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[silver.tongue]

I think it makes no sense really.

Except for the price which is awesome.

It's a OK idea, but I think I'll keep my PS3/PS4 for console experience and Vita as portable.

 

[Thrakier]

If you're taking that tone, Sony has a product for you - it's called the PS4.

Well, at least some of the games on PS4 will probably be 1080p. LowFPS however...that's here to stay.

I don't get the excitement over that box. If that's what gamers want, we may as well just plug our smartphones or tablets with an HDMI cable into the TV and play those games. Quality in products and great craftsmanship is vanishing more and more from the industry.

 

[Devilgunman]

Very weird announcement. While the device itself is kind of neat, I'm not really sure who this is aimed at other than enthusiasts and the Sony faithful.

Sony can advertise Vita TV to general public as a media box that plays lots of games. And at $100, I don't see why it can't sell.

 

[TheSeks]

Yay, low res and low fps games on my 1080p tv. That's the videogame quality I'm looking for. Not.

Hahaha. And without the touch-screen support so you can't play all games, but yeah: I'll believe that "1080p" that isn't a blown-up resolution when I see it.

I actually never thought of those aspects... My guess is 3rd parties might be able to send out their own patches??

All ya'll expecting patches to remove things that are in the game because Sony mandated those features... yeah... keep dreaming. Sony basically said "yeah, some games aren't going to work on this and we're breaking them. Deal." in that trailer.

This is basically a side-move to try to avoid having to redesign the entire system that they should be doing anyway. LCD instead of OLED? Good. Not having TV-out but doing this instead? WHAT???

 

[industrian]

Maybe this question has already been asked & answered, but can you use your Vita as a controller for this?

 

[MisterSamMan]

I wonder if they'll make it easier to switch between accounts. I'd love to swap between my NA and JP accounts without having to reformat my VITA.

 

[Flek]

so this is also the new play-tv right?

 

[Shinriji]

A $100 Minecraft player could be huge if marketed right.

 

[$h@d0w]

I highly doubt Sony would let you plug in a HDD or something like that. That would defeat the purpose of proprietary memory cards. It's probably there to charge the controller and/or use the controller when it's out of battery and/or to sync the controller.

I'll speculate that it can be used for photos or videos but not game content.

 

[Row]

Free market research for Nintendo, as this idea seems like a good thing to look into when it comes time to introduce a new console

 

[omg_mjd]

You seriously trust them to handle it properly? As I said, the products name gives us a good indication on how they will treat it. This will be launched, what, three months appart from ps4?the messaging won't be there.

People dreaming this will go head to head with Roku or apple tv are dreaming. It could. If Sony where another company altogether. As it stands, this will be a novelty for a few.

Trust their future actions? No, I judge only what companies actually do. I can't predict what will happen. Nothing that I'm saying implies that. I'm only stating what would be, in my opinion, the most rational course for them to take.

So far though the product itself is based on a sound concept. It's got potential. It's all up to Sony whether to mess it up or not. And I have no problem with the name. Like I said, this could be a good opportunity to make "Vita" a positive (and better known) brand.

 

[Withnail]

See those big AAA games that people wanted on the Vita? This justifies them.


See that causal market that occasionally plays games and mostly want to stream movies and music? This is for them


See that PS4 gamer that wants to play in different rooms in the house? This is for them


See that gamer that wants a cheap, low powered device to play indie games on the couch? This for them


See that kid that broke his vita and has a bunch of memory cards and games that would otherwise go to waste? This for them.


See that Vita gamer who was playing a game on their commute, but never sees the point of continuing while at home because they have a huge TV for gaming? This is for them.



See that nostalgic gamer that only wants to play some old PS1 games but doesnt want to buy a huge bloated console for them, just something small and simple? This is for them.


So many applications and scenarios.

The best one for me is the cheap Minecraft/Netflix box for the kids bedroom. Huge potential there.

 

[Yoday]

I'm scratching my head thinking who this is aimed at? It can't be a large group of people right?

Anyone who lives in a house with other people and shares the living room TV. This thing will allow me to play my PS4 on any screen in the house when my wife is watching a movie. It is a complete godsend for me, and I will buy it without hesitation the day it is released here, and it will get used on almost a daily basis.

 

[Manmademan]

I read this thread and find myself scratching my head too. Almost everyone see this as amazing news and I can't think of any good reason why I would need to buy this thing.

It takes out the good thing about a portable system (its portability and integrated screen)
and lets you play its library on a TV screen.

for some people, the draw is the game library, not portability. This is especially true in the US.

Given that you need to buy a controller it costs almost the same as a basic PS3... why not just buy a PS3? "because I want to play Vita games on it" "WHY NOT JUST BUY A VITA THEN? "

you don't need to buy a controller. it supports the DS3 and (presumably) the DS4, which just about everyone in the target audience for this already has somewhere.

The ps3 will also not play ps4 games (this does) and does not play vita games (this does.) It also lowers the cost of entry to play vita games by about $100, which is huge.

The best one for me is the cheap Minecraft/Netflix box for the kids bedroom. Huge potential there.

yup. This kills ouya, whatever amazon is doing, and apple tv stone dead.

 

[RPGCrazied]

I highly doubt Sony would let you plug in a HDD or something like that. That would defeat the purpose of proprietary memory cards. It's probably there to charge the controller and/or use the controller when it's out of battery and/or to sync the controller.

Then how do you play PSP/PS1 games on it?

 

[M°°nblade]

I'm pretty sure you need an actual Vita for Remote play since, the PSVTV has no screen built in. So $300, for a PSVTV and PSV. Plus they're still portable games, Vita isn't competing against the Wii U, unless it's a fight about selling poorly.

Vita TV plays both Vita and PS4 games , not just portable games. While your Wii U can't play 3DS games.
And the point of vita tv is that you don't have to buy a vita. You already have a tv as your screen.

 

[Fuzzy]

I highly doubt Sony would let you plug in a HDD or something like that. That would defeat the purpose of proprietary memory cards. It's probably there to charge the controller and/or use the controller when it's out of battery and/or to sync the controller.

Also for movies/music like on the PS3. You can also back up game saves according to the press release.

 

[KAL2006]

This is great news here is the breakdown

Positives
Good Ouya competition for Indie games on the TV
AppleTV, Roku competition of cheap media device for TV
Good for cheap ass gamers, casual appeal
Good for people who want PS4 on a second TV
Cheapest entry point for Vita games, more Vita games sales, more Vita support
People who already own Vita can now play games on TV, or lend games to family who don't want to buy second Vita

Negatives
Developers will use less touchscreen, camera, backtrack, mic features for compatibility
Not all Vita games are compatible

There are more positives than negatives and I don't think it means the death of unique Vita games, there will always be a market for Vita Pets, inVizimals, and etc that require other controls.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

So, could I just plug my vita 32 gig card in and not have to format it or is it going to force me to format it for vitatv use?

 

[neptunes]

Sony can advertise Vita TV to general public as a media box that plays lots of games. And at $100, I don't see why it can't sell.

Media box aimed at who though? Gamers or the mass market? (Who already have 5 other non-gaming choices to chose from)

 

[$h@d0w]

Then how do you play PSP/PS1 games on it?

PSN titles and free PS+ content.

 

[astonish]

This is such a smart idea. If it can do netflix and half decent media viewing.

I've been on the fence about getting a Vita just to play Persona 4:G (which at 100 hrs I'd rather do on a TV) and a few other key titles. Both the cost and the couch appeal make this an almost no brainer.

Gives devs a bigger base to support...

 

[Callibretto]

I highly doubt Sony would let you plug in a HDD or something like that. That would defeat the purpose of proprietary memory cards. It's probably there to charge the controller and/or use the controller when it's out of battery and/or to sync the controller.

could be there for media content?

 

[Kacho]

Uhm, with the right games and at that price this thing could end up being very profitable for Sony.

Okay. So how long will we have to wait for the right games? That's not to say the Vita library is devoid of any good games now, but I would say that it isn't exactly strong enough now as it is to have any meaningful pull. Also, if you factor in the exclusion of games with touch controls that eliminates quite a few good games. Lastly, future support for the Vita isn't looking too promising at the moment.

I guess it's a wait and see scenario at the moment but I'm not feeling too optimistic.

 

[Fuzzy]

Maybe this question has already been asked & answered, but can you use your Vita as a controller for this?

Only thing announced is using the Vita as a remote while watching movies. Nothing mentioned about using it for games.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

C'moooon PS2 emulation. I would so bite at PS2 emulation.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

So was this the news we have all been waiting for?

 

[Liquidus]

Would still have camera shit to get rid of as well. I wonder what AC: Liberation HD will do about that?

Why no PlayStation Eye?

 

[fabricated backlash]

Vita TV plays both Vita and PS4 games , not just portable games. While your Wii U can't play 3DS games.
And the point of vita tv is that you don't have to buy a vita. You already have a tv as your screen.

I'd much rather play Vita games on the screen they were designed to run at. The only reason this remotely (lol) interests me is the relay function to play a PS4 on a second TV set.

 

[NeoGeoOwner]

C'moooon PS2 emulation. I would so bite at PS2 emulation.

That would be badass. Come on Sony.

 

[$h@d0w]

So, could I just plug my vita 32 gig card in and not have to format it or is it going to force me to format it for vitatv use?

This is TBC. When it's released it could coincide with firmware 3.00 on the vita and we'll find out how account stuff works.

 

[jonno394]

If only it had an Android environment alongside the Vita OS, then I think this really would've been a mass market device.

 

[tino]

Sort of, they also just created a Ouya killer.

Unless it can run XBMC its not an ouya competitor (granted ouya doesn't need a "killer".)

 

[Haines]

Im so lost on what this is...but I havent watched the videos yet.

If I can own this for 100 bucks and it comes with a controller...and doesnt need a vita or ps4....im so in...

 

[CrisKre]

Trust their future actions? No, I judge only what companies actually do. I can't predict what will happen. Nothing that I'm saying implies that. I'm only stating what would be, in my opinion, the most rational course for them to take.

So far though the product itself is based on a sound concept. It's got potential. It's all up to Sony whether to mess it up or not. I have no problem with the name. Like I said, this could be a good opportunity to make "Vita" a positive (and better known) brand.

I agree it could be a great product if approached correctly. I'm just being realistic and stating the reality of how difficult it is for Sony at this juncture to present this and deliver the message to the masses about this being an alternative to Roku or Apple tv
like some are suggesting. Achieving that type of brand and product penetration is not an easy task, and I'm not even sure Sony expects the ps vita tv to even undertake it.

 

[chaosblade]

Kidding right? It's going to break some titles like LittleBigPlanet because they use front/back-touch. Since this doesn't support that some titles are gonna break and they even admitted that.

Having TV-out would be basically the same thing, just without the "720/1080p" support they're touting here.

I guess this kills my hope for the system to get a DS3 pairing support like the Go did and also (thankfully) kills Backtouch and front-touch support. Maybe now I'll get more proper-button control games on the system...

And honestly, depending on the price I can't see it competing with Roku. People that want a dedicated streaming video device will just go that route, not get a handheld in sheeps clothing.

If it means less touch gimmicks and some that already exist get patched, that's a benefit.

I think the implementation here is better than anything we would have realistically gotten with a TV-out feature. PSP TV-out was disappointing (but at least it was better with the Go and DS3).

 

[LiK]

They don't bother with HDMI TV out on the Vita but they put money into this. What the shit.

 

[Manmademan]

Why no PlayStation Eye?

uses a custom port for the PS4. building that in to this thing likely would have spiked the build cost high enough where it wasn't worth it.

 

[Bowler]

I am interested, I think. A box that extends my PS4 to a second TV, sounds pretty cool.

Don't think... just buy

 

[Shahed]

Why no PlayStation Eye?

How many people will have the PS Eye connected to a Vita TV instead of the PS4?
And there's no way Ubisoft will make AC:L HD require the Eye or Kinect. They'll just git rid of the stupid letter gimmick instead

 

[JP]

I do want to know more first but I'm very tempted to import one from Japan as they're so cheap. Has anybody read anything that may be a problem for importing such as it being region locked?

I can't imagine it would be with the Vita being region free.

 

[Toski]

I read this thread and find myself scratching my head too. Almost everyone see this as amazing news and I can't think of any good reason why I would need to buy this thing.

It takes out the good thing about a portable system (its portability and integrated screen)
and lets you play its library on a TV screen.

Given that you need to buy a controller it costs almost the same as a basic PS3... why not just buy a PS3? "because I want to play Vita games on it" "WHY NOT JUST BUY A VITA THEN? "

Old man yelling at cloud I guess, but I don't get the appeal. Good for you guys that will give use to this device tho.

Because someone like me might be interested in Vita games but not the Vita itself. I game at home so I really don't need whatever the portable features the Vita offers as a handheld. This was made for Westerners who game at home and want to play on games on their big TVs.

 

[Cheddahz]

How the hell am I going to play DJMax on this thing?

 

[Green Card]

Did they say when we can preorder this in Japan?

 

[LiK]

I do want to know more first but I'm very tempted to import one from Japan as they're so cheap. Has anybody read anything that may be a problem for importing such as it being region locked?

I can't imagine it would be with the Vita being region free.

The DLC for games will be region-locked.

 

[Stoffinator]

I can bet this won't be available in Canada.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Compared to the myriad of other devices on the market that basically cover the media part and the 4 other games consoles (ps360, xb1, ps4) that will offer a wider variety of games at a resolution better than most Vita games.

Media box aimed at who though? Gamers or the mass market? (Who already have 5 other non-gaming choices to chose from)

Your argument is basically that the market for this type of device is saturated if I understand correctly.

I don't know what kind of sales Sony expect from this thing but let's give it a wait and see before we announce it dead. Theoretically you could use a similar argument for Sony smartphones when they started to appear but they seem to be doing pretty well now.

Another important point, when comparing this to ps360 is that for many casual players form factor plays a big part in their purchasing decision. Wii proved this. And comparisons to XB1 and PS4 are irrelevant because this isn't aimed at the same crowd, it merely offers a few secondary features that might appeal to some owners of PS4, but that's not the primary reason this exists.

Think about it as another way to bridge the gap between casual and more serious gaming.

 

[razgriz417]

Im so lost on what this is...but I havent watched the videos yet.

If I can own this for 100 bucks and it comes with a controller...and doesnt need a vita or ps4....im so in...

uh pretty sure it doesn't come with a controller (uses ds3 and ds4 when it comes out) and without a ps4 it'll only be able to play psn, ps1 and vita games, as well as stream netflix

 

[$h@d0w]

Im so lost on what this is...but I havent watched the videos yet.

If I can own this for 100 bucks and it comes with a controller...and doesnt need a vita or ps4....im so in...

Basically:

Plays games a Vita can (PS1, PSP from PSN and a select library of PS Vita PSN/Retail cartridges)
Has all media features of Vita (photo, video etc.)
Has remote play PS4 or PS3 to Vita streaming.
Supports Dualshock 3 and 4 controllers.

 

[Manmademan]

If only it had an Android environment alongside the Vita OS, then I think this really would've been a mass market device.

why would it need an android environment? Way more games than android at better quality.

netflix support is native and built in, as are youtube, facebook, support for music streaming services is native and built in etc.

as far as the mass market is concerned that's about it.