Sony’s launching an all new living room takeover device, and it is as small as a modern smart phone, and with a price tag that defies belief. Meet the Vita TV. This unassuming plastic nugget of gaming goodness is both sleek, stylish, and as the industry analysts are saying: a game changer. While many gamers across the internet are giving praise to the device, they are also complaining about one massive flaw: the Vita TV has no touch control input (it supports the PS3 controller) and as such, it lacks compatibility with a massive number of the Vita’s best titles (like Gravity Rush). While this is true, many people seem to be forgetting the fact that the Vita TV could also be compatible with the upcoming PS4 Controller.
…oh, you know, upcoming Sony controller that has a touchpad? Yeah, that one.
What on Earth is the Vita TV?
For those of you who have not gotten around to checking the latest Sony buzz as of late, yes, there is a new SCE device and it is called the Vita TV. This little device will support and play certain PS Vita games via a local cartridge slot and output it via HDMI to a TV of your choice. It will also stream games from the PS4 and the presence of PSN compatibility means you get to play digital only titles, and PS One games. Player input comes in the form of the wireless PS3 controller.
It sounds awesome because Sony promises that it will do so many things. And until they or the actual product says otherwise, we’re well inclined to believe.
Playing the PS4 on Any TV
There is already an obvious charm to being able to play Vita titles and see them on an HDMI screen. The same applies to other PSN/PS One titles as well. But what about streaming from a PS4? A console is naturally connected to a screen, so why would you want to stream it to another? This feature is obviously designed for households with multiple residents and of course, multiple HDTV’s. If you suddenly decide to play MGS:V in your living room instead of the bedroom where you already hooked up your PS4, it will mean lugging around the $400 console and all its wires from one area of the house to the next. Convenience is a powerful motivation –just look how well received the Nvidia Shield is.
Again, while PS4 streaming is one of the features that a lot of people are looking forward to using with the Vita TV, it still does so much more.
Playing Compatible Vita Games
Sony has already released a pretty huge list of compatible Vita games playable on the new device. Since the Vita TV is initially coming out in Japan, the list is full of JP-only titles. It’s an impressive list with well over two dozen great titles. But even if you just consider the ones with already released English releases (Guilty Gear, Blazblue, Dynasty Warriors 7, Earth Defense Force 3, God Eater 2, Muramasa Rebirth, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom, Persona 4 Golden, Dragon’s Crown, Rayman Origins, Soul Sacrifice, etc), it is already an impressive lineup. Sony has also gone as far as to include upcoming Vita releases, such as the HD remake of the FFX and Soul Sacrifice Delta. And don’t forget, a massive part of that list of games comes from third party developers.
What most people will realize is that some rather important and iconic PS Vita titles are not in that list. Little Big Planet, Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Touch My Katamari, DJ Max Teknika, and several other great vita titles are not included. The reason is pretty obvious: playing these games with a PS3 controller means that the player is unable to use the touchscreen functionality. This, however, is not as big a problem as people may think.
PS4 Controller Compatibility
Some PS Vita games are simply not meant to be played on a TV, especially rhythm games like Hatsune Miku and DJ Max where you have to touch the onscreen prompts that appear. Not being compatible with the Vita TV is not an issue at all for these types of games.
But other titles, such as Gravity Rush (sliding) and Katamari (stretching/squeezing), do not necessarily need you to touch specific onscreen prompts, but does incorporate touch controls in-games. The PS4 controller’s touch pad will allow players to input touch based controls such as tapping and dragging.
Is this for sure? At the moment, Sony has not made any announcement about it –this is purely speculation, or as some would consider it, an educated guess. There's also the matter of the back-touch panel on the Vita which still has no equivalent in the Dualshock 4.
But seriously, it would be hard to believe that Sony has not considered this in their later goals. The new controller has plenty of features and the same goes for the console. Vita games that makes use of a microphone and a camera can be easily covered by the Dualshock 4’s headset option and possibly even the new PS4 Eye.
And Everything Else, for $100
Full PSN support means that you can play a whole load of digital release and PSN-exclusive titles. Games like Sine Mora, Retro City Rampage, and Journey, will be readily available to players –especially those without the budget for a PS3 or the upcoming PS4. Smaller systems like the Ouya are offering a wide range of Android titles for casual players, but PSN’s library caters heavily to the needs of core gamers. Not to mention the fact that having a PS Plus account allows you to have a ton of games for the Vita TV. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that you’ll also have access to a huge list of PS One titles too.
The Japan release will see support for Nico Nico Douga TV (which is like Japanese commercial version of youtube), and Hulu –and probably a few other media streaming options. Aside from being a great game system, the Vita TV also has a secondary function as a media center. It connects to WiFi and LAN, so users will have an option regarding which form of internet connectivity is used.
Coming in November (to Japan)
Since the PS4 is not arriving in Japan till Feb, and no confirmation on a western launch for the Vita TV, it will also be a while before we can confirm if the Dualshock 4’s touchpad will help with the Vita TV’s game compatibility issues, but we’re really hoping that it will.
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