Blow Christmas Cash on the Vita or 3DS?

I've never owned any iteration of the DS hardware. My last handheld that saw any play was the PSP, and even that mostly collected dust outside of FF Tactics. I thought when I bought a Smartphone a couple years back that would be my handheld gaming, but those games just don't do it for me. I need meaty games, not kitschy games. One other important point is I'm already a PS Plus subscriber for my PS3, so the Vita comes with a handful of free games for me.

What to do and why?

Vita. Because I'm happy with mine and I dislike Nintendo first party games.

I use my Vita the most, whereas my 3DS tends to sit around uncharged, but I think I'd recommend the 3DS, particularly if you've never owned a DS.

Go 3DS because there's a huge library of amazing DS games you can check out as well as some cool new stuff on the eshop

Hookers

Hunkadunk

Vita software seems more appealing to me than what the 3DS currently has to offer. You will have to get a 32 GB memory card to take full advantage of digital downloads, though. Especially with PS+.

3DS games are lacking to me, but it could be used to catch up on old AMAZING DS games. However, theres some awesome stuff for the Vita right now and more coming. Since you're already PS+, I'm inclined to say go for the Vita.

If you're not a big fan of first party Nintendo games then it's a bit of a tough call. I don't see a whole lot going for it right now but there's some good stuff coming along next year, Etrian Odyssey and Fire Emblem being some of the big ones for me. Like other people have mentioned, you get access to the DS library which itself is freaking fantastic. The Vita lineup doesn't look that appealing to me and the memory cards are pricey, but a PS+ account can definitely make the investment seem worthwhile. Vita also has the advantage of having a tonne of great PS1 and PSP titles available digitally, so in the worst case scenario you're paying for a pretty good emulator. (which was basically the PSP's initial selling point was amirite?)

I've had more fun with Persona and Gravity Rush than anything I've played for the 3DS. That being said there is a huge backlog of great DS games and less so for PSP. As Ducksworth said PS+ really sweetens the deal as you get a bunch of good games right out of the gate.

Since you already have PS+, Vita is going to work out better for you. It's a great game-of-the-month service they have going for them, you'll barely ever need to buy games for it at this rate. Retro City Rampage just rotated in yesterday.

What's 3DS have in response to that? Nothin'. Reggie Don't Care.

The inevitable third iteration of 3DS might be cool, but for now I'm going with Vita. Sony's desperate and giving shit away. If it ends up getting abandoned, at least the homebrew would be cool on a handheld that powerful.

Vita. I have had my 3DS for a few years now and I have used it for maybe 20 min. My vita I have owned for a few months and have put hours into stuff like Persona 4 and the Playstation Plus stuff is great. Plus, for me anyway, the huge selection of awesome PSP, PSX, and PS2 games on the store are very enticing.

The price of the Vita and the memory cards puts me off of getting one. If you want to get a Vita, I'd recommend waiting for a price drop, which will probably happen sometime in 2013 anyway. That being said, I've enjoyed a decent amount of 3DS games, and they're still some I haven't gotten around to purchasing.

3DS has more games more experiences

Save it for a phone.

The Vita has P4G. That's pretty meaty.

I love my Vita but dayum it needs some more games made specifically for the vita

@Irishdoom: Woah. You haven't played any DS games?

Then, unequivocally, I would say the 3DS. It's got some great games, -and- it is compatible with tons of awesome DS games which are now very cheap. A 3DS(or 3DS XL) would be my absolute recommendation.

Do you want Persona 4: Golden or Shin Megami Tensei IV?

Damn you Atlus!! *shakes fists* Why couldn't you release those on non-handhelds!

Weird, unlike most people here I think the 3ds has the more interesting library.

also Fire Emblem, Shin Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers, and maybe SMT IV are coming out next year.

PLUS ITS CHEAPER. so yeah. 3ds all the way.

I would check out the games available for each system, 3ds has more games, but it didn't have even 1 game that I wanted to play, Vita on the other hand had many games I wanted to play so I went with that.

Persona 4 Golden and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Vita are better than anything on the 3DS. The port of UMvC3 makes Super Street Fighter IV on the 3DS seem so ridiculously dated, god damn that game runs amazing on Vita. (funnily enough, the PS3 version actually gets slowdown and the Vita version does not, while looking practically identical)

...I am however a Marvel nut, and love having a portable version of that fantastic game. (even though I can't use my stick)

and a little bit excitable because I've been playing the hell out of that game switching between Vita and PS3 recently.

@xMEGADETHxSLY said:

3DS has more games more experiences

Pushmo, 3D Land, Devil Survivor 2, Mario Kart 7

I can't think of much else worthy, unless you want to play that Ocarina of Time game which really hasn't held up well.

Personally I think both the Vita and 3DS are pretty weak on the software front, although to be fair the Vita has been out less than a year, unless you count the original Japan release.

@TruthTellah said:

@Irishdoom: Woah. You haven't played any DS games?

Then, unequivocally, I would say the 3DS. It's got some great games, -and- it is compatible with tons of awesome DS games which are now very cheap. A 3DS(or 3DS XL) would be my absolute recommendation.

That's right, not one. So a vast library of games built up over 8+ years, vs the "wow" factor of the Vita with the frequent freebies from PS Plus.

I've played my Vita everyday since I've got it. Granted 100 of those hours were on Persona 4 Golden. But man, that game is really something else.

I love my 3DS :o 
 
Also, getting a 3DS means you can buy both 999 and VLR and play them on the same system :P

Vita looks like it has no future but it's fucking awesome.

@Irishdoom said:

@TruthTellah said:

@Irishdoom: Woah. You haven't played any DS games?

Then, unequivocally, I would say the 3DS. It's got some great games, -and- it is compatible with tons of awesome DS games which are now very cheap. A 3DS(or 3DS XL) would be my absolute recommendation.

That's right, not one. So a vast library of games built up over 8+ years, vs the "wow" factor of the Vita with the frequent freebies from PS Plus.

Yeah, while the "wow" factor is nice; the 3DS is just such a worthwhile system. I'd go with the 3DS XL myself, but the normal 3DS is cool, too. The 3DS is good now and for quite some time. The Vita may be fine and have some freebies right now, but I'm not sure about its longevity. Plus, it isn't backwards compatible with the now super, super cheap PSP games, as the PSP games on PSN are still priced much higher than just buying the physical UMDs. The Vita has a cool collection, but since you already had the PSP, it really doesn't add enough just yet vs the 3DS. They're both great, and I'm sure you'd get a lot of fun out of either. But for overall value and longevity, I have got to recommend the 3DS over the Vita at the moment. :)

I just wanted to point out that Professor Layton, and more importantly PUSHMO and CRASHMO are on the 3DS, also Super Mario 3D Land.

Anyway, my advice would be to invest in a tablet instead, I'd say an iPad 3, or at the very least an iPad mini.

I think I'm going to get a 3DS XL tomorrow you guys.... And maybe a Vita too?

God damn boxing day, you better not have great deals for me. Or maybe you should. Gaaaah!

I really enjoy my 3DS a lot. I say go for a 3DS XL.

I'd say Vita, you have all the PS1 games, all the PSP games and Metal Gear Solid HD collection and Persona 4 Golden and you got PS+ so it's a no brainer.

get a Vita

if you do it will get awesome games. if you get 3DS nothing will happen

I'd toss my vote in for the Vita. I like my 3DS, but even after buying all of the "must have" games (except for Paper Mario, I plan to try that soon,) the cart in my system currently in sleep mode is Picross 3D. If I knew all I'd really enjoy playing on the system was a nearly 3 year old DS game, I would have saved myself a lot of money and got a DS Lite. Although I guess I did spend a lot of time with Link's Awakening... 
 
Especially since you have PS+, you should go for the Vita. Also, most (if not all) of the PSone classics you may have bought will be playable too, and there's a pretty big library of PSP games available.

Right now, the 3DS, unless you really want P4G, which is a great game, but.... pretty much the only great game.

I have both - I'm happy with both, but if you can only get one and you don't care for Persona, then get the 3DS for now. Having said that, I think the Vita has a relatively good future ahead of itself. I mean, it's a damn good piece of hardware, I can tell you that right now.

I don't own either, but I think the vita is more impressive.

Vita, because you can not only play awesome games but you can watch movies and put pretty pictures in it. And plus having it PS One compatible is a plus.

I recently bought a PSPgo for $50, with accessories and preloaded games. I'm pretty impressed with the PSP back catalogue. Considering I was never interested in a PSP, I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I think the DS back catalogue is slightly more impressive.

Between the Vita and the 3DS though, when it comes down to it, I think the 3DS is a better value. At this point, I would wait for a Vita redesign--maybe something with built in storage. Or maybe find a good deal on one; don't pay full retail price.

Get a 3DS for now. But if you haven't already, got ahead and add those Vita games to your PSN Store shopping cart and check 'em out, just in case you get a Vita eventually.

Meh to handhelds.. I say put it away for the PS4

If the Vita were $200 instead of $250 or more, I think I'd be sold. Well, if it also came with a card bigger than 4GB. (Damn you Sony and your proprietary memory cards!) I'm still up in the air. Maybe I get neither and just get a few games for my new Xbox.

As for the suggestions about a Tablet or Smartphone, those games don't do it for me for more than 3 minutes. And touchscreen controls still suck.

@JZ said:

Hookers

Blackjack!

Hookers and blackjack!

3DS. 
 
Portable Punchout!! 
 
Edit: In all seriousness, I got a 3DS recently and am having a blast with it. Super Mario 3D Land is an amazing game and Paper Mario: Sticker Star is quite fun (and funny) too. I also have Tales of the Abyss which I haven't even started yet but if my previous experience with Tales games is any indicator I will probably have a ton of fun. 

Try factoring the money you save from the games you get on Plus into the cost of the Vita + memory card. Made the decision to get a 32 GB card much easier, and once I'd done it, I done it, and freed myself from thinking about the damn things for the foreseeable future.

3DS. It has more games for me and the library of games keeps on coming. What does the Vita have for next year? Nothing! Go 3ds and play the huge library of DS games that are out there!

@Phatmac said:

3DS. It has more games for me and the library of games keeps on coming. What does the Vita have for next year? Nothing! Go 3ds and play the huge library of DS games that are out there!

Just because you don't keep up with upcoming Vita releases, doesn't mean they don't actually exist... And it's not like there isn't a huge library exisitng of PSOne, PSP, and Minis titles on the Vita.

3DS

The 3DS would be my recommendation.

It's already got Super Mario 3D Land, Pushmo, Crashmo, Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D (if you've never played it/want to replay it, or want to play/replay master quest), a few decent 3rd party games, and Luigi's Mansion 2 looks pretty good. The real reason why, though, is that I just don't see the Vita getting support for much longer, and the 3DS is successful enough (though not nearly as successful as the DS) to keep getting games for quite a while.

Depends on what you're looking for, though, I guess.

@D_W said:

Do you want Persona 4: Golden or Shin Megami Tensei IV?

Damn you Atlus!! *shakes fists* Why couldn't you release those on non-handhelds!

How is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked? Is it worth getting if I've never played the series before, but I'm looking for a good JRPG to play on it?

@joshthebear said:

Hunkadunk

Kids?

The elderly?

Scientists?

@Zuldim said:

The real reason why, though, is that I just don't see the Vita getting support for much longer,

People have been saying that since shortly after launch, yet the Vita keeps getting new game announcements. On the Japanese side especially, announcements have seriously picked up the last few months.