Sony has announced that it has a new software update for the PS Vita game system that is available to download right now. The update brings the portable to software version 3.10. The update adds some new features that PS Vita gamers will really appreciate.
Once the update is applied, the home screen of the portable console will support more than 100 applications on the screen. Gamers will be able to get up to 500 applications on the home screen at one time. A calendar application has also been added to the Vita that can be synced with friends Google calendar as well.
The big feature of the update is the ability to manage content on a memory card using the content manager application. Players will be able to view data on the memory card and delete content and application. The messages application also gains the ability to send and receive voice messages.
Sony has announced a new system update for the PS Vita portable game console. The update brings the portable to version 3.10 and adds in several new features. Some of the features are things that...
Back in the day, I loved to watch some anime. A local TV station had Robotech and Star Blazers on after school and you could bet I was watching. If you are still a big fan of anime content and happen to own a PS Vita, you will love this.
Sony has announced three new apps for the PS Vita are available now. One of them is Crunchyroll and it has all sorts of anime and manga content straight from Japan. It offers content like Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, Hunter × Hunter as well as other content.
The coolest part is that some of those shows will have new episodes available to watch only hours after they first air in Japan. Along with that app, NHL GameCenter Live is available now for hockey fans and Qello Concerts has launched for music fans. Coming later this spring, the PS Vita will finally get Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant along with Gaiam TV.
It has been about two years since the original PS Vita launched. Not too long ago, Sony released a slimmer version of the handheld in Japan and a few other countries. Sony has announced that that new slim PS Vita will be coming to the US in a bundle set to land this spring. Exactly when it will be available to purchase is unknown.
The new version of the PS Vita is 20% slimmer and 15% lighter than the original version. The bundle will include a Wi-Fi PCH-2000 series PS Vita, Borderlands 2 Limited Edition game, six DLC packs for the game, and an 8GB PS Vita memory card. It has 1GB of internal storage and promises about an extra hour of playback thanks to the new battery.
The DLC content included with the game features Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, Psycho Character Class, Mechromancer Character Class, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1 and the Collector’s Edition Pack.
The bundle will sell for $199.99(USD), which is a pretty good deal when you see that the Japanese imports are selling for $250 to $300 without the bundle.
Sony has been peddling its portable game console the PS Vita for a few years now. The console never enjoyed particularly robust sales. Many mobile gamers today get their gaming fix on the go with a...
Rumors are circulating that Sony is set to unveil a new version of its portable console called the PS Vita Slim. The new version of the console will presumably be thinner than the correct version of...
It's the hardware marriage we all assumed (and hoped) would eventually happen. A report over on gaming site MCV claims Sony is planning to offer an 'Ultimate Edition' PlayStation 4 bundle that would include its portable console, the PS Vita, as a pack-in for the UK. Further corroborating this rumor is an alleged image of the bundle (pictured above) said to be featured in MCV's upcoming print edition. If this turns out to be true, Brits could very well see the next-gen PlayStation combo hit retail in time for the holidays, although there's no word on how much it'll cost. Aside from being a match made in gamer heaven, the purported move is somewhat of a no-brainer for Sony, given the PS4's much touted Remote Play functionality (which streams next-gen games to the handheld) and the Vita's less-than-stellar install base. With about a month to go before holiday mania sets in, we should know sooner rather than later just how real this bundle fantasy is and whether it's also destined for US shores.
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Yesterday Sony introduced a gaming device that’s as surprising as the Nintendo 2DS. Alongside its announcement of a new PS Vita model, Sony also introduced the PlayStation Vita TV. But while Nintendo wants to grab new mobile gamers with its new handheld, Sony seems to be going after its existing customers with the PS Vita TV. You’ll see why I say that in a bit.
If the 2DS is a 3DS with no 3D screen, the Vita TV is a Vita that has no screen at all. It needs your TV or HD monitor as its screen. It measures just 2.6″ x 4.1″ x o.54″ and weighs just 110g (~0.24 lb.). It can play many games PS Vita games as well as the PS One Classics and PSP games in the Playstation Network store. It will use the DualShock 3 controller, which was originally released for the PS3. The Vita TV has a Vita game card slot, an HDMI port, a USB 2.0 port, an Ethernet port, Wi-Fi connectivity and a slot for Sony’s memory cards.
Another compelling feature of the PS Vita TV is that it will also have its own version of Remote Play when the PS4 launches. If you have a PS 4 connected to one TV, you can use the PS Vita TV to stream games to another TV as long as both PlayStation devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. You can see this feature at around 0:44 in the video below:
The PS Vita is also a digital media player. But it’s going to be launched in Japan first so the announced services are mainly for Japanese customers, with the exception of Hulu. Finally, like the 2DS, the PS Vita TV is also cheaper than its full featured kin. It will launch in Japan on 11/14/13 for ¥9,954 (~$100 USD).
It’s not all good news though. As you may have deduced already, the PS Vita TV cannot play all Vita games. That’s because some games, e.g. Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Tearaway make use of the Vita’s touchscreen, which the DualShock 3 doesn’t have. PlayStation Japan has a list of the games that will work with the PS Vita. The obvious answer to this dilemma would be the DualShock 4, but Sony didn’t say if this functionality will be added in the future.
As with the 2DS’ lack of 3D, the disparity between the Vita and the Vita TV could create a lose-lose situation for Sony. If developers keep on making Vita games that require a touchscreen or a touchpad, owners of the Vita TV will be pissed off that they can’t play those games. On the other hand, if more Vita games in the future won’t require the touchscreen, that may render the Vita’s touchscreen and rear touchpad useless. I think Sony should order developers to require the use of Vita’s touch hardware only on games that are meant to be played on the go. In short, only on games designed for a mobile device. Because that’s what the Vita is and that’s what the Vita TV is not. I don’t think Vita TV gamers would care much for an endless running game or a tower defense game.
Another drawback of this strange new microconsole is that it’s not really as cheap as it seems. Sure, at only $100, it’s 50% cheaper than the PS Vita. But the microconsole doesn’t come with a DualShock 3. Japanese customers will have to buy a bundle that costs about $150 if they want a controller included with their PS Vita TV. Then there’s Sony’s most irritating quirk: its memory cards. The PS Vita TV has only 1GB of internal memory, which means pretty soon you’ll have to splurge on Sony’s vastly overpriced proprietary memory cards.
Like I said, the PS Vita TV seems to be aimed at loyal or would-be loyal fans of the PlayStation ecosystem. If you already have a PS3, then you already have a DualShock 3 controller. Got the Vita? Then you have Vita games and at least one memory card. If Ouya and other microconsole makers want to stay swimming with this big fish, I think they have to attack that one weakness: sell cheap and go for casual and retro gamers.
Sony is now ready to take over the living-room and compete head-on with Roku, Apple TV and so many other …
