it a solid 85 out of 100 but I have to give a breakdown.

Hardware-95/100
The hardware is just about perfect when you consider that it has a superb OLED screen which is also multi touch, great dpad and dual sticks. It's fairly snappy as well and I have had no issues running multiple apps although I primarily use it for gaming. The only small downside is that the battery life could be better but it is reasonable.

Software- 75/100

Has many great games and looks to follow in the PSP's footsteps for great jrpgs. Problem though is that overall and especially compared to the 3ds I feel like the 3rd party support is lacking and that not enough developers take advantage of the superb functionality of the device. Though it has been greatly overshadowed by its more successful rival I still expect to see many more enjoyable games on it assuming Sony keeps supporting it which knowing Sony they likely will.

I only have a 3DS and am very happy with it. I've never felt the need to have more than one handheld. I don't have the time or the budget for it.

Sorry, this computer isn't letting me edit my comment. Just wanted to add that I purchased the 3DS during Christmas of its launch year (2011), and I rate it 90 out of 100 for me (maybe 95 now that the You Tube app has released).

Own both. Got the 3DS XL when it was on sale for 150 and the Vita last spring. Satisfied with both, 3DS is on the backpedal atm because I'm trying not to buy games till I beated the ones I already have.