PS Vita TV and 2000
🎮 The story of PlayStation Vita TV.
I recently came across a conversation where two people were discussing the PlayStation Vita TV — one called it underrated, the other thought it was pointless. I got curious and ordered one for myself.
While I wait for it to arrive, I decided to dig into its history: what exactly is this device, and why did Sony make it?
📺 It turns out that Vita TV is not really a Vita at all. A device that was supposed to expand the portable console's capabilities ended up stripped of most of the things that made it distinctive. Touch controls, camera, gyroscope — all removed. As a result, many major games simply would not run, including Sony's own exclusives. It is remarkable how absurd a console can become when you remove everything that made the original special.
🕹️ The Vita 2000 makes more sense. It is slimmer and lighter, has microUSB and built-in storage. But once the OLED screen is replaced with LCD, the obvious question is whether the lower price is worth it. A great screen was practically the defining feature of Sony's handhelds.
📖 All the details, little-known facts, and a few reflections about Sony's compromises are in the new article: 👉 The history of PlayStation Vita, Part 2: VTE-1000 and PCH-2000