PlayStation Vita or Nintendo Switch?

Moonbathing

Moonbathing

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I can't decide whether I should get a Vita or a Switch.

I've been considering getting a Switch, mainly because I like the fact that I could switch between handheld mode and console mode at any given moment. I plan to use it mostly for handheld mode though, and don't have any plans to take it out of the house.

My alternative is to get a Vita and use remote play to play PS4 games on a handheld device. I don't know a lot about remote play though. How does it work? Can I play literally any PS4 game on my Vita or is it only a limited list of games?  Also, does my PS4 need to be turned on in order to play PS4 games on my Vita?  I'm assuming it does, but would like to confirm.

I read a comment on Reddit from someone who said they were playing GTA V on their Vita while at work using remote play.  How is that possible?

The Switch looks nice, but clearly the Vita/PS4 has a much larger library since the Switch is still new.

Any advice anyone can offer is greatly appreciated.

 
The vita is very underated.   I  say go with the vita and get a bunch of great games cheap and wait for the switch to drop in price and get a revision for the joycons.  You can get god of war collections cheap plus a bunch of cross plays games.    

 
Moonbathing said:
I can't decide whether I should get a Vita or a Switch.

I've been considering getting a Switch, mainly because I like the fact that I could switch between handheld mode and console mode at any given moment. I plan to use it mostly for handheld mode though, and don't have any plans to take it out of the house.

My alternative is to get a Vita and use remote play to play PS4 games on a handheld device. I don't know a lot about remote play though. How does it work? Can I play literally any PS4 game on my Vita or is it only a limited list of games? Also, does my PS4 need to be turned on in order to play PS4 games on my Vita? I'm assuming it does, but would like to confirm.

I read a comment on Reddit from someone who said they were playing GTA V on their Vita while at work using remote play. How is that possible?

The Switch looks nice, but clearly the Vita/PS4 has a much larger library since the Switch is still new.

Any advice anyone can offer is greatly appreciated.
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Get both if you can afford it, although waiting for the Switch's next hardware revision might be a good idea as well.

Remote play is exactly like its name implies. AFAIK all PS4 games can be streamed to your Vita. And yes, the PS4 will be on during remote play (that's where the game's heavy lifting is done lol), but you can keep the TV/monitor off since it'd stream to your Vita regardless. The only limitation is your internet speed - specifically your home connection's upload speed for your PS4, and your download speed for wherever your Vita is connected to.

Lastly, the switch between modes for the Switch is kinda gimmick. The battery doesn't really last that long, and games like BotW looks a ton better on a big screen than on the 7" handheld screen.

 
how remote play works is, you leave your ps4 in sleep mode with wifi on, than wherever you are with your vita & have a solid wifi connection you just select remote play. your vita than turns your ps4 on remotely and you connect to it. you than can control your ps4 menu through the vita which includes starting up any games on your hdd or disc that's inserted.
 
frankly vita isn't getting any newer exclusive games. so if you don't love the current vita lineup than you might want to see what switch has to offer in the future.
 
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Vita is cheaper and has a fairly large library of games available. The switch is newer and has a smaller library of games. Look at the games for both systems and decide which ones you will play more. I own both and enjoy both
 
What are your upload and download speeds for your internet op? At least for me remote play is unreliable (35 down 2 up) but that's probably because of my crappy upload speed.
 
I always recommend getting both, but if you have to choose one you've got to weigh out the pros/cons and decide which is the best fit for you. Vita has an incredible library, especially if you like JRPGs and Visual Novels, but for the most part there aren't many new games coming to the Vita and the ones that are are mostly the aforementioned genres. The Vita will also be harder to find physical games and accessories for. 

The Switch is new and will obviously have many years of new releases to come, it also doesn't require an expensive proprietary memory card like the Vita. Plus it's also a home console too!

If I had to pick one at this point, I'd go Switch just because you'll get more out of it. I still recommend getting a Vita as well though as it's a fantastic system and one of my personal favorites. 

 
Thanks for the advice, everyone.  Maybe I will consider getting both.  What is a good price for a new Vita these days?  I think retail price was $200, but it looks like retail stores don't sell it any more.

 
I bought a used 1st generation Vita (which I would recommend for the OLED screen, the difference in size and weight for the second generation, to me, is not worth the loss of that gorgeous screen) and paid maybe $100 or so for it on ebay. I'd try looking around ebay or places like craigslist around that price range. I always keep my vita powered up next to my bed for when I want to play something quick for 20 or so minutes.

One of my favorite systems, handheld or otherwise. 

 
The Switch is a better future device. It doesn't have a big library now, but the library it does have is solid, and getting better all the time. It is especially going to be strong in the indie game department.

The Vita is a very strong legacy device. It's release line-up has winded down considerably, and most of the releases for it going forward are going to be small-scale efforts and Japanese ports. However, its lengthy run on the market means that it has a quite substantial existing library of titles to choose from. It also has way better legacy support thanks to the number of digital PSP and PS1 titles that run on it. (a very large number) It's also a pretty good option for CAGs on a budget. The hardware itself is cheaper than the Switch, by a considerable margin. And while physical Vita titles are getting a little hard to come by, the digital versions are fairly cheap, and get regular sales on PSN. The digital versions are also pretty much always available, so no worries on stock.

The worst factor of the Vita is the memory cards. The bloody things are expensive, and riddled with problems. (especially the larger ones) I would recommend looking for a few 8-Gig cards, and possibly a 16-Gig card. These will give you the best size-to-cost ratio without ruining your wallet. The 32 and 64-Gig cards are too expensive for their own good, and occassionaly have issues with memory corruption, wiping save data for games. The Switch has a big advantage when it comes to expandable memory. It uses standard micro-SD cards, which are way better in terms of cost-to-size. I spent $40 to put a decent Samsung micro-SD in my Switch, and now I'm rocking 128-Gigs like a boss. A decent compromise for the Vita is to download Vita titles to your PC or PS3, and transfer them to your Vita as needed. Copying them from a PC or PS3 is much faster than downloading and installing directly to the Vita.

The legacy support for the Vita is actually really great. Almost 100% of PS1 titles run on it. And a large number of PSP titles run on it too. (most of them) Both of those systems have fairly expansive libraries with tons of great options. Just a cornucopia of high-quality older titles that are well worth playing. And PSN has regular sales where a lot of these games can be had for a dollar or two each. And most of them can also be played on any other Sony system that runs them. (the PS3 also has 100% digital PS1 support)

The Switch has taken Nintendo's usual policy of locking digital games to a specific piece of hardware, which sucks for consumers. And their digital offerings are very small. They will doubtlessly get better, mainly thanks to indie developers. But they don't have much in the way of a legacy system in place, so you can't get very many older games for the Switch. They also don't have sales as frequently, or with as steep of discounts.

 
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I would get the Vita 1st before the Switch. The Vita is close to the end of it's lifespan, and in the NA, it's probably already there. If you get it now, you can still play it to it's fullest for a few more years before things start shutting down or no longer getting supported. Then the systems will probably soar in price, as will the memory cards and games. 

Also, in a few more years, the Vita's graphics will look even more aged than it does now compared to the modern consoles and PC. Even mobile games on phones and tablets will catch up. It's better to just enjoy it now before you find it as a hassle to even play. Games are still coming out though, and if you like a series that's still active, your support and money will still probably go to sequels for that series. 

There aren't too many gems on the Vita, or games that you must play if you own one, and no other system carries then. So you don't have to worry about adding too much to a backlog, and after you've played those games, you can say that you've played the best that the Vita has to offer, and feel proud. Off the top of my head, I can name: Persona 4 Golden, IA/VT Colorful, Gravity Rush, Killzone Mercenary, Uncharted Golden Abyss, Moero Chronicle, Deemo, Steins;Gate, Danganronpa series, and a few more. I know I'm missing some, and a few of these are also on other platforms or were remade for them, but they are probably the go-to games for the Vita.

I don't own a Switch, so I can't say much about that console. But it's a pretty new console, there's a bunch of stuff that hasn't been added that Nintendo says they will, like the yearly online system, moving saves, voice chat, etc. There's a lot that they also haven't talked about, like the Virtual Console. And obviously, it's best days are still ahead of it, which is something I can't say for the Vita. So there'll be a lot to wait for, especially with the Switch. I'm sure once more and better games come out, hardware revisions come into play, and newer accessories, that there will be new bundles and cheaper prices. But I don't think the Vita will ever go down in price, and will only become more scarce (at least in the NA) as time goes on.

 
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I agree with everything BlackRockWaifu said above. The Vita doesn't have many gems in its library, but the ones it does shine brightly. Particular favorites are Persona 4: Golden (which pretty much justifies the purchase alone), Masamune, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, Odin Sphere Leifthraiser (mind-numingly gorgeous on the 1st generation OLED screen), and a few others.

There's also a great back catalogue of PSP games you can buy digitally, most for pretty cheap. I always love have Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker ready to go in less than a minute. I hope this helps!

 
The problem with the Vita are the memory card prices.  I would try to find some good deals on memory cards first and then pick up the Vita if you're able to find some good deals on the memory cards.  You could also pick up a PSTV, for that complete switch experience. It's a great system with plenty of good games, but the memory card prices can ramp up the price of the system.  

The vita doesn't have much of a library at this time, however there are some good games to pick up.  By good games I mean Blaster Master Zero and Cave Story...and don't forget bout Zelda.    

 
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