Sony has decided to remove functionality from the PlayStation Vita with an upcoming software 'update' that will remove the Near, YouTube and Maps functionality from the portable gaming device. Sony has not explained why it is removing these features which further limit what the device can do outside of playing games. The PS Vita's predecessor, the PlayStation Portable, was noted for various features that enabled it to go online, access online radio stations, RSS feeds, and even read eBooks. The Vita had a lot of that functionality removed and it seems that Sony is set on limiting connectivity and functionality even further.
This bundle changed my mind about the PS VitaBy Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
I had high hopes for the PS Vita when it first came out. As a PlayStation Portable fan and collector (had all the iterations, even the PSP Go), I wanted the Vita to be an extension and improvement of not just the gaming aspect of the PSP but the all-around functionality. Here's a story of the PS Vita there and back again.
NVIDIA is throwing down the gauntlet in handheld gaming with its fierce new platform that's sure to shake the status quo of this lacklustre segment. Dubbed 'Project Shield', this new open platform will be using the kick ass new Tegra 4 chip (see below) and will interface with the Tegra Zone and Android Play stores for games and has the added advantage of linking up wirelessly with PC STEAM games provided your desktop is running compatible NVIDIAGPU.
Canadians will finally get their hands on Sony's next generation handheld gaming console the PS Vita. The successor to the PlayStation Portable, the PS Vita is a chock-full of new technology and innovative features. Dual cameras, a multi-touch OLED screen, rear trackpad, dual analog sticks, a quad core processor plus the ability to pick up on PS3 games and continue them on the move.
Sony is going back to the cartridge (or disc) paradigm it abandoned with the PSP Go (which was a download-only device), so while these games are all downloadable titles for the PS Vita, they can also be purchased ones in shrinkwrapped discs costing $30-$50 apiece.....Expensive!
The PS Vita itself retails for $249 and will offer various content streaming and access features such as Netflix and Sony's vast movie rental and music offerings.
I had a few opportunities to try the PS Vita during Sony events as well as at CES 2012. Having owned all the PSP variants through the years, the PS Vita offers a lot of improvements over its predecessors. The large 5-inch OLED screen is simply sublime and we found the graphics quality to be 'near' PlayStation 3 levels on some games. I liked the rear trackpad controller, the dual control sticks and the sixaxis motion control as well as the touchscreen. There's definitely a lot of potential here, not just for games but for other forms of entertainment like Netflix.
We had a chance to speak to some PS Vita developers last year as they demoed their innovative musical platformer Sound Shapes, see the video below.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 5:22PM 
