Which Sony handheld to collect for?

[Tanooki]

I guess my answer isn't the popular one, but screw the Vita and go with the PSP. I've had both and the PSP supplied far more variety and fun, and if you don't mind going all sketchy with it you can turn it into a wicked emulator/warez portable too with a fairly simple hack.

The PSP has this really amazing library of games on those little annoying UMDs. Both systems used really stupid memory cards which cost far more than your usual SD standards during either time which held them back. PSP had a great run with a wider variety of solid games, the games which usually ranged along the sliding scale of quality of a PSX or high end DS game up to a PS2 level in quality, usually more in the PS2 realm. The very warezing I mentioned helped kill much of the support after you had Konami moaning (how they figured it out if it was honest I'll never know) saying that 1 in 10 copies of MGS Peacewalker played were actually paid for scared off so much. It lived on for years but much ended up being JRPGs and other niche stuff. If I ever wanted to run back into the realm of Sony handhelds I'd get a PSP again no question at all about that.

The Vita was nice but it was pretty doomed too. Sony never really bothered to push it like they did the PSP. They almost seemed to take this snooty tone where since it's Sony and tied to Playstation it would sell itself and it never really did. Courting developers was the same it seemed as not a whole lot popped out in the first couple of years, sporadic but solid stuff though. It never ended up getting much of any shelf space in stores, some none at all because so few games were published so it wasn't worth them wasting space on a shelf at retail. It's a shame as it's a fantastic little more or less handheld PS3 quality wise, but it really has a quality over quantity thing going for it and it never got truly hacked and busted open as effectively as the PSP was either.

[PartridgeSenpai]

I'd go with the Vita just because the hardware is so much better. The PSP has the big, weird library and the lousy hardware, while the Vita has not that much software (most of what's on there is either very similar to other things among it or also on PS4/PC) but some really kickin' hardware. If you go the digital route for PSP stuff and PS1 stuff on Vita, that makes up for a lot of it though. The PSP to me has always been a system that was built to break. It's not Game Gear bad, but honestly the UMD-reading mechanism and that giant screen are just such big liabilities that I hate getting the thing out to take around. Couple that with the awful battery life and I'd recommend the Vita over it any day of the week.

[Sarge]

Well, the key to a PSP is a big honkin' memory card and custom firmware. I ripped everything I bought to the card and never looked back. That, and the (nearly) double-capacity battery. It jutted out the back a bit, so you have to have a new battery cover. But it's totally worth it.

Sadly, I don't use the system much anymore. I don't use the Vita much either, though. But if I had to pick which system had more games I enjoyed, it was definitely the PSP. But if you're not turned off by digital (or the memory card prices), the Vita covers a whole lot of bases. If I ever find a cheap spare system, I will put Henkaku on there, get one of those SD2Vita cards, and just go crazy putting my old PSP and PSX games on there.

[casterofdreams]

Personally I think it's a pretty tricky question to answer.

The Vita does have better hardware. You also have access to a decent amount of games both and physical and digital formats. You also have a decent amount of PSP games digitally available to purchase. The problem with the system itself however is that you have to purchase a very expensive, relative to other formats, memory card. If you plan on going to digital route be sure to get the largest available memory which is gonna cost you close to $100.

The PSP on the other hand has a much larger more diverse library of games to choose from. You've got a bunch of quirky games that were perfect for the platform. Memory cards for the unit were expensive but nowhere near as much as the Vita. You could purchase third party cards as well which kept the prices down for those cards. Hardware wise you have more points of failure on the system. It uses a disk-based system which is mechanical obviously. I didn't experience it personally but I've heard stories of people dropping the hardware from a very short height and the disc tray was completely shot. Secondly you have to try to find these games in good condition. The PSP games were notorious for having the outer shell of the disc crack easily, even by taking a game out of the case and putting it back in. One last piece is the battery: I've had two batteries fell on me where the batteries expanded which signaled a leak in the battery housing. These were not in the system when I found out the failure.

That being said of the two I choose the PSP. As I mentioned, that has a more diverse library of games to choose from. I've played a hell of a lot of Patapon, Department Heaven series, Phastasy Star Portable (PSP on the PSP ), SOCOM, GTA, and God of War. The PSP definitely was a home console in the palm of your hands. The games supported that notion.

[Reprise]

I think an important thing to consider is how does the digital library of PSP games on the PSN store for Vita compare to the physical library of PSP games? What are the notable games missing from the store?

[casterofdreams]

I think an important thing to consider is how does the digital library of PSP games on the PSN store for Vita compare to the physical library of PSP games? What are the notable games missing from the store?

It's missing Phantasy Star Portable. That's about 11 strikes against it right there

[Exhuminator]

the key to a PSP is a big honkin' memory card and custom firmware

This is so correct. Especially if you want to play fan translated stuff. Also playing games digitally is easier on your battery due to not using the mechanical UMD drive, and the load times are far better as well.

It's missing Phantasy Star Portable. That's about 11 strikes against it right there

Vita got two new Phantasy Star games just like that. Phantasy Star Online 2 and Phantasy Star Nova. Sadly neither Sony nor Sega felt the need to localize and publish either one in the west.

I think an important thing to consider is how does the digital library of PSP games on the PSN store for Vita compare to the physical library of PSP games? What are the notable games missing from the store?

This list can help answer your question:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_d ... able_games

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To address the original thread's question is difficulty for me. I love the PSP and Vita equally. The PSP certainly has a better overall library, but the Vita still has some killer games and far superior hardware. I guess the question is; do you want quantity or spectacle?

[casterofdreams]

It's missing Phantasy Star Portable. That's about 11 strikes against it right there

Vita got two new Phantasy Star games just like that. Phantasy Star Online 2 and Phantasy Star Nova. Sadly neither Sony nor Sega felt the need to localize and publish either one in the west.

I will be forever salty about this.

[ElkinFencer10]

It's missing Phantasy Star Portable. That's about 11 strikes against it right there

Vita got two new Phantasy Star games just like that. Phantasy Star Online 2 and Phantasy Star Nova. Sadly neither Sony nor Sega felt the need to localize and publish either one in the west.

I will be forever salty about this.

That's how I feel about Moe Crystal being released in Japanese and Chinese but not English like Moe Chronicle.

[Exhuminator]

Moe Crystal being released in Japanese and Chinese but not English like Moe Chronicle.

I wasn't aware of that.

The release disparity between the respective USA and Japanese Vita libraries is simply criminal.