Everyone Relax, The PlayStation Vita Is Not Just Good, It’s Going to be Great

Joel Taveras February 17, 2012 3:00 PM EST

That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Now that we’re just starting to dip our toes into the PlayStation Vita, with 1st edition bundles reaching the masses this week, the first wave reviews are starting to pour out from all over the place. While some have been fairly positive (from actual, you know, gaming sites) it seems that the tech sites of the world have gone on some kind of anti-Vita crusade going. I feel that I need to quickly chime in on this.

I get why the phone and tablet comparisons are being drawn. I also understand why (insert generic tech site here) is taking those comparisons into consideration when coming up with their review scores. But here’s my biggest problem with much of the review coverage I’ve seen thus far. Everyone is using the excuse of “while the Vita does this, It still can’t do what my phone, blah, blah, blah.”

Let’s get something straight here, Sony never intended for it to replace your phone. It’s intended to provide gaming experiences that rival those of your home console. And that’s exactly what it does. It simply works as advertised.

By the way, if you’re relying on a tech site to sway you on whether or not you should buy a gaming (key word here) handheld, it’s like going to a car mechanic to check on your tooth ache. It just doesn’t make sense. They’re evaluating hardware and the gadget’s tech appeal. Games are the real reason you’d be buying one anyway.

With these reviews, we’re also now starting to see more of the “gloom and doom” articles popping up on gaming blog X. It’s really not that serious. The Vita is doing “just fine” in Japan (according to Sony’s most recent earnings call), and I’m sure it will be met with even more success when it officially launches in the US next week.

If you’re worried about developers, some of them (like EA) have told us on numerous occasions that they’re using the “wait and see” approach when it comes to The PlayStation Vita. What that tells me is that they want to wait and see what we, the gamers, are going to do with this hardware. If we show them (and by show I mean buy the damn thing) that we’re interested, then we’ll get the support, products, and IPs that we want to see on the device.

Here’s what it all boils down to: As long as we believe in the Vita, and still believe in the idea of dedicated handhelds in general, the Vita will not just be good. It’s going to be great. But please just no more complaining because It’s all in our hands now.