What is the Sony PS Vita Slim?
The new PS Vita is the 2014 edition of Sony’s handheld console. It is cheaper, slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. Although Sony is keen to iterate it is still simply called the PS Vita, we’re sure it’ll quickly adopt the Vita Slim moniker.
The key selling point of the new Vita is its design, as the software and processing power under the hood are near-identical.
As an existing PS Vita owner though, those design tweaks make the latest model feel quite different from its predecessor.
PS Vita (2014) - Design
Sony has listened to gamer feedback to make the Vita easier and more comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Even when picking up the new handheld for the first time, the difference is clear.
25 per cent of the original Vita’s weight has been shaved off to make the latest model feel considerably lighter than the original. It's a welcome change. The original was by no means a heifer at launch, but in a direct comparison it feels like quite the dead weight.
The PS Vita Slim has a new soft, matt finish and the finger grips enlarged to help you endure those extended gaming sessions. These touches make the new model much more tactile and finge- friendly than the former gloss finish. The rear touch panel is still glossy though, so your fingers won’t notice a change there.
To help reduce accidental presses, the rear touch panel has been reduced by around 30 per cent. From our brief play with top Vita title Tearaway, the smaller touchpad doesn’t affect the way you play whatsoever. And it is still large enough to feel accessible and convenient without having to stretch your fingers too far.
Some of the more subtle design elements are the changes to the buttons, with the symbol buttons and d-pad receiving minor cosmetic changes. The start and select buttons under the right analogue stick are now small and round rather than oval, and the PS Home button is no longer backlit.
Instead there are a duo of LED lights at the top of the device to indicate power and battery levels.
The best new feature of the PS Vita Slim is Sony’s choice to abandon the proprietary charging port in favour of a microUSB slot. Not only will it increase your charging options and lighten your wire load on trips, it also makes the new Vita design look a lot cleaner.
Sony has also equipped the new model with 1GB of internal memory. The original had none whatsoever, forcing you to immediately buy one of the expensive proprietary Vita memory cards. You won't be able to fit a full triple-A title into the 1GB internal memory, but it will help jumpstart your Vita experience.
PS Vita (2014) - Display
Our initial impressions of the new LCD display in the Vita are that the colours are not as vibrant or bright as the original OLED display. Even taking a quick glance between the two models, the difference in colour reproduction is discernible, with the new model looking a little washed out in comparison.
This may not bother those not yet familiar with the PS Vita, but for those who have already come to love the handheld, you may be disappointed with the new screen. Probably enough not to upgrade.
First Impressions
The PS Vita Slim, or whatever you wish to call it, has a superior and more user-friendly design than the original. This, combined with the slightly cheaper price, will attract gamers who have yet to add the Vita to their game console arsenal. Those who already own a Vita will be put off by the new LCD screen and they may well want to stick with the original if they’re content with it, as the software and processing grunt are still the same.
Read more: PS Vita Slim vs PS Vita original
