Sony kind of came out of left field with this one. We have been anticipating a Vita redesign for a while, with the idea that it’s inevitable they’ll make a dumbed-down, cheaper version of the Vita (which they didn’t really do), but the Vita TV? I don’t think anyone saw that coming.
A system that can plug into a TV, play/download Vita games, and act as basically a home console version of a Vita? As far as I’m concerned, that seems like a win for everyone.
Does everyone really win?
Now, I know that it won’t work with every Vita game because it uses a DS3, which doesn’t feature front or rear touch, but the winning side is this: the barrier to entry to play Vita games has become significantly lower. Having met a lot of people that say, “most Vita games I’d much rather sit on my couch and play,” this seems like the perfect solution.
It’s an affordable, compact, and somewhat future-proof product for those who didn’t want to shell out $200 on an actual Vita. I say future-proof with the idea that it can remote play your PS4 in another room.
Who is this for?
The way I see it, they are making it so a system that can play Vita games will be available to many more people because the price won’t be an issue anymore. To me, this is entry-level, much like the 2DS. It’s cheap, it also acts as a streaming box, it works with your PS4, and it can also play PSone and PSP games. Giving access to a lot of the best features of the Vita, just not on the go, seems like a good place to start for casual gamers, or those who just aren’t as big on handhelds (like myself).
Worst-case scenario.
The way I see it, there are only a few ways this goes bad.
One. This doesn’t sell at all. It ends up being a waste of money, but hopefully not that much.
Two. This sells very well, and no one ever supports front or rear touch on the Vita again, making the Vita (essentially) a bigger, better, and more badass PSP.
Three. This outsells the regular Vita, and developers start making console games for the Vita, which makes regular Vita owners a little bitter. (They still, hopefully, get great games out of it.)
Best-case scenario? This sells really well, and developers end up making more Vita games, inherently for the Vita TV, but also, by happenstance, for the good ‘ol PS Vita as well.
