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PS Vita: Get ready, Gust and Nihon Falcom herald Vita 2015
bss
BrostoyevskyMadison, WIRegistered User regular
BrostoyevskyMadison, WIRegistered User regular
PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita is the latest handheld console from Sony, boasting a gorgeous screen, a varied software library featuring many Western indies and a smörgåsbord of games from Japan, extensive PSN integration with Cross-Buy and growing Cross-Play, a healthy back catalog of PSP and PS1 games, and impressive Remote Play support for the PS4. You may have already known this, and if you did, great! If you're new to the Vita, though, we implore you to check it out --- it's a great console for the interested consumer who loves variety.
Hardware
The OG
The original Vita model (PCH-1000 series), lovingly dubbed the OG model by some, is the one with the gorgeous OLED touch screen. It launched in 2011/2012 and plays everything Vita. The screen really needs to be seen to be believed, but what you've heard is right --- it looks amazing. In addition to the (multi-press) touch screen, the Vita has two analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons, two bumpers, and another multi-press touch pad on the back, in addition to the normal PS button and start/select buttons. Overall, the OG Vita is one impressive (and impressive-looking) handheld. You can find it in black and in white in North America --- the cool colors are reserved for other countries, sadly.
The Alternative - Slim
The slim model (PCH-2000 series) is the latest revision on the Vita, launched in 2013/2014. It trades the OLED (replaced by a still-pretty-good IPS LCD) screen for a slimmer, more svelte build, better battery life, and USB charging cable. It's probably the easiest model to find retail. Some folks prefer the OLED, others the LCD, but either way you're still getting a great screen with the same great pixel density. The Slim also feels better in the hands by most accounts. Try both and see! The Slim has a variety of colors, but again, other countries get all the fun. In North America you can get a Vita Slim in any color, as long as it is black.
The Non-Portable Portable - Vita TV (or PlayStation TV)
2013/2014 also saw the launch of the Vita TV (named the PlayStation TV in the West), a lower-cost model that essentially tied the Vita internals to an HDMI, Ethernet, and USB port, popped it into a cute little shell, and presented a way to easily play (some) Vita-compatible games on a TV or to have PS4 Remote Play occur on a second TV. Unfortunately, the Vita game compatibility is not 100% --- most (but not quite all, check the guide) PSP and PS1 games from PSN that work on a Vita work on a PlayStation TV, but Vita compatibility is come-and-go. Incompatibility stems from games that rely on Vita features like the integrated camera, or make extensive use of the touch screens. There's ongoing effort to patch games so they can be played on PlayStation TV, but check a compatibility guide. Still though, if you need an inexpensive way to play some PSP or PS1 classics (including up to 4-controller multiplayer for the PS1 games), the PlayStation TV is a great option.
NA PlayStation TV compatibility guide
EU PlayStation TV compatibility guide
It's out real soon now --- October 14th in North America, November 14th in Europe.
A Note on Importing
No Vita games to date have implemented a region lock, so you can get a Vita from any country, log on to your PSN account from any other country, and play any game cartridge from a third country still. Japanese Vita, North American PSN account and games, NA Vita with JP games on an EU account, you can do whatever you want. The only caveat is that the Vita can only be registered with one PSN account --- switching accounts can be a minor to moderate effort depending on your situation --- but otherwise you can get whatever model and physical game you want and combine them. So if you have your eye on that fancy Slim color (I prefer the lime green, myself), you can buy it and the only thing that'll be different is the button layout (Japan uses X for cancel and O for confirm). Or get that weird Japanese game that has no chance of coming out here*. The importer's delight! Do note that DLC purchasing options are tied to your PSN account's region, not the region of the game itself --- relevant if you're mixing regions between physical carts and your PSN account.
* Actually, there's been an impressive number of surprise, unlikely localizations lately. You may just get what you want here anyway.
Upcoming Vita Titles
Notable Vita titles included here; North American release dates unless otherwise specified, though if there's something interesting coming to other regions it may make the cut too.
Dated Releases
Release Window Announced
TBA
The Thread's Top 14 Vita Games of 2014
Recommended Vita Games
Cross-Buy: Denotes games where buying the PS, PS4 or Vita version will come with the other version for free unless noted otherwise (eg, Dead Nation is only cross-buy between PS3 and Vita).
Recommended PS Mobile Games
Recommended PSP Games
Note: Incompatible games are included in the list. Check the FAQ to make sure games are compatible before buying.
The PlayStation Vita is the latest handheld console from Sony, boasting a gorgeous screen, a varied software library featuring many Western indies and a smörgåsbord of games from Japan, extensive PSN integration with Cross-Buy and growing Cross-Play, a healthy back catalog of PSP and PS1 games, and impressive Remote Play support for the PS4. You may have already known this, and if you did, great! If you're new to the Vita, though, we implore you to check it out --- it's a great console for the interested consumer who loves variety.
Hardware
The OG
The original Vita model (PCH-1000 series), lovingly dubbed the OG model by some, is the one with the gorgeous OLED touch screen. It launched in 2011/2012 and plays everything Vita. The screen really needs to be seen to be believed, but what you've heard is right --- it looks amazing. In addition to the (multi-press) touch screen, the Vita has two analog sticks, a D-pad, four face buttons, two bumpers, and another multi-press touch pad on the back, in addition to the normal PS button and start/select buttons. Overall, the OG Vita is one impressive (and impressive-looking) handheld. You can find it in black and in white in North America --- the cool colors are reserved for other countries, sadly.
The Alternative - Slim
The slim model (PCH-2000 series) is the latest revision on the Vita, launched in 2013/2014. It trades the OLED (replaced by a still-pretty-good IPS LCD) screen for a slimmer, more svelte build, better battery life, and USB charging cable. It's probably the easiest model to find retail. Some folks prefer the OLED, others the LCD, but either way you're still getting a great screen with the same great pixel density. The Slim also feels better in the hands by most accounts. Try both and see! The Slim has a variety of colors, but again, other countries get all the fun. In North America you can get a Vita Slim in any color, as long as it is black.
The Non-Portable Portable - Vita TV (or PlayStation TV)
2013/2014 also saw the launch of the Vita TV (named the PlayStation TV in the West), a lower-cost model that essentially tied the Vita internals to an HDMI, Ethernet, and USB port, popped it into a cute little shell, and presented a way to easily play (some) Vita-compatible games on a TV or to have PS4 Remote Play occur on a second TV. Unfortunately, the Vita game compatibility is not 100% --- most (but not quite all, check the guide) PSP and PS1 games from PSN that work on a Vita work on a PlayStation TV, but Vita compatibility is come-and-go. Incompatibility stems from games that rely on Vita features like the integrated camera, or make extensive use of the touch screens. There's ongoing effort to patch games so they can be played on PlayStation TV, but check a compatibility guide. Still though, if you need an inexpensive way to play some PSP or PS1 classics (including up to 4-controller multiplayer for the PS1 games), the PlayStation TV is a great option.
NA PlayStation TV compatibility guide
EU PlayStation TV compatibility guide
It's out real soon now --- October 14th in North America, November 14th in Europe.
A Note on Importing
No Vita games to date have implemented a region lock, so you can get a Vita from any country, log on to your PSN account from any other country, and play any game cartridge from a third country still. Japanese Vita, North American PSN account and games, NA Vita with JP games on an EU account, you can do whatever you want. The only caveat is that the Vita can only be registered with one PSN account --- switching accounts can be a minor to moderate effort depending on your situation --- but otherwise you can get whatever model and physical game you want and combine them. So if you have your eye on that fancy Slim color (I prefer the lime green, myself), you can buy it and the only thing that'll be different is the button layout (Japan uses X for cancel and O for confirm). Or get that weird Japanese game that has no chance of coming out here*. The importer's delight! Do note that DLC purchasing options are tied to your PSN account's region, not the region of the game itself --- relevant if you're mixing regions between physical carts and your PSN account.
* Actually, there's been an impressive number of surprise, unlikely localizations lately. You may just get what you want here anyway.
Upcoming Vita Titles
Notable Vita titles included here; North American release dates unless otherwise specified, though if there's something interesting coming to other regions it may make the cut too.
Dated Releases
- 1/20 - Citizens of Earth (Eden Industries/ATLUS) NA, EU same day or soon thereafter?
- 1/22 - Stranger of Sword City (Experience Inc.) JP, NA/EU unannounced but there's always hope
- 1/27 - Grim Fandango: Remastered (Double Fine) NA, EU January?
- 1/27 - Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation (Felistella/Compile Heart/Idea Factory) NA, EU 2/6
- 2/3 - Criminal Girls: Invite Only (Imageepoch/Nippon Ichi Software/NIS America) NA, EU 2/6
- 2/24 - Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart (STING/Compile Heart/Idea Factory) NA, EU 2/25
- 2/24 - htol#NiQ: The Firefly Diary (Nippon Ichi Software/NIS America) --- NA, EU 2/25
- 3/10 - Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (Toybox Inc./Aksys Games) NA, EU at a later date
- 3/31 - MLB 15 The Show (SCE San Diego Studio)
- 4/14 - Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy (Experience Inc./NIS America) --- NA, EU 4/17
- 5/19 - Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (Tamsoft/Compile Heart/Idea Factory) --- NA, EU ?
Release Window Announced
- Tetris Ultimate (Ubisoft) -- NA December 2014
- La Mulana EX (Nigoro/Pygmy Studio) --- NA January 2015
- Metal Slug 3 (SNK PLAYMORE/SCEA 3rd Party Productions) --- NA "Winter"
- Mighty No. 9 (Inti Creates/Comcept) --- April 2015
- The Banner Saga (Stoic) --- Spring 2015
- Broken Age (Double Fine Productions) --- Spring 2015
- Darkest Dungeon (Red Hook Studios) --- Spring 2015
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions (Lucid Games) --- Spring 2015
- Octodad: Dadliest Catch (Young Horses) --- Spring 2015
- Severed (Drinkbox Games) --- Spring 2015
- Super Time Force Ultra (Capybara Games) --- Spring 2015
- Towerfall: Ascension (Matt Thorson) --- Spring 2015
- J-Stars Victory VS+ (Bandai Namco Games) --- Summer 2015
- Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (Avalanche Software/Disney Interactive Studios) --- 2015
- Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games) --- 2015 (I thought Spring was implied but maybe not)
TBA
- Assault Android Cactus (Witch Beam)
- Axiom Verge (Tom Happ)
- BigFest (On The Metal)
- Broforce (Free Lives)
- Cloudberry Kingdom (Pwnee Studios)
- Cosmic Star Heroine (Zeboyd Games)
- Deathmatch Village (Freeky Games)
- Dragon Fantasy Book II (Muteki Corporation) Cross-Buy Out in NA
- Drifter (Celsius Game Studios)
- Energy Hook (Happion Laboratories)
- Fieldrunners 2 (Subatomic Studios)
- Final Horizon (Eiconic Games)
- Flame Over (Laughing Jackal)
- Forma.8 (MixedBag)
- Futuridium (MixedBag)
- Galak-Z: The Dimensional (17-BIT)
- Gravity Rush 2 (SCE Japan Studio)
- Grim Fandango (Double Fine)
- Guns Up! (Valkyrie Entertainment)
- Helldivers (Arrowhead Game Studios) Cross-Buy
- Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (Dennaton Games)
- Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine)
- Joe Danger (Hello Games)
- Joe Danger 2 (Hello Games)
- Kick & Fennick (Green Hill Studios)
- Kodoku (Carnivore Studio)
- Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Second Chapter (Falcom) PSP
- The Muppets Movie Adventures (Virtual Toys)
- Murasaki Baby (Ovosonico)
- Nuclear Throne (Vlambeer)
- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty (Just Add Water) Cross-Buy
- OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood (Roll7)
- One Way Trip (Beret)
- Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines (Alpha System)
- Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night (Atlus, with some Dingo?)
- Rainbow Skies (SideQuest Studios)
- Reaper (Luc Bernard)
- Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (Capcom)
- Risk of Rain (Hopoo Games)
- Rocketbirds 2: Evolution (Ratloop)
- Samurai Gunn (Teknopants)
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wayforward)
- Skullgirls Encore (Lab Zero Games)
- Snapshot (Retro Affect) Cross-Buy
- Starbound (Chucklefish)
- STEINS;GATE (MAGES./5pb./PQube)
- Supermagical (Tama Games)
- Switch Galaxy Ultra (Atomicom)
- Table Top Racing (Ripstone)
- Tales from the Borderlands (Telltale)
- Teslagrad (Rain Games)
- Tetris Ultimate (Blue Planet Software)
- Titan Souls (Acid Nerve)
- To Leave (Freaky Creations)
- Unmechanical: Extended Edition (Grip Games)
- VA-11 HALL-A (Sukeban)
- Volume (Mike Bithell)
The Thread's Top 14 Vita Games of 2014
- Danganronpa 1 & 2
- Rogue Legacy
- Freedom Wars
- Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed
- Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f / F 2nd
- Demon Gaze
- Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1
- Final Fantasy X HD
- Luftrausers
- Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Tearaway
- Atelier Rorona Plus
- Minecraft
- Tales of Hearts R
Recommended Vita Games
- Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed (Acquire)
- Another World (Digital Lounge) Cross-Buy
- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation (Ubisoft Sofia)
- Atelier Meruru Plus (Gust)
- Atelier Rorona Plus (Gust)
- Atelier Totori Plus (Gust)
- Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma (Arc System Works)
- BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend (Arc System Works)
- CounterSpy (Dynamighty) Cross-Buy
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Spike Chunsoft)
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (Spike Chunsoft)
- Dead or Alive 5 Plus (Team Ninja)
- Dead Nation (Housemarque) Cross-Buy (PS3/Vita)
- Demon Gaze (Experience Inc./Kadokawa Games)
- Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention (Nippon Ichi Software)
- Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (Nippon Ichi Software)
- Divekick (One True Game/Iron Galaxy) Cross-Buy
- DJMax Technika Tune (Pentavision)
- Dragon's Crown (Vanillaware)
- Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster (Square Enix)
- Freedom Wars (SCE Japan Studio)
- Flower (thatgamecompany) Cross-Buy
- Gravity Rush (SCE Japan Studio)
- Guacamelee! (Drinkbox Studios) Cross-Buy
- Hohokum (Richard Hogg/Honeyslug) Cross-Buy
- Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (Clap Hanz)
- Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games) Cross-Buy
- Killzone: Mercenary (Guerrilla Cambridge)
- Knytt Underground (Nifflas' Games) Cross-Buy
- LittleBigPlanet Vita (Double Eleven/Tarsier)
- Lone Survivor: Director's Cut (Superflat Games) Cross-Buy
- Luftrausers (Vlambeer) Cross-Buy
- Lumines: Electronic Symphony (Q? Entertainment)
- Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection (Kojima Productions)
- Motorstorm: RC (Evolution Studios) Cross-Buy
- Muramasa Rebirth (Vanillaware)
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Criterion)
- Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Just Add Water/Oddworld Inhabitants)
- OlliOlli (Roll7)
- Persona 4 Golden (Atlus)
- PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate HD (Double Eleven/Q-Games)
- PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate (Double Eleven/Q-Games) Cross-Buy
- Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap Games)
- Rayman: Origins (Ubisoft)
- Rayman: Legends (Ubisoft)
- Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games)
- Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus (Tamsoft)
- Sine Mora (Digital Reality/Grasshopper)
- Sly: Thieves in Time (Sanzaru Games) Cross-Buy
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Sumo Digital)
- Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God (ZeroDiv/Compile Heart)
- Soul Sacrifice (Marvelous AQL)
- Soul Sacrifice Delta (Marvelous AQL)
- Sound Shapes (Queazy Games) Cross-Buy
- Spelunky (Derek Yu & Andy Hull) Cross-Buy
- Stealth Inc. - A Clone in the Dark (Curve Studios) Cross-Buy
- SteamWorld Dig (Image&Form) Cross-Buy
- Super Stardust Delta (Housemarque)
- Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (Drinkbox Studios)
- Tearaway (Media Molecule)
- Thomas Was Alone (Mike Bithell) Cross-Buy
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Sony Bend)
- Velocity Ultra (FuturLab)
- Velocity 2X (FuturLab)
- The Walking Dead: Season 1 (Telltale Games)
- The Walking Dead: Season 2 (Telltale Games)
- wipEout 2048 (Sony Liverpool)
- Xblaze Code: Embryo (Arc System Works)
- Ys IV: Memories of Celceta (Falcom)
- Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward (Chunsoft)
Cross-Buy: Denotes games where buying the PS, PS4 or Vita version will come with the other version for free unless noted otherwise (eg, Dead Nation is only cross-buy between PS3 and Vita).
Recommended PS Mobile Games
- Beats Slider (Futurlab)
- Beats Trelis (Sony)
- Fuel Tiracas (Futurlab)
- Rymdkapsel (Grapefrukt)
- Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)
- Tokyo Jungle Mobile (SCE Japan Studio)
Recommended PSP Games
Note: Incompatible games are included in the list. Check the FAQ to make sure games are compatible before buying.
Action
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Killzone: Liberation
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Resistance Retribution
Silent Hill: Origins
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Thexder Neo
Platformer
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
Crush
Daxter
LocoRoco 2
LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood!
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins
JRPG
Breath of Fire III
Class of Heroes 2
Fate/Extra
Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition
Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV: Complete
Hexyz Force
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Persona
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 3 Portable
Riviera: The Promised Land
Action RPG
Cladun: This is an RPG
Cladun X2
Gods Eater Burst
Half Minute Heroes
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
The Third Birthday
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Ys VII
Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger Vs. Darkdeath Evilman
SRPG
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time
Gungnir
Jeanne d'Arc
Phantom Brave: Heroes of the Hermuda Triangle
R-Type Command
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Wild Arms XF
Yggdra Union
Adventure/Visual Novels
Corpse Party
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
Disgaea Infinite
Fighting
Darkstalkers Chronicle
Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Tekken 6
Puzzle
Echochrome
Echoshift
Exit
Patchwork Heroes
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Racing
Burnout Legends
Gran Turismo
Ridge Racer
Wipeout Pulse
Rhythm
Beats
DJMax Portable 3
Patapon
Patapon 2
Patapon 3
Strategy
No Heroes Allowed
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
Savage Moon: The Hera Campaign
SOCOM Tactical Strike
What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord
What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord 2
Compilation
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded
Capcom Classics Collection Remixed
EA Replay
Sega Mega Drive Collection
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Killzone: Liberation
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Resistance Retribution
Silent Hill: Origins
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Thexder Neo
Platformer
Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
Crush
Daxter
LocoRoco 2
LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood!
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins
JRPG
Breath of Fire III
Class of Heroes 2
Fate/Extra
Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition
Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV: Complete
Hexyz Force
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Persona
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 3 Portable
Riviera: The Promised Land
Action RPG
Cladun: This is an RPG
Cladun X2
Gods Eater Burst
Half Minute Heroes
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
The Third Birthday
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Ys VII
Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger Vs. Darkdeath Evilman
SRPG
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time
Gungnir
Jeanne d'Arc
Phantom Brave: Heroes of the Hermuda Triangle
R-Type Command
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Wild Arms XF
Yggdra Union
Adventure/Visual Novels
Corpse Party
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
Disgaea Infinite
Fighting
Darkstalkers Chronicle
Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Tekken 6
Puzzle
Echochrome
Echoshift
Exit
Patchwork Heroes
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Racing
Burnout Legends
Gran Turismo
Ridge Racer
Wipeout Pulse
Rhythm
Beats
DJMax Portable 3
Patapon
Patapon 2
Patapon 3
Strategy
No Heroes Allowed
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
Savage Moon: The Hera Campaign
SOCOM Tactical Strike
What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord
What Did I Do To Deserve This My Lord 2
Compilation
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded
Capcom Classics Collection Remixed
EA Replay
Sega Mega Drive Collection
3DS: 2466-2307-8384 PSN: bssteph Steam: bsstephan Twitch: bsstephan
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
Sterica on
+1
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
Memory cards come in a lot of sizes: 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 GB. The Slim (and PSTV, I think?) comes with 1 GB of memory built-in, which is enough to keep some saves and patches and DLC, but only the smallest of downloadable games. You almost certainly want to buy a memory card.
When buying memory cards, the best rule of thumb is buy as big as you can right away --- the larger capacity cards are the most cost effective, and getting a small card just to replace it three months later is kind of a waste. Obviously don't wait, but you'll almost certainly fill the 4 through 16 GB capacities quick if you buy stuff on PSN, and don't you want all the room a 64 GB card gives you anyway?
The 64 GB card is currently (inexplicably) only available in Japan, but there are plenty of import sites and resellers on Amazon that you can buy from for a pretty good deal. Shop around, and the thread can help with some good import sites with cheap prices.
Content Managers
Content Managers let you copy stuff off of your Vita and onto a computer, handy for when you finally fill up that 64 GB memory card.
Vita Content Manager (PC)
Vita Content Manager (Mac)
QCMA (cross-platform including Linux, open source) (and a fork with builds if you don't roll your own)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all PSP, PS1 and Minis games on the PSN backwards compatible?
No, currently there are a number of games you can only download through a PS3 and others that don't work at all. The games known to NOT work are listed below and it's important to point out that compatibility varies depending on the region. Some games may work in one region but not in another for instance. For a more fleshed out NA list, see here.
Incompatible list:
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (NA)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (NA)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (NA)
Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play (NA)
ModNation Racers (NA)
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (NA)
Phantasy Star Portable 2
Platypus (NA)
Silent Hill: Origins (PAL)
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (PAL)
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2 (PAL)
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
Super Monkey Ball Adventure (NA)
Syphon Filter: Combat Ops
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (NA)
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (PAL)
Thexder Neo
Twisted Metal: Head On
Wipeout Pure (NA)
PS1
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (NA)
Arc The Lad III (NA)
Arcade Hits: Magical Drop (NA)
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (NA)
Bloody Roar (NA)
Bloody Roar 2 (NA)
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer Red Alert
Command & Conquer Retaliation
Crash Bandicoot (NA)
Crash Bandicoot 2 (NA)
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (NA)
CTR: Crash Team Racing (NA)
Disney's Lilo & Stitch (NA)
Future Cop: L.A.P.D.
Jet Moto 3 (NA)
Myst (NA)
Pocket Fighter (NA)
Populous: The Beginning (PAL)
R-Type Delta (NA)
R-Types (NA)
SimCity 2000 (PAL)
Spyro the Dragon (NA)
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (NA)
Spyro: Year of the Dragon (NA)
Star Wars Dark Forces (NA)
Theme Hospital (PAL)
Theme Park (PAL)
Minis
Angry Birds (NA)
Bowling 3D
Dracula: Undead Awakening (NA)
Farm Frenzy 2 (NA)
Fighting Fantasy: Talisman of Death (NA)
Mahjongg Artifacts (NA)
Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 (NA)
Ninjamurai (NA)
Pac-Man Championship Edition (NA)
Pinball Duel (NA)
Star Hammer Tactics (NA)
Sudoku (PAL)
Tetris (PAL)
Vanguard (NA)
Vector TD (NA)
How do I download my PS1/PSP games though my PS3?
Download them to your PS3, plug your Vita in and go to the Content Manager. There'll be an option to transfer downloaded games from the PS3, select that and select the games you want to transfer. If a downloaded game didn't appear on that list then it can't be transferred.
How do I switch accounts?
This video explains how to switch them.
How do I get into the in-game options in PS1/PSP games?
Simply hold down the PS button, a menu will show up and you need to select the Settings button. This in-game menu lets you remap controls, add a bilinear filter (to help eliminate aliasing), increase disc speed (to decrease load times) in PS1 games, swap PS1 discs and more.
How do I take screenshots in-game?
Simply press the Start and PS button at the same time. Some games disable this feature, though, so if it's not working, that's probably the reason.
What do I do if my Vita has frozen?
Here's a handy little guide to help you out.
What's "Cross-Buy"?
It's what Sony has labelled their 'buy one, get the other free' PS3/PS4/Vita game promotion. It works just as intended, where if you buy a game on the Vita, you will immediately receive the PS3 and PS4 versions as well (if available). It's worth noting, however, that there are some games that get a little weird with this, being Cross-Buy on two platforms but not the other. Dead Nation for instance is Cross-Buy on PS3 and Vita but the PS4 version is sold separately.
Similar to this, there are also some games that have Cross-Buy DLC.
What are the current Cross-Buy games?
Here's the current list, for upcoming titles take a look at the Upcoming Vita Titles list above:
Alien Breed
Atomic Ninjas
Bentley's Hackpack
Big Sky Infinity
CastleStorm
Cel Damage HD
Dead Nation (PS3 only)
Divekick
Doki-Doki Universe
Dragon Fantasy Book I
Dragon Fantasy Book II
Escape Plan
Ethan: Meteor Hunter
FEZ
flOw
Flower
Foosball 2012
God of War Collection (PSN only)
Guacamelee!
Hotline Miami
Hustle Kings
Jak & Daxter HD Collection (PSN only)
KickBeat
King Oddball
Knytt Underground
Lone Survivor: Director's Cut
Luftrausers
Motorstorm RC
Ms Germinator
Mutant Mudds Deluxe
Pinball Arcade
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3 retail or PSN)
Proteus
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault/Q-Force (PS3 retail or PSN)
Retro City Rampage
Sly Trilogy (PSN only)
Sly: Thieves in Time (PS3 only)
Sound Shapes
Spelunky
Stealth Inc. - A Clone in the Dark
Steamworld Dig
Stick It To The Man
Superfrog HD
Thomas Was Alone
Top Darts
When Vikings Attack
Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge
Games with Cross-Buy DLC are:
Dead or Alive 5/5+
Everybody's Golf 6
flOw
Foosball 2012
Guacamelee!
Hot Shots Golf 6
Hustle Kings
LittleBigPlanet 1/2/Vita (costumes)
Motorstorm RC
Phantom Breaker: Battleground
Pinball Arcade (excludes PS4 version)
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Sound Shapes
Street Fighter X Tekken
Top Darts
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
When Vikings Attack
Wipeout 2048 (free Wipeout HD and Fury DLC if you own their PS3 equivalents)
Zen Pinball 2
How do I play local/ad-hoc multiplayer PSP games online?
This will require a PS3. On the PS Store there's an app called Ad-hoc Party, which will let you connect to it and play with others that are using Ad-hoc Party. One problem with this app though, is that they're region locked. So people using the US version of the app can only play with others that are using the US version. Luckily it isn't region locked, so European users can create a US account, download it, log back into their normal account and use it to play with people in the US.
Where are my Vita saves stored?
You know the little bubbles on the main screen? Yeah, DO NOT DELETE THEM! While some retail games save your progress straight to the game card, there are a number (including Uncharted GA) that don't. They, alongside downloadable games, save to the memory card and are represented by the bubbles. So deleting them, will actually delete your save as well. If you're running out of space, back your save up to the PS+ Cloud Storage or the game itself to your PC/PS3/Mac and then delete it. Patches and installs will be backed up as well, so you when you put them back on your Vita, you won't need to download/install them all over again.
What's PlayStation Plus?
PS+ is Sony's online service. It provides a couple of very useful features: PS+ cloud storage and auto-update. The cloud storage allows you to upload all your game saves to it and then re-download them at will. While auto-update automatically checks for game patches/firmware updates and downloads them, uploads saves to the cloud storage and syncs your trophies.
The biggest part of PS+, however, is the PS Store content. Alongside additional discounts on games, Sony have a selection of games available to download. These games can be played so long as you're subscribed to PS+ and since the expiration date is saved in the registry, you don't need to be connected online. And if your subscription expires and you eventually re-subscribe, you'll be able to play the games from your first subscription again. You don't need to keep them downloaded, they'll be in your download list. Sony swaps games in/out of the selection each month, so it's worth keeping an eye on.
PA PSN Friends List
Click on the above link and fill in your details down the bottom. Make sure you don't ruin the formatting though.
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
Many thanks to Unco-ordinated for the data and info up to this point and providing such a great baseline!
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
Also, Stranger of Sword City when?
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
To carry on a topic from the last thread:
They teased DanganRonpa 3 at the same time they announced Another Episode at Sony's TGS press conference last year. They seem to have something around a two year gap between releases, so a TGS announcement next year and 2016 release would be a good bet.
If only Zero Escape were as popular as DanganRonpa in Japan...
Smells like.. Persona.
I think you mean Dagnabbit Ron Paul....... I mean Danganronpa.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Vib Ribbon is actually a good game, but I think PS3 might be the place to play it for the audio CD level generation. It should be cross-buy, though, so it's not like you have to choose. My memory recalls the songs that come with the game are fun too, but not as fun as Vib Ribboning to your favorite soundtracks and albums.
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
I'm assuming they'll access your music saved on the Vita to perform the same level generation.
Not a sound assumption. They've only confirmed that the ability to generate levels based on an audio CD is in the PSN release.
I keep a small amount on mine.
Usually either the Nier soundtrack and arranged albums or some Touhou jazz remixes.
The Vita does do custom soundtracks after all.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Wait. Audio..... CD? What is this, the 90s?
Do those even exist anymore? O.o
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
the release is a PS1 classic
as such, it has the same capabilities as the original game
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/japan-loves-cds-85-of-songs-still-purchased-on-plastic-disks/
That's because they buy/rent --> rip --> return.
And, outside of piracy, that's the only way to get 80% of music digitally in Japan. Their record companies are still in the Stone Age when it comes to digital music offerings.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
I secretly win though. Vib Ribbon + Danganronpa soundtracks (2 should be arriving in a couple days and I finally found 1 physically).
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
I will also include there's some of us approaching 40, who like music but hate the compression loss of mpegs, who work mostly from their car that still buy and thoroughly enjoy audio CDs. I have discs with music from Persona3 & 4, Ar Tonelico, Dust: an Elysian Tail, and an official Chronotorious album in my car right now.
Screw the haters, I'm doing things old school.
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
There are lossless formats for that.
Though as far as audio quality goes, today's 320k mp3s are indistinguishable from FLAC to outside of the most high end applications (i.e. mixing music or concerts). CDs are 320k as well, just lossless.
At the mp3 vs cd/lossless point, headphones/speakers make the bigger difference. And I don't mean $40 headphones with a beats symbol sold for $200-300. I mean actual good headphones like Byerdynamic, Sennheiser, Sony, Audio-Technica, and their brothers/sisters.
But I totally understand keeping CDs for a lossless hard collection.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
2. It's never directly stated, but it's implied that Guy F is Fuyuhiko, yes. Timeline-wise, it's hard to say what happens when. I don't think there's enough information to be definitive, but I think it's safe to assume that those events occur before The Tragedy.
4. Frankly I think the name tricks Lovely points out are more compelling than those. I also agree that them both being the Ultimate Lucky Student is as easy as them being in different grades. There are definitely supposed to be some parallels between Nagito and Makoto though.
5. Yeah, as Lovely said, Nagito lays it out that he's referring to Junko.
Also, yeah, really hoping we get Danganronpa: Another Episode and that a DR3 does indeed happen.
Tabletop:13th Age (mm-mmm), D&D 4e
Occasional words about games: my site
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
I still have my 2 or 3 giant CD cases from the mid-90s to maybe mid-2000s. I'd guess it's probably 400+ CDs. I don't have the heart to get rid of them, and I still have a car with no AUX port and a CD player built in, so they're actually pretty useful.
I can never help singing Danganronpa to the tune of Beastie Boys 'Shake your Rump' when I see it. Keeps me out of this thread I suppose.
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
Nah. You're good.
My brain is wat right now.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch