When I first saw the lime green PS Vita I wanted one but I couldn\’t justify switching systems. Then I read other reviewers claiming they had better battery life and at that moment I decided I was going to get one. This review is going to be short, sweet, and to the point.
If you\’re looking for comparisons of the displays then look elsewhere. If you put the Vitas side by side of course there is a difference—the original OLED\’s display is more saturated in color, but honestly if you\’re just playing on the newer Vita\’s LCD display it\’s more than acceptable. Sony really managed to trim some fat off of the Vita and the reduction in weight is surprisingly noticeable; especially during extended gaming sessions. If I can\’t sleep I will lay on my back and keep the Vita held up to play and it is much easier to do so with the slim. I didn\’t expect it to make that much of difference.
I also have to say while the d-pad and face buttons are the same the select and start buttons are bigger and therefore much easier to click. The ones on the original were too damn small. The shoulder buttons have a more solid feel as well and the PS logo button has a better click to it. Another welcome feature is the ability to charge the slim via a micro USB cable which are a dime a dozen. You\’ll also see that the rear touchpad is thankfully smaller with larger ovals to rest your fingers on. The material on the backside of the slim is also easier to grip with a matte like finish. Both of these features are very welcome upgrades as most felt like the rear touch pad on the original was far too large and got in the way, epecially while playing games made use of the touch pad. The LCD display in the slim has the added benefit of giving me around two more hours of game time too which is great.
With all this in mind is the newer Vita for you? I don\’t know. If you don\’t already have a Vita and are fine with all black, I\’d snag the Boarderlands 2 bundle coming May 31 in the US. If you really want a colored one I got mine for $235 with free international shipping from this awesome eBay seller T-Dimension in around five days. Is it a worthy upgrade if you already own a Vita? I\’d say so. For me the slight difference in the saturation of the display is well worth the tradeoff in weight reduction, a slimmer profile, better battery life, and other refinements.
