The Vita seemed like it was reaching for the stars when Sony first released the console a few years ago. The 3DS, despite suffering from a slow start, had built a lot of momentum and became another Nintendo handheld juggernaut.
Facing stiff competition, Sony released what was essentially sold as a PS3 in your hands. Of course, we’d learn that the system wasn’t quite that powerful, but still, just as they had aimed high with the PSP, Sony was going for broke all over again with the Vita.
In the years that have followed, we’ve watched something rare in the console market: the evolution and transformation of a system. It seems that at some point during the build-up and release of the PS4, Sony realized what journalists, critics, and fans had been saying for years–if we wanted to have a console game experience, we’d play on a console.
Instead of continuing to release console ports, or titles evocative of console releases, Sony has smartly started transitioning the Vita into a platform for indie titles as well as older titles that lend themselves to longer play sessions (as you’d have on a plane or long commute), such as the FFX/X2 remasters and the MGS 2/3 remasters.
It’s a smart move, and it’s a move that finally gives the Vita a distinct identity. Even better, most downloadable titles are cross-buy, meaning if you buy it for your PS3/4, and you have a Vita, you can play the game there as well, often with cross-save. This has been great for me when it comes to The Binding Of Issac .
Now may be the perfect time to pick up a Vita if you’ve ever had any interest in the system–it’s not what you think it is.