Poll: Considering a new handheld system: PSVita or 3DS XL?

[dolgion]

So I'm primarily a PC Gamer, but I also bought a PSP towards the end of its lifecycle in 2010.
I really like my PSP because it reignited my love for JRPGs. It's the perfect type of game to play on a handheld. My favorites were Persona 3 Portable, Tactics Ogre but I also got into Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy 4 Complete, and so forth.

On the PC, I really love indie titles and basically buy every Humble Indie Bundle by reflex.

I am currently leaning towards getting a Vita because:
- I really like my PSP and the Vita seems like a natural progression
- I missed out on the PS2 era and want to enjoy Persona 4 Golden, Final Fantasy 10 HD, Metal Gear Solid HD,
- Handheld versions of Spelunky and Terraria are hugely attractive
- The build quality (feel and robustness) of the Vita is widely praised

Things that don't draw me in as much are:
- Lots of people recommend Vita because of the PSP compatibility. But that's not a huge draw for me
- JRPGs seem like they're really headed for the 3DS more than the Vita

Which brings me to the idea of getting a 3DS (specifically XL). With titles like Fire Emblem, Bravely Default or Shin Megami Tensei 4, and Monster Hunter, let alone Zelda A Link Between Worlds it looks like the 3DS has a healthier library than the Vita in terms of Japanese RPGs.
Also, the DS legacy library available could be a big big point in favor of the 3DS.

It's just that I've never got into Nintendo consoles before, and don't know what to expect having mostly experienced Playstation gaming in terms of consoles. I couldn't really get into Mario, or previous Zeldas that I'd tried.

Technical question: does the 3DS offer all its games as downloads? How about the DS backlog? In my country the selection of physical games is very limited, so digital download is preferred. How is the build quality? Can it hold a candle to the Vita?

 

[Roxas1359]

When it comes to the 3DS questions here are some things you should know:
One, the 3DS is region locked so you cannot import games from other regions and expect them to work on you're 3DS. This is the same for the eShop so some games will be available in other countries and not yours and you can't do anything about it. Since you live in Mongolia (I'm basing this off you're profile so sorry if I'm wrong ) you're technically in the Asian region according to Nintendo so games to import shouldn't be too much of a problem. However, due to regional lockout through what I've heard from some of my European friends the Download Play ability doesn't work if you're friend has an NTSC 3DS with the NTSC version of the same game and you have a different region 3DS with that region's version of the game.
Two, most games are available as both physical and digital, but there are some exceptions to this. Some games are digital only, while some appear to be physical only (Dream Drop Distance for example is physical cartridge only). 3DS' battery life is just fine, so you don't have to worry and the XL model has a longer battery life than the original 3DS. There is no ability to buy DS games on the eShop digitally as of now, but the 3DS has full backwards compatibility with all Nintendo DS games so it's no problem. Indie wise the eShop is sadly very lacking. While yes there are some, there really aren't that many on the 3DS when compared to the PS Vita.
Price wise, the digital versions of the 3DS games cost the same amount as the physical copy ones, with Virtual Console games being very very pricey, some to the point in which they are definitely not worth it.




Now on the Vita side there are some differences:
First off, the PS Vita is not region locked so you can import games all you want and play them all you want. Digital stores are still separated by regions, but it is possible to access those stores by changing your region on the system I believe and then making an account for that region. That being said, when doing that the account is locked to one memory card I believe, and the proprietary memory cards on the Vita are expensive when compared to the fact that the 3DS uses regular SD cards. Battery life on the Vita's vary, with the newly released slim model having a longer battery life and the fact that it no longer requires a proprietary charging cable with it. The new slim models no longer use an OLED screen but instead use a cheaper LCD screen as well so some colors might not seem as fleshed out as the ones on the OLED screen.
For PSP games, the Vita can't play physical PSP games you might have, as there is no UMD slot (wish there was though), and the digital library of PSP games is missing some (Birth by Sleep for example), however it is a step up when compared to that of the 3DS as the 3DS doesn't have any DS games to buy on it's store. In fact, the Virtual Console section of the 3DS eShop is lacking a lot as there really aren't many games at all for it (mainly NES, Game Gear, some GameBoy/GameBoy Color games) when compared to the PSN Vita's store (PS1 Classics, PSP games, Indie Section). Price wise on the store, given that you get PS+ which gives you lots of deals and discounts on games it's quite cheaper.
One of the main problems of the PS Vita is the cost of the proprietary memory cards. If you plan on going full digital then the price of the Vita will skyrocket due to the price of the cards. Especially when compared to the 3DS when it comes to the fact that the 3DS uses standard SD cards.

So what do I think you should do: wait. Wait for deals and bundles to come up so that you could maximize what you're buying.

 

[dolgion]

@Neronium

Ok that was very informative. Didn't expect Nintendo wouldn't allow 3DS users to buy and download DS games on their eShop. Also region lock might be an issue. Mongolia is very low profile for the gaming companies and sometimes is overlooked. It was a problem when I bought Starcraft 2 as they put Mongolia into the Russia region, and I don't have rubles (Blizzard offers different pricing for Russians oddly enough).

So on the Vita, as I understand you can change on the fly whether you want to access the US region, Japan region or Europe region markets with differing game offers yes? And when buying a game for example on the EU region market, my memory card will forever be registered as European, so I cannot go and buy Japanese versions afterwards, which means I might have to get up to three memory cards each for a different region?


So far I'm leaning towards the Vita, but everybody keeps singing the praises for the 3DS, and since I've never had a Nintendo console I'm a bit wary if I'd enjoy it. So I'm mostly into JRPGs when it comes to portable gaming. Maybe somebody could list some must-get RPGs for the 3DS?

 

[lapan]

It also depends on if you are European or American. In Europe we get many 3DS games later or not at all. This mainly affects Atlus games. We are still waiting on a releasedate for SMT4. Thanks to the regionlock this makes the 3DS more unattractive over here.

The vita is region-free, so you are going to have less problems with that. If you want to switch regions you are going to need 2 or more memorycards though. If you can speak/read japanese it's even more attractive since a ton of its games didn't get any localizations or are never going to get any.

 

[Aerosteam]

Why the XL? Do you have big hands? If not, go for the regular model. If you are on a budget, go for the 2DS.

 

[Bellvedere]

So far I'm leaning towards the Vita, but everybody keeps singing the praises for the 3DS, and since I've never had a Nintendo console I'm a bit wary if I'd enjoy it. So I'm mostly into JRPGs when it comes to portable gaming. Maybe somebody could list some must-get RPGs for the 3DS?

Well in addition to the ones you mentioned in the OP, there's also the Etrian Odyssey series (both IV and a remake of I available on 3DS), other SMT spinoffs (Devil Summoner and Devil Survivor 1 &2), Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Rune Factory 4.

It's also worth noting that while 3DS games are region locked, DS games aren't, so you can still import DS games to your hearts content.

 

[JayRPG]

It's impossible to choose between them for a JRPG fan, being one myself, I actually found the only solution is to own two 3DS XLs (one NTSC and one PAL) and a PS Vita.

There are several great J/RPGs for the 3DS that only get released in NA with no EU release, So I have my local PAL Australian Zelda 3DS XL for most games and an imported NTSC super mario dream team 3DS XL for games like shin megami tensei IV, rune factory etc;
I imported a FFX/X2 HD special edition version of the new Vita, Japan get's all the cool limited edition consoles but thankfully the Vita is region-free.

Now, while there are more JRPGs on the 3DS currently, the Vita is picking up steam, especially in this department - Developer backing seems like it is finally hitting the Vita and there are a lot of very cool games on the horizon (in addition to the great set of JRPGs already available).

As a JRPG fan you should not be disappointed with either choice. Pick the one that has the games you really want to play right now.

 

[Shocksplicer]

Vita. It's far more powerful and has a growing library of great games like Persona 4 Golden, Killzone Mercenary and Soul Sacrifice. The PS store has an excellent selection of past gen games. In addition, the Vita is powerful enough that many cross platform games are available on the system undiminished, such as Terraria and The Walking Dead.

 

[F'Angus]

I'd say the Vita, it's currently getting some really good games. As you say Final Fantasy X HD is coming, I'm waiting for that by playing FFIX on my Vita. If you haven't already I'd reccomend ps plus as well. We just got Dynasty Warriors 'free''. There are als a lot of good games already out, Virtues Last Reward, Persona, Gucemelee (which is awesome).

Oh and Borderlands 2 is coming. I'm typing this out on my vita now, I use it for youtube when I can't be bothered to put my laptop on, it's got a bigger screen than my phone. (plus it has remote play if you own a ps4).

Downsides: Low batery life on old version, really expensive memory I'd recommend at least 8gb and that would cost about £25.

 

[blizzaradragon]

Go for a 3DS. The library is absolutely fantastic, and as someone who enjoys JRPGs you'll have a field day. Both Bravely Default and Shin Megami Tensei IV are absolute must-buys if you get one, and Mario and Luigi: Dream Team is also a fantastic buy if you like some humor with your RPG. Along with the great RPG lineup are great games in pretty much any other genre aside from shooters, which have never had a strong showing on a Nintendo system anyway.

Another thing you'll want to factor in though, since you have a preference for digital download, is space requirements and the cost of them. The 3DS uses standard SD cards, so you can easily get additional/larger ones for low cost. Meanwhile the Vita has to use their memory sticks, which currently are ridiculously expensive compared to that of any other system. Just for a price comparison:
-32 GB SD card = $20
-32 GB Vita Memory Stick = $80

This is on top of regular versions of the Vita not including a memory stick either, whereas the 3DS comes with a 4GB SD card already in.

That being said, if you REALLY need to play Persona 4 Golden then get a Vita, because that's the only reason I have for recommending a Vita as well as the only reason I still have mine(although it's a very good reason to have one imo). Hell, only reason I have one in the first place is because it would've been more of a hassle for my friend to go into town and trade his in than to just give me his.

 

[Saltyk]

I don't currently have a newer handheld system. So I can't really say which is better for what.

However, I will say that if you go Vita, you should get PS+. It offers you free games monthly and discounts on others. Plus, if you weren't able to get some classic Playstation One JRPGs, there are plenty available on PSN under Playstation Classics. The entire selection of PS1 Final Fantasy games (including the ports), Breath of Fire 4, Suikoden, Legend of Dragoon, Chrono Trigger, and even games like Spyro and Tekken. All available for download for $10US or less.

Plus, your Playstation account remembers what games you downloaded. So, if you need space, you can just delete the game from the card and download it again later free of charge. And there are some benefits to owning a Vita and PS4, if that is something you would be interested in.

 

[duwenbasden]

If I have to choose one, I'll go for the 3DS for the Nintendo games. There is too much overlap between the Vita and my mobile devices for me to even consider it at the moment (hey look 960x540 OLED screen!!!! My old One X has a 1280x720 SuperLCD2 screen, and it is PSN compatible.)


does the 3DS offer all its games as downloads? I believe most of the more known ones are, but the problem is you can't use your device when downloading.

How about the DS backlog? Not on the e-store I am afraid.

How is the build quality? Scratch resistant, but I won't call it well-built.
Can it hold a candle to the Vita? hardware-wise, nope.
However, the difference between OLED and LCD when playing a game isn't that great. However, the deep black of the OLED screen shows when watching a movie. Nevertheless, if the LCD on the new Vita is the old Xperia screens, then I rather gouge my eyeballs out (yes, they are THAT BAD).

 

[Lightknight]

If you like your PSP then Vita is a must.

However, this really comes down to what games you enjoy more. The 3DS is going to have a lot more Japanese titles and is fully backed by Nintendo. So if JRPGs are your sauce then that's the way to go. However, I saw some decent JRPs come out on the PSP as well (Brave Story, for example) so I don't have any reason to think the Vita won't see some of the same. I hear the Atelier series is good and it's getting another Atelier game (Ayesha) next month. God Eater 2 seems well awarded and the Disgaea series is also popular. Hmm, interesting. It appears that both FFX and FFX-2 have been released on the Vita, I guess learning about that is my reward for researching these titles for you: The list is not small, here's the Wiki of Vita Games [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_Vita_games] .

I have both and greatly prefer my Vita and its games. But that may be a difference of taste. My current dislike is the limited storage on the Vita but at least it has storage of any significance (eyes the 3DS meaningfully). I have used the other media features of the vita to play movies and such but I greatly prefer the games. I don't know much more about your tastes but that list should suffice in letting you know what's there. Waiting a year likely wouldn't be a bad idea but it would take the year of enjoying the platform from you.

 

[Yopaz]

My current dislike is the limited storage on the Vita but at least it has storage of any significance (eyes the 3DS meaningfully)

Uhm, it uses SD cards. I got 32 GB for about 15 dollars. I found a used one for the Vita priced 50.

OT: I would say go for the Vita due to the region locks. Not sure how many of the games you'd actually want you'd be able to play. You might even want to hold it off and wait for something that will change your mind because buying something you're not sure you'll like based on the advice of random people on the internet is not always the key to the success.

 

[gorfias]

I'm spoiled by 2 analogue sticks, so I have the Vita and it does have great games. I bit the bullet and paid $120 for a 64 Gig card, $50 for PS+. I have about 6 games that were free with the cost of the hardware and PS+, new ones coming each month or so. I haven't played any network multi-player yet.

The screen is much better on the Vita vs. 3DS. The OLED is really beautiful. I haven't seen the lighter, longer battery lasting LCD one yet. My battery has lasted me well enough, but I don't play for much more than an hour or so at a time. (3 hours was my record).

So, price for hardware and PS+ has been a good deal, likely, all told, about as cheap is the 3DS. (Unless Nintendo has a free game thing like PS+.)

If you want to do remote play to a PS4, you need one.

Biggest ***** so far: unlike the PSP, I understand I can't get a cord and play the Vita on my TV. I wonder why not?

 

[dolgion]

My current dislike is the limited storage on the Vita but at least it has storage of any significance (eyes the 3DS meaningfully)

Uhm, it uses SD cards. I got 32 GB for about 15 dollars. I found a used one for the Vita priced 50.

OT: I would say go for the Vita due to the region locks. Not sure how many of the games you'd actually want you'd be able to play. You might even want to hold it off and wait for something that will change your mind because buying something you're not sure you'll like based on the advice of random people on the internet is not always the key to the success.

Yeah the 3DS main problem could be the region locking situation. I'd need to look into that more deeply. As to your concern re: asking internet people, I've been planning on getting a Vita (mainly thanks to Persona 4. It seems to be one of the best JRPGs of its generation). But I can't see much farther than that. MGS Collection, Spelunky, Terraria and FFX/X-2 look like sure purchases, but then what? I'm not into Disgaea weirdly enough, just doesn't click with me, though I love the genre.

And on top of these little doubts along comes the general internet consensus that the 3DS is a far better handheld. Looking at the poll so far it's 15 for Vita and 41 for 3DS. Something must be up with that console and since I don't know much about it I was asking here for some suggestions.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

As the resident bad guy for the Escapist according to a few die hard Nintendo fans I have to say








Go with the 3DS. Especially if you like JRPGs. There's a silent renaissance of the JRPG going on with the 3DS and if that's your kind of game, the 3DS is for you.

 

[Yopaz]

My current dislike is the limited storage on the Vita but at least it has storage of any significance (eyes the 3DS meaningfully)

Uhm, it uses SD cards. I got 32 GB for about 15 dollars. I found a used one for the Vita priced 50.

OT: I would say go for the Vita due to the region locks. Not sure how many of the games you'd actually want you'd be able to play. You might even want to hold it off and wait for something that will change your mind because buying something you're not sure you'll like based on the advice of random people on the internet is not always the key to the success.

Yeah the 3DS main problem could be the region locking situation. I'd need to look into that more deeply. As to your concern re: asking internet people, I've been planning on getting a Vita (mainly thanks to Persona 4. It seems to be one of the best JRPGs of its generation). But I can't see much farther than that. MGS Collection, Spelunky, Terraria and FFX/X-2 look like sure purchases, but then what? I'm not into Disgaea weirdly enough, just doesn't click with me, though I love the genre.

And on top of these little doubts along comes the general internet consensus that the 3DS is a far better handheld. Looking at the poll so far it's 15 for Vita and 41 for 3DS. Something must be up with that console and since I don't know much about it I was asking here for some suggestions.

Personally I love the 3DS and I would recommend it to anyone over here of the Vita, but in your case I know too little about which games you actually have and which are impossible to play. I love getting my games through the Eshop and I rarely buy physical copies, but as far as I know from my experience with the PS3 they have a better infrastructure when it comes to game management.

Now I am actually in the same position as you when it comes to the Vita. I want one for Persona 4 and Ys and I almost bought one a couple weeks back. Then I just asked myself "why?" and I couldn't think of more than a couple games I would love to play and maybe one or two I kinda want to play. So I decided to wait and see if I suddenly ended up with more money than expected at some point.