3DS XL or Vita

Pretty simple really, the two systems are now similar prices in the UK and i can only get one.

Right now 3DS is looking more appealing, is it worth waiting to see what Sony have up there sleeve for Gamescom/ TGS? Or have they really got jack shit?

All i'm looking for is good games. Don't care about form factor etc....

I am currently in the same position. Really want a vita to play my psone classics, but the (3)ds library is overwhelmingly weighed down with quality.

I own a Vita and am planning on getting a 3DS XL. My recommendation, at this point, would be based on the most interesting library for you: Nintendo DS or Sony PSP and choose accordingly.

For the 3DS, there's really only one released game I want (Kid Icarus) and for the Vita, I've enjoyed Wipeout 2048 and Gravity Rush. So I think the most important factor for now are the systems' back catalogs, and it's easier to access it with the Vita because of the digital store.

If you're buying one now?

3DS, hands down, no contest. The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it - Gravity Rush. And its reception was just "warm", not "burning hot".

@believer258 said:

The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it

That does not apply to the 3DS?

Don't buy ether one. Personally I don't think ether one has anything worth playing, and as a matter of fact I just got done posting an ad on kijiji.ca to sell my 3DS. It's been sitting in the corner collecting dust for a good year or so now so I'm just going to cut my losses and try to get something back for it.

Mmmm. This is taking me back to the numerous "DS or PSP?" threads years ago.

3DS all the way... but my answer would be different if that Vita version of PSO 2 was out.

I own a Vita and am planning on getting a 3DS XL. My recommendation, at this point, would be based on the most interesting library for you: Nintendo DS or Sony PSP and choose accordingly.

@FluxWaveZ said:

@believer258 said:

The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it

That does not apply to the 3DS?

All right, then, let's be more fair: There are more generally desirable games on the 3DS than there are on the PSVita. I think that the Vita has more potential, but I don't think it will actually reach that potential because right now its prospects don't look so great.

But then, it's early and I could have said the same about the 3DS, the PSP, and the DS at about this time in their respective life cycles and they have since turned out all right.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I got a PSP not too long ago, so the Vita looks really good to easily get older games I missed out on. But it also has almost no games announced that I'm interested in. On the other hand, the 3DS has more games coming out that I know I want like Fire Emblem, Paper Mario and Monster Hunter. I'm leaning towards 3DS myself just because Persona 4 Golden isn't enough for me.

I think the 3DS would be a better route, overall. You have famous titles releasing like Luigi's Mansion 2, Super Mario Bros 2, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and a ton of already released hits like Kid Icarus. If none of those kind of games really interest you, I would sway more to the PS Vita. While the library may not be huge as of now, it has plenty of great games in it's PSP backlog, and I'm more than sure we'll see some great games released in the future.

The Vita has no games, nor any good ones coming in the future.

The 3DS definitely has the better games. I'm probably going to pick up a Vita in October, because I want to play Persona 4: The Golden (I'll probably pick up that white Assassin's Creed model), but even then, the 3DS still has a better lineup. Luigi's Mansion is a system seller, in my book.

Why steal one when you can steal them bought?

3DS. Only reason I get a vita is Persona 4

I'd buy a 3DS if i were you.

Waiting for the 3DS Lite myself, but I'd say go for it for now over the Vita. This could change if the Vita library improved. Like with any platform, judge your purchase on the software available and what you prefer. I'm just really hoping for a 3DS with an integrated right stick; not for shooters but improved camera control and other factors.

The 3DS has more games that I care about. So get that.

Having this predicament myself. I'm currently leaning toward the 3DS XL, because I'm a sucker for Pokemon and would quite like to get my Zelda on also. That, and the various Mario games.

I would say that if you have no game you are looking for on either device then save your money. Wait till there is a game you are interested in then go get it and the hardware.

3DS.

Vita. But only because the library of the PSP is higly appealing, and you can obtain it easier thanks to the digital store. You have Kenka Bancho, Gitaroo Man, Work Time Fun, Def Jam: Fight for NY, etc. etc. etc.

I'd go 3DS because it's cheaper and has a larger library of games. I personally like the Vita more.

I have a vita people say they have no games, but whatever. Right now I have pixeljunk monsters:deluxe(psp), final fantasy 4(psp), corpse party(psp), wipeout 2048, resistance burning skies, mortal kombat, super stardust delta, PvZ, unit 13, touch my katamari, modnation racers, motorstorm rc(eh), and treasures of montezuma blitz(free). These are the games I own, like, and play on my vita. I had a PSP but only ever had a few games I really liked on it. Basically it seems like they're going to do the same thing they did as psp and try to put normal console style games on it. Since the sleep function works really well I like it. If you never really have time to play games on a portable system, I'd say get a DS. Aside from zelda, and maybe kid icarus since it comes with a stand, the games on it seem to be better for playing a couple minutes and putting it away. Or if you just really want nintendo games then get a ds.

I'm still waiting for persona 4, and ps1 support. Hopefully then I can play all those ps1 final fantasies I never did(all of 8 and 9)

I have both and would recommend neither. Maybe the 3ds by a nose.... I do use the vita for watching youtube in bed though, its kind of my endurance run machine.

3DS bro 4rlz. More games; better games.

@EXTomar said:

I would say that if you have no game you are looking for on either device then save your money. Wait till there is a game you are interested in then go get it and the hardware.

This is probably the best advice. I personally find the Vita library superior to the 3DS and that it has more interesting upcoming titles but just reading the thread you can see that is not the usual case. So just hold on to your money unless there is a burning desire for either machine, you are bound get more for your buck and be more content with the purchase that way.

@FluxWaveZ said:

@believer258 said:

The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it

That does not apply to the 3DS?

Pretty sure it doesn't.

@big_jon said:

@FluxWaveZ said:

@believer258 said:

The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it

That does not apply to the 3DS?

Pretty sure it doesn't.

Not only do I disagree, but I don't think either one of them has a game that is so unique you can't get anything like it.

The 3DS is hardly overwhelmed with good games, I can count them on one hand and I'd still rather play Persona 4: The Golden than any of them.

But if the 3DS gets a new Pokemon game then I'll call it about even.

Vita comes with a charger so it wins for me right there

Go for the 3DS. The 3DS has a solid library now and it just keeps getting better and better.

@FluxWaveZ said:

@believer258 said:

The PS Vita has a grand total of one game I can name that you can't get anywhere else, or at least anything quite like it

That does not apply to the 3DS?

Yes it does, the only game I love on the 3ds is mariokart 7.

I need a 3DS for future Zelda and Pokemon games. I need a PSVita for Persona 4 Golden and the 999 sequel (also coming out for 3DS but as the first game wasn't released in Europe and the 3DS isn't region free, it seems unlikely I have any other option).

Dammit.

Vita. For graphics and achievements. If Nintendo would decide to add achievements to their games however, I'd get both :]

I have both, and honestly, my Vita gets more play time. 3DS has better singular games, but I love the Vita for its versatility and the sheer wealth of stuff available for it if you're not averse to the odd port or haven't played many PSP games. 3DS is probably the smarter choice, though, I suppose.

I think it's always hard to answer these kinds of things without some idea of the original poster's taste in games, but I think the games library on the 3DS generally has more going for it.

@craigieh28 said:

but the (3)ds library is overwhelmingly weighed down with quality.

Can you give some examples? I'm interested in buying one too!

Personally, I chose the Vita over my 3DS. And yes, I had a 3ds, along with a circlepad pro, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Super Street Fighter 4, Zelda OOT, Resident Evil: Revelations, and finally Mario Kart 7, along with Mario Bros (NES) and Zelda (NES), and , Colors! 3D, Netflix, and i loaded all my music into it. Given this, I feel that I have had lots of different things to experience on my 3DS, so before someone decides to *try* to point out that I dont know what im talking about, I did honestly invest a lot of time and money with the 3DS, and I don't feel that it quite stands up to the Playstation Vita. I have stuck with nintendo products for a long time, and this is my first sony product, and i preffer it. Heres why I switched sides:

Build quality: I felt after a while like the top screen was a little loose, which made the device feel sort of cheap. My DSi never had a wobbly screen and ive owned it for 3 and a half years. Also, the circlepad's rubber started to get sort of slick after all its use. I would find my thumb sliding off or moving off-center fairly often. In contrast, the Vita has a nice and heavy, sturdy feel to it. No little hinges to break, and the analogs just feel better imo.

Circlepad vs Analog: My first issue was that if i wanted a dual analog configuration, I had to buy, then add a clunky piece of plastic to my 3DS. The circlepad pro works fine, and is very comfortable, but it feels even bulkier than a vita when you do that. Plus, i find that the circlepad's feel sort of wack whilst playing fighting games. It was very difficult for me to execute specials in SSF4 and the ds game UMK3. The time it takes for the circlepad to snap back to the center when you let go just seems to take a split second longer which I feel caused a lot of issues in those types of games for me. The vita has a dual analog configuration built onto the device, and feels nicer on my thumbs. My only issue is that they arent flat like a circlepad, which means that putting the thing in your pocket is something to be careful about (dont let the analogs hook onto your pocket only to have you rip them off by pushign the vita down).

Netflix: Oh boy. Netflix on both the 3DS and Vita is slower than the netflix of a bluray drive, wii, computer, newer phone, or a tablet, but the 3DS is the slowest of them all. I found that the time for the vita version and 3ds version to load up and get to the main screen was about the same, but the 3DS took forever to load up the pictures so i could see which movie was which. The vita loads it much faster. Also, skipping to a different part of a video was much faster on vita, buffering was far faster on vita, and finally, the resolution of the vita is higher and the screen si bigger, which means that the movie is far nicer looking. I found it handy on both systems, but the 3ds was almost embarassing to even try to work with.

Music: The 3DS music app is fine, but one thing you need to know is that if you plan on dumping your "music" folder into your 3ds, make sure you make multiple folders. The 3DS will only display up to 100 songs per folder. I cant remember if the 3DS is able to sort music by artist, album, etc... but I dont think you can. As for the vita, the music app works great. The interface is pretty, and it displays album art and can sort by various categories with no limits on how many songs it will display per folder.

Screens:

3DS is a 3.53" Parallax LCD screen at 800x240 Resolution. Bottum screen is a standard DS screen on the bottum. - has 3D

Vita is a 5" OLED Display at 960x544 Resolution with multi-touch. No bottum screen, but a rear touch pannel is there. - far more vivid

Gaming hardware:

3DS: Dual-Core Arm 11 268MHz CPU, 128MB RAM shared between both the system and video adapter. Also, its powered by a Digital Media Professionals Pica200 Single-core Graphics chip.

Vita: Quad-Core Cortex A9 (speculation puts it at about 1GHz or so) CPU, 512MB RAM, 128MB Dedicated video ram. It's powered by a Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX543MP4+ Quad-Core graphics chip.

And finally, I think the vita has plenty of great games. Within the first week of owning it I got my hands on:

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

Mortal Kombat 9

Wipeout 2048 (along with HD and Fury DLC)

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP).

Now, while people might say that titles such as Mortal Kombat 9, NFS:MW and GTA:CTW are not exclusives, let me put an arguement in. MK9 is a console game, fully ported to handheld. It is so incredibly fun to have with me on the go, and seeing how i dont have an xbox or ps3, and seeing how its not on 3ds (system isnt powerful enough), it makes me really glad to have a vita.

Another game: NFS: Most Wanted (2012) is really fun, and I love that they ported it to the Vita. And tis the console version! Not the IOS / Android game where its all about singular races, this is the full, open-world experience, available on the go. My 3DS / Xperia Arc phone / Tablet were not able to provide this experience for me, and my desktop is not portable, and my laptop isnt fast enough.

Wipeout feels like F-Zero on the go, except this one has weapons and stunningly beautiful graphics, and this game features crossplay which means my friends on PS3 can play with me while i use my Vita.

Uncharted may not live up to the other ones which are on PS3, but its still an amazing game to play.

PS:ALL stars battle royale is sorta like Super Smash Bros, except with playstation characters mostly, instead of nintendo ones. PLUS, this title is also crossplay. I played with my friend simon (he has the ps3 version, gave me a free copy for vita) online together and it was absolutely seamless.

I still want to get more games, too, like Gravity Rush, Little Big Planet, more PSP titles, Persona 4 Golden, and theres a possibility of Borderlands 2 for vita (google it). Plus, thats excluding a lot of other games that other people might look forward to (rpg games and such). So no, the vita doesn't have a lack of good games.

The one, major downside I see to the vita though is the heinously expensive memory cards. 4GB for 20 bucks? Holy hell thats pricy. Or, how about 32GB for 100$? I want to buy games digitally, but im running out of space and i cant afford to fork out more money for a larger memory card right now, so im sort of baffled by sonys marketing of the memory cards and such.

All in all, I just wanted to get the chance to defend the Playstation Vita. So many people bash it and say its terrible, and not to buy it but I disagree. Plus, you know why there arent quite as many must-have games for vita? Because the developers are still testing the waters with the vita because the userbase is far smaller with the vita. A big reason for this is the people who go to forums and just say "DONT GET IT IT ISNT WORTH YOUR TIME" which wards people away, which in turn means one less person is going to help the userbase get support from developers. Its a truely fun, well designed system with its share of flaws, but there is no reason it shouldnt have a fighting chance. Also, on a side note, i also got the vita in hopes of a good FPS game, maybe a decent port / side-by-side console release of COD for the vita, which i would never expect on the 3DS. The hardware just isnt powerful enough to handle a full port.

Also, please don't get me wrong, I liekd the 3DS, I just feel that the vita was a better system that COULD have more potential in the future, and so I am investing in that. :) To each their own, of course. It all depends on how you look at it.