Which Vita Should You Get? - #16BitReview
Which Vita is the best? The Vita 1000, 2000 or the TV? Well in this video I go over each system. Look at the benefits of each, and look at how modding the systems affects their usefulness.
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GamingTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome!
00:03Over the last 10 years, whenever I needed a portable game system which is small, compact,
00:09and versatile, I have always reached for my PlayStation Vita.
00:13It is my one-stop shop for my on-the-go gaming needs, not only supporting its own line of
00:20amazing PlayStation Vita titles, but also is completely backwards compatible with the
00:26PSP and PS1.
00:30While Sony only ever made three revisions of this hardware, which one you get will greatly
00:36depend on what you are planning on doing with it, so join me as I take a look at the PlayStation
00:42Vita to see which one you should buy.
00:47But first, this video is brought to you by us and The 16-Bit Store.
00:53It was because of my Vita that I started designing display stands.
00:58And while we do provide the files for free, we also sell them to those who are looking
01:02for pre-printed and ready-to-ship models.
01:06And if you'd like one to display your own systems, whether it's a PlayStation or not,
01:11you can buy them today at 16BitStore.com or in the links in this video's description.
01:24Now, Sony only released three variants of the PlayStation Vita, the 1000, 2000, and
01:32TV, with the hardware for each system being pretty much the same across the board.
01:39It's powered by an ARM A9 processor with 512 megabytes of RAM, with the games on proprietary
01:45flash carts, and storage on its own proprietary flash format.
01:51And it's here with the Vita's storage which causes a lot of headaches for Vita owners,
01:57as large format Vita memory cards are both expensive and unreliable.
02:04However, unlike the PSP, there is no drop-in replacement for the Vita's storage, and due
02:10to the mostly digital nature of the Vita's library of games, updates, and DLC, you'll
02:17be wanting at a minimum 8 gigabytes of storage, though I personally feel more comfortable
02:25with 16 gigabytes.
02:27Realistically, though, if you have or want a large library of Vita games, you'll need
02:34at least 32 or 64 gigabytes.
02:39But even with 64 gigabytes of storage will not be enough for all of the games you can
02:47play on the Vita.
02:49My library of Vita games alone well exceeds 128 gigabytes, which is why you'll need software
02:56like Content Manager or QCMA to manage your Vita's library on a computer, especially
03:04since we won't know if or when Sony or a third-party publisher will just outright
03:10destroy the Vita's digital game library.
03:16That's why if you are considering owning any Vita, I would highly recommend looking
03:21into the modding scene.
03:23From temporary mods to running full-out custom firmware, modifying your Vita will fix a lot
03:30of your system's drawbacks.
03:33With mods and the easily obtainable Vita to SD, you can easily get a Vita running with
03:41over 256 gigabytes of storage running off of a simple microSD card in the Vita's game
03:48card port.
03:50And don't think that you can't run your physical games with the port occupied, as
03:55mods will also allow you to install Vita game cards to the internal storage, plus full access
04:02to PS1 and the PSP game libraries.
04:07And with Homebrew, you can play so much more, from unofficial emulators and ports of Android
04:13titles to even Game Maker games running in its own shell.
04:20Mods truly open up the Vita to a new world of possibilities which Sony would have never
04:26allowed, and some Vitas aren't better set up for modding than others.
04:33A great example of this is with the launch model of PlayStation Vita, often called the
04:38Vita 1000.
04:39While there technically is two variants of it, one with 3G and one with just Wi-Fi, you'll
04:44most likely never come across the 3G variant.
04:48And with the Wi-Fi variant, it is, in my opinion, the best Vita on the market.
04:53Not only is it the most readily available Vita, but it also has the best feeling version
05:00of all the systems, being both bulky and sturdy despite being made out of plastic.
05:08The standouts with the Vita 1000's hardware is that it uses an OLED screen for those mostly
05:13inky black blacks and vibrant colors.
05:17I really like how firm it is in the hand, and I just love the way that this Vita feels
05:24to use and to look at.
05:27If you are planning on using this Vita without mods, its only real downside is its proprietary
05:32charging cable.
05:34However, if you are planning on modifying the Vita, then you must know that its 1GB
05:40of built-in storage is completely locked off to the end user, and is so hidden that most
05:46Vita owners who've owned the system aren't aware that there is a gigabyte of storage
05:52in the system.
05:54Meaning that this system is virtually a brick without Sony's proprietary storage, and
06:02a rude surprise to many new Vita owners, both now and in the past.
06:10Fortunately, any good Vita owner will have at least 4GB of storage available when they
06:17sell the system, which is more storage than you'll ever need to install mods and boot
06:24homebrew to immediately switch over to the Vita's SD to Vita adapter.
06:31But I can't stress enough that in spite of all of my gripes, I just love this all-compromised,
06:38all-out Sony portable Vita.
06:41Unfortunately, my system has taken its fair share of knocks and dings over its long service
06:49life which has left it in a bit of a crippled state with a broken game card slot.
06:54I would be using it now if it wasn't for this, or if I ever learn how to micro-solder.
07:04Which leads us really neatly to my functional Playstation Vita.
07:09The revised model of Vita often referred to as the Vita Slim or the Vita 2000.
07:16This was originally released as the Budget Vita to try to rein in those really high bill
07:22and material costs of the original.
07:25The chassis is thinner, the screen's an LCD, and the mystery port that was never utilized
07:31was removed.
07:33The status and power LEDs were moved around, and other tweaks and modifications were made
07:40to the original.
07:42While side-by-side it is clear to see which Vita is better, separate the two and it is
07:48a lot harder to tell, especially when you're in the middle of playing it.
07:53In the hands, it's noticeably thinner and lighter, and in my opinion, not as comfortable
07:59to hold with my big hands.
08:02While it's not as flimsy as the PSP Slim, it's not as sturdy as the Vita 1000.
08:09Though while I do really miss that Vita 1000's OLED, the 2000 is in my view the easier Vita
08:17to actually live with day-to-day.
08:19Unlike the 1000, the 2000 uses the old micro-USB standard for charging and data, and while
08:27it's not that popular here in North America, the 2000 had a limited form of success in
08:33Japan which resulted in a large variety of fun and exciting colors and designs that the
08:401000 just didn't have.
08:43And if you want to mod, the Vita's 1GB of internal storage is user accessible.
08:52Which is more than enough space to install homebrew and mods, but if you aren't planning
08:57on modifying, that 1GB is completely useless since outside of launch titles, most games
09:05are basically unplayable without their multi-megabyte updates.
09:10And with storage being at a premium, you'll probably eventually run out and will get a
09:16proprietary Vita storage card, which when you install it in the system will completely
09:23disable the internal 1GB, so if you do plan on using the 1GB for a bit, make sure you
09:30transfer your saves and progress with a content manager before you upgrade.
09:37Now if you are buying a 2000, you'll more than likely be buying a Japanese system like
09:42I did, so I'll be happy to tell you that while your PlayStation Network might not let
09:47you download or buy international games, your system can play them, so long as it's a cart.
09:55Like I bought this European copy of Ratchet & Clank, which works perfectly fine on my
10:01North American Vita as well as my Japanese systems.
10:07While I do like my Vita 2000, if I was a new Vita owner today, because of its inflated
10:12price, I think I'd still buy a Vita 1000 and just deal with the storage limitations.
10:19But I really can't deny this Vita's color, so which one's better is really down to your
10:26personal taste.
10:28But what is an objective fact though, is that you should absolutely avoid getting the PlayStation
10:36Vita TV, or the PlayStation TV as it's known here in North America.
10:43This system is without a doubt Sony's worst console, or second worst, that they have ever
10:52released.
10:54Because what it is, is a budget PlayStation Vita, without a screen, or cameras, or touch
10:59inputs, that was shipped by default with a DualShock 3 controller, despite supporting
11:05the DualShock 4 controller.
11:07And with Sony's absent minded push for their checklist design that forces the use of every
11:13one of the Vita's bells and whistles, it means that most of the PlayStation Vita's
11:18game library is completely incompatible with this system.
11:24All the big titles, Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Little Big Planet, Wipeout, just don't work
11:31on it.
11:32And even older games that should easily work, like MotorStorm RC Scion Edition, and Metal
11:40Gear Solid Peace Walker for the PSP, are blacklisted for no good reason.
11:46And with built in HDCP enabled by default, and no way to disable it, you can't even
11:53use it to record your systems.
11:56By all definitions of the word, even if you swap out the DualShock 3 with a DualShock
12:034, this is still a terrible console that you should absolutely avoid if you do not plan
12:10on modifying it.
12:11Though, the minute that you install any mod or homebrew to your Vita TV, it becomes instantly
12:21usable.
12:21The Vita TV also has a gigabyte of internal storage accessible, like the Vita 2000, so
12:28it's an excellent system to mod.
12:32Especially since it's the only Vita that has a proper USB port on it, so you can just
12:38put a flash drive in with so much storage you don't even know what to do with, and
12:43it will just work.
12:45Though, I really would recommend a SD to Vita, since you will want to keep a USB port open
12:51so that you can pair Bluetooth controllers to it.
12:55And with plugins, your Vita TV can play and do just about anything.
13:00Want to play a blacklisted game?
13:02Just disable it with a plugin.
13:05Need gyroscope with a DualShock 3 or 4 controllers?
13:08There are plugins for those too.
13:10And heck, there are even some hotkeys that let you go and activate the front and rear
13:19touchscreens with the extra buttons that are on the controller.
13:23Is the implementation clunky?
13:26Absolutely.
13:27This is a touchpad, not a touchscreen, and there are some games that'll just outright
13:32crash because there's just no camera on the system.
13:37But if I'm going to be blunt, the Vita TV is genuinely the best way to record Vita
13:44and PSP games.
13:46For the average user, you'll probably never want or need a Vita TV.
13:52But if you stream or want to record PSP and Vita games, this is a must-have device for
14:00your toolbox, which is more than likely why it commands such a high price today.
14:08So which PlayStation Vita should you get?
14:11Well, as somebody who lives in North America and is very biased towards its markets, I
14:18would personally advise if you're not planning on modifying your system at all, you should
14:23just stick with the Vita 1000 specifically because of its price point.
14:28But if you are going to be modifying, then it's a really difficult debate between the
14:341000 and the 2000 as they're both great options with their own pros and cons.
14:42But regardless of which Vita that you should end up with, I would ultimately recommend
14:48going out and getting a system.
14:51Whether it's to enjoy the Vita's library of often-forgotten exclusives or to enjoy
14:57popular games on a truly portable device.
15:02Or even just to mod it and turn the Vita into an emulation powerhouse or just as a way to
15:09play a limited library of Android games with a real controller.
15:15Even well over a decade later, my PlayStation Vita, whether it's the 1000 or the 2000,
15:22is still my favorite portable.
15:25At least until Valve goes out and makes a Steam Deck Mini.
15:32But anyways, I hope this video helps you get a better understanding of the Vita.
15:36I'd like to thank you ever so much for watching, and as always, take care.