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PSVita VS. 3DS VS. iPhone 4S

PSVita VS. 3DS VS. iPhone 4S

  • Playstation Vita

    Votes: 18 52.9%

  • Nintendo 3DS

    Votes: 7 20.6%

  • iPhone 4S

    Votes: 7 20.6%

  • Other(Please specify)

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Total voters
    34
G

GrayApple

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 20, 2010
48
0
I'm looking for something to do some mobile gaming on, but I'm due for a phone upgrade as well and have seen some of the newer titles for the 4s(GTA 3, Infinity Blade II).

iPhone
+Cheapest Games
+Already have stocked up on apps for it from my old 3G iPod Touch
+Other functions(Phone, iPod)
+Smallest
+Plenty of media choices
-Lack of core titles
-Phone/Data contract(I almost never use my phone)

PSVita
+Core titles
+Dual thumb-sticks
+More multiplayer support
-Most expensive(not considering phone contract)
-Lack of multimedia support
-Most expensive games($40-50), expensive necessary accessories($50 for 16gb of storage:confused:)

3DS
+Classic nintendo titles
+3D(gimmicky I know, but a plus nonetheless)
+Netflix Support!
+Cheapest
-Lack of games other than nintendo titles
-Lack of media choices(other than Netflix)
 
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I think it depends on what type of gamer you are and whether you can appreciate the value in a $40-50 game.

I have a 3DS and Super Mario 3D Land + Mario Kart 7 were definitely worth it. You find yourself waiting for the next first party title to drop though because most 3rd party titles are second rate. Almost every 3DS owner is waiting for Icarus right now.

I get bored of mobile games pretty easily and the only justification is that they're so cheap I don't really feel ripped off if it was a crappy game. But they don't offer anything close to the experience I could get on a 3DS or, I'm assuming, the Vita when it drops. Personally I regard mobile games as junk and make fun of them a lot.

Vita, I've never played one so someone else here could probably give their own review. But I think it'll do quite well and am planning to buy one next month.
 
From what I've seen thus far for the mobile gaming choices, sure it's simple to get an iPhone 4s and call it a day but gaming on it at the expense of it's main purpose to make a call or to seems to me like shooting oneself in the foot. That being said, i do have an iPod Touch which is a technical generation behind the curve but most games (including GTA III) really lose their luster quickly and I go back to playing games designed for a touch screen experience.

The 3DS is an incredible amount of fun but being blind in my right eye, the 3D part I miss out on. Still, with it's games, it is a fantastic handheld. I bought the limited edition Legend Of Zelda system which looks rather classy and was bundled with Legend Of Zelda: OOT 3D. all of the games texture maps and models were given a major overhaul from their Nintendo 64 originals.

The 3DS hardware is no slouch either when it comes to graphics as shown in the shooter Nano Assault demonstrating bump mapping and other visual eye candy. The backwards compatibility with older DS games and downloadable games is a plus.

While the USA still is waiting for the PS Vita, I can tell you that the handheld has a much higher resolution display (QHD = 960x540) which is a tiny bit lower than resolution than the Retina Display on the iPhone and the current iPod Touch. The advantage however is a true 16:9 display and the most awesome visuals bar none on a handheld device. it has a touch screen in front in addition to it's dual analog sticks and buttons and the rear side is a touch sensitive panel. If you look around Youtube, you can see this in action in a new portable version of Little Big Planet.

Other games sure to impress are a portable version of Uncharted and despite the small size of the handheld, it offers the most home console like experience that the 3DS and iDevices have no chance of keeping up with.

I thought to myself as I already have an iPod Touch and rarely use it for gaming despite having four folders of games alone (64GB model), the 3DS would suit me best for portable gaming. Nintendo seems to have quite the knack for their handhelds but they have one fault on the 3DS and that being for a handheld game console, it's battery life is awful in comparison to the older DSi and others before it. Then again when playing a game on my iPod that really pushes the A4 processor, it falls flat pretty quickly as well. I'm sure the Vita may have the same issue with the level of visual horsepower it has.

one last bit on both the Vita and the DSi, is augmented reality games which will be this rounds "gimmick" but its a lot of fun to mess around with. your desk or coffee table or wherever you can place those little cards with a lot of light becomes a playfield for various 3D battles which brings me to the cameras. Both the 3DS and the PS Vita have poor quality 0.3 megapixel cameras. The same kind you would expect to find on a cheap cell phone from years ago. The only slight advantage going to the 3DS as it can capture true 3D video and stills but they are only viewable on the systems screen.

Hopefully this gives you enough info to choose what best fits your play style and budget. Personally for me, I chosen the 3DS as it was a great bundle with Zelda and a neat design as well. The variety of games for it are perfect "pick up & play" titles and cant wait to get my hands on Mario Kart 7.
 
Tough one to call, they all have their problems!

3DS
Best games are from Nintendo, and don't expect too many of those.
3D effect has a very narrow field.
Bad battery life.

PS Vita
Everything about this machine is expensive.
It's huge and weighs a tonne.
(for europeans: no 32gb memory card)
Bad battery life.

iPhone 4S
Worst portable gaming platform I currently own, very few games with the quality of first party Nintendo and Sony games.
Expensive price of machine, shorter lifetime support than the other 2.
Bad battery life.


For me it's all about software. That's why I'm currently playing my 3DS more than anything else - just because Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are outstanding games. The best in their series and respective genres. You'll have to wait another few months to see what the Vita pushes out.
And bear in mind that both the Vita and 3DS are backwards compatible with their predecessors games, and to a much shorter degree so does the iPhone 4S.

Get the machine which has the games you want.
 
Dagless said:
Tough one to call, they all have their problems!

3DS
Best games are from Nintendo, and don't expect too many of those.
3D effect has a very narrow field.
Bad battery life.

PS Vita
Everything about this machine is expensive.
It's huge and weighs a tonne.
(for europeans: no 32gb memory card)
Bad battery life.

iPhone 4S
Worst portable gaming platform I currently own, very few games with the quality of first party Nintendo and Sony games.
Expensive price of machine, shorter lifetime support than the other 2.
Bad battery life.


For me it's all about software. That's why I'm currently playing my 3DS more than anything else - just because Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are outstanding games. The best in their series and respective genres. You'll have to wait another few months to see what the Vita pushes out.
And bear in mind that both the Vita and 3DS are backwards compatible with their predecessors games, and to a much shorter degree so does the iPhone 4S.

Get the machine which has the games you want.
Click to expand...

the iP4s games I play are mostly wasting time on the commute to and from work. To be honest the 3ds has never left my house and I don't play it long enough for the battery life to be an issue. That said my ds lite literally lasts a week with my kid playing it way more than he should.

My kids definitely prefer the iPad as their gaming machine of choice and sadly I think this is where the industry is headed unless nintendo/sony find a way to cut development costs-->game costs. One $60 game vs something like say zombieville 2 for .99.
 
I voted Vita because I plan to get one myself. Dual analog sticks is about all I need from it. Im a big Sony fan. I already own a 3DS. Its my first nintendo product I use since the NES which I played as a kid(don't count it because I got a sega mega drive 2 really quick) So I'm not familiar with the franchise of nintendo that much. Its a good mobile gaming system but 3D will bi turned off if you play it on the move. Because of the viewing angle and the battery life. As for the iPhone 4s I don't really like it for games. There are a few exceptions. I own a iPad2 and I rarely play games on it. I need a controller! And you said you dont use data/calls that much so why get a phone to do a consoles work? And pay a premium?
 
jterp7 said:
My kids definitely prefer the iPad as their gaming machine of choice and sadly I think this is where the industry is headed unless nintendo/sony find a way to cut development costs-->game costs. One $60 game vs something like say zombieville 2 for .99.
Click to expand...

There is a market for that, however it's not THE gaming market. There used to be two similar markets - console and PC. Along came the Wii and two submarkets appeared - casual and core.

Phone users are in the same category as Facebook-game users. Little brand loyalty, cheap disposable advert-funded games, unfulfilling experiences. That's why kids and commuters like them. I played similar games when I was growing up in the mid 90's on my Amiga and PC. A lot of people play them and the developers get a lot of money, but they're not replacing any existing market.

The point is; Mario sold (IIRC) 80 million units since the invention of mobile gaming. Mario 3DS sold nearly 6 million in 3 months. Mobile gaming is probably at its strongest right now, yet these games still sell in their millions, better than ever.

I dunno, it's a tired and boring argument but basically handheld consoles and £30 games aren't going anywhere regardless of what the Apple crowd says.
 
i have all three, and to be honest its a game style / type that will decide this for you...

i love the latest games, ie cod, bf3 etc...

the vita wins hands down, the screen and graphics are mind blowing and for the first time i can say that the vita equals the ps3 in graphics, gameplay etc...

play wipeout 2048 and then come back to this forum and lets see whos opinion changes...

its an amazing console, but thats only my opinion...
 
Ian.C said:
i have all three, and to be honest its a game style / type that will decide this for you...

i love the latest games, ie cod, bf3 etc...

the vita wins hands down, the screen and graphics are mind blowing and for the first time i can say that the vita equals the ps3 in graphics, gameplay etc...

play wipeout 2048 and then come back to this forum and lets see whos opinion changes...

its an amazing console, but thats only my opinion...
Click to expand...

I've played Wipeout 2048 a few times at various stages. I'm sure if you're a fan of the series you'll love it but it's not enough to instantly throw me into a happy rage and dismiss the merits of other systems.
 
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Dagless said:
I've played Wipeout a few times at various stages. I'm sure if you're a fan of the series you'll love it but it's not enough to instantly throw me into a happy rage and dismiss the merits of other systems.
Click to expand...

Yeah..I remember playing it on the PS3 and saying its in 1080p and 60fps but I didn't play it for more than 10minutes. The mario kart series OTOH I have thousands of hours if we go back to the original SNES version. MK7 is essentially MKWII with better graphics, mechanics, and kart custom ability on a portable system.
 
I love gaming on the 4s and over AirPlay to my TV. Yes games are simple but I've played games like Angry Birds and Tiny Wings more than Pilotwings on my 3DS.

For puzzle games and simple action games the 4s is unsurpassed.

The price marketplace content is much better than the 3DS. I didn't even enjoy Mario 3D on the 3DS, I'm thinking of trading it in towards the vita due to lack of use.
 
Interesting discussion. I'd still like to think that the "traditional" portable systems still have their place, but mobile gaming on phones will catch up if given the chance. Expensive development is why we've seen the growth of a lot of cheaper indie titles, and mobile devices support those kinds of games. Furthermore, I'm not a 12 year old anymore, and don't really have pocket space nor desire to carry my Game Boy with me places anymore. Gaming on a phone is a lot easier. I just wish I could find a great RPG to sink my teeth into!

Another issue that needs to be tackled with phone gaming is controls. Touch is iffy and keyboards don't cut it.
 
Vita gets Netflix day one in the US, so thats not just a plus on the DS side. The screen is much nicer than the DS too.

As for connectivity I have a 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot, I have too many portable devices to be paying for each one to have its own service. Makes it easier and cheaper in the long run, plus its 4G LTE faster than the 3G one can do :p

I'd say Vita hands down, I have a 3DS and I use it with the 3D off 100% of the time in order to avoid getting splitting headaches. The 3D is a gimmick anyhow imo.

The iPhone is a phone/smart device not a game console, nor will it ever be a game console. You can play simple games while in transit or waiting for someone sure, but its nowhere near being at the same level as a 3DS or a Vita. Really has no place in this poll imo.
 
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^Thats real talk right there. I've tried a bunch of games on my iphone and they just dont compare to the 3DS/Vita type games. I'm always on the train and I rather pull out my 3DS(soon my Vita) and get in some 3D Mario land than my iphone.

I played with the Vita and its brilliant....I can't wait for Sound Shapes, Unit 13 and uMvC3.



Bless
 
Liquorpuki said:
The reason why you can't is because a $1-5 pricepoint can't support the development of a great RPG.

Which is why traditional systems will still be around.
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Barkley's Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden was one of the best RPGs I've played in years and it was totally free. But given, a game built out of someone's passion and toil is a bit different than games made for profit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkley,_Shut_Up_and_Jam:_Gaiden

Still I think a market is there, and it would work wonderfully with some of the flaws of phone gaming. An RPG you can play for a half hour on your commute, and a game that will wait for you. Pause dialog, pause a battle, and come back hours later no problem.
 
That depends on what games you want to play. Personally, I think Vita will have the most quality games.
 
I traded in my Slim 360 250gb \ 30+ games / Kinect | 3DS & 5 games and got €725 trade in credit as there was an extra 25% for trade-ins when pre-ordering a vita.

Now I'm getting a Vita 3G, 16gb card, Uncharted, Lumines, Wipeout, Ultimate MVC, Rayman Origins, Army Corps From Hell & Everybody Golf..... + pre-order bonus kit headphones.

Sweet....
 
Taustin Powers said:
Wow - leaving the XBox universe for good?
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Well as I haven't played it other than downloaded kingdoms of amalur and darkeness demo since the kinect came out, and increasingly there has been no 'forthcoming' exclusive titles to make me go... 'oh i want that', i decided whilst it was worth some money towards another item I may as well use it for that purpose.

Decided to hold onto the 3DS however, as I got more in trade for the 360, Kinect and Games than I thought. Enough to pay for my 3G vita, 7 games and 16gb memory card outright, with €25 still left on my gift card.

For games that I normally would have played on the 360, since hooking my mac-pro up to the HDMI of my LED 3DTV, I've been able to enjoy the likes of Skyrim and such at much better quality and resolution than the 360 offered, and I still get to use my 360 controller.

I will undoubtably get the next MS console, but at the moment whilst my macpro can play those games coming out that I don't want to play on one of my ps3's there was no remorse trading it in. Kindoms of Amalur runs at 2560x1440 on my macpro everything on high and silky smooth, so why put up with sub-hd anymore ? I do not play Gears series or Halo so nothing to regret.
 
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