Sony: 3G gives Vita "immediacy"

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 23 February, 2012

"A lot of people want to have a system that's always on."

3G gives PS Vita "immediacy", Sony has said.

The more expensive Wi-Fi plus 3G model of the recently launched handheld provides the "true" Vita experience, SCE Worldwide Studios Europe senior vice president Michael Denny told Eurogamer.

Vita's 3G service, powered by Vodafone in the UK, lets you use many of the console's features without the need for a Wi-Fi connection.

These include social networking apps, such as Facebook and Twitter, and the likes of Near, which lets you connect with other Vita gamers out and about.

"PS Vita is a connected device at its heart," Denny replied when we asked him why Sony made a 3G model in the first place.

"You only get the true experience of a lot of what PS Vita has to offer in terms of some of the games and some of the applications we have, such as Near, when you're connected.

"Now, we can have all those features on Wi-Fi and they work perfectly well, but if you've got 3G it's always on. It gives the device immediacy.

"And there are a lot of people who want to have a system that's always on, so they can have that experience any time, that if they've got a location-based game, they know with the 3G network they can experience that 24/7."

The Wi-Fi only model is sold for around £230 and the Wi-Fi plus 3G model goes for about £280, although many retailers have aggressive offers.

Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida has said 3G is something of an "experiment" for Sony, describing it as "our investment in the future".

Denny told Eurogamer Sony was keen to offer gamers a choice. "It depends on what people want from the device and how they consume things," he said. "But it's right from our perspective to offer that choice to consumers."

Vita is designed to offer the most powerful handheld gaming experience around - and comes packed with over half a gigabyte of RAM and impressive graphics technology.

Many of the launch titles from Sony-owned developers are designed to show off what Vita can do in terms of graphics - Uncharted being perhaps the best example.

According to Denny, though, this is just the beginning. He promised fans that Vita games will get better throughout the console's intended long lifecycle.

"We're really proud of the launch line-up for Vita," he said. "Not just the quantity - we've announced 50 games - but the quality of those games, but graphically. It is like a PlayStation 3 experience in your hand without compromise.

"But of course they will get better. Developers will get more out of this system."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Master09 #1 3 months ago

    Some major retailers in Australia are not stocking the Vita siting the high price as a factor. Software is really pricy.

    PS Vita = 3DS + 2 games. The Vita is a great machine but its really putting off many due to its price.

  • uknortherner2000 #2 3 months ago

    How long will it be I wonder before the likes of Ubisoft demand that your Vita need to be "always on" to play their precious games?

  • Bradach #3 3 months ago

    i heard you can just thether your wifi to your iphone if you need to connect when you're out. the idea of paying a monthly fee for what you get seems ludicrous to me

  • Eraysor #4 3 months ago

    I got the Wifi version, for me it offers "cheapness"

  • wizlon #5 3 months ago

    @Bradach My HTC Sensation has wireless tething and is equipped with HSDPA so the connection will be much faster than the 3G built into the Vita, plus it saved me £50 on the console price. A winner is me!

  • Whitster #6 3 months ago

    Apple couldn't convince me to buy a 3G iPad where it may have actually been useful, you're not going to convince me to buy a 3G handheld so I can post my Trophys to facebook and other such inanitys. Otherwise I'm loving my Vita.

  • patch #7 3 months ago

    @uknortherner2000 How long will it be I wonder before the likes of Ubisoft demand that your Vita need to be "always on" to run their obtrusive DRM?

    Fixed

  • el_pollo_diablo #8 3 months ago

    @Master09

    PS Vita 3G = PS Vita Wifi + 2 games.

    I must say though that price isn't everything. My shiny new Vita really does make my slightly less shiny 3DS look badly designed and underpowered.

    But then again, Animal Crossing.

    So I don't even know what the hell I'm trying to say here.

  • northernlights #9 3 months ago

    compared to an average smartphone the vita is fairly priced. same about the memory cards and some retailers wanting £44.99 for Uncharted.

  • pantherjag #10 3 months ago

    Would be appreciative if anyone can answer this.

    Thinking of getting a 3g vita rather than the wi-f1 only based on the fact i have a 3 dongle with unlimited data(special offer for only 12.50 a month due to being exsisting customer)

    Can i take the sim card from the dongle and use it in the ps vita or is that a dead end?

    Any replys would be great

  • wizlon #11 3 months ago

    @pantherjag I'm guessing that would be ok, the Vita comes unlocked so any sim should unlock, the only thing I'm not sure of is if the Vita uses a full size sim card or a smaller 'iPhone' style sim.

  • MattEdWithCheese #12 3 months ago

    Freedom to do so much... As long as it's under 20MB...

    I love the Vita but I'd recommend most people hold off for the inevitable price cut (of the memory cards at least)
    Edited by MattEdWithCheese at 23/02/12 @ 22:47

  • penhalion #13 3 months ago

    @pantherjag

    Uses full sized sims and the chip fom my 3g ipad worked with it just fine. You get a chip with it anyway and can claim the free wipeout 2048 by simply sticking a fiver on.

    Basically stick the fiver on, claim wipeout, then swap cards.

  • Sharzam #14 3 months ago

    How anyone can complain the Vita is pricey is beyond me. One above poster says compared to smart phones, do you mean those £400 slabs or when factor in 24 month contracts your paying up to £1000 for something with no buttons and could never hope to match vita in gaming terms.

    For the money the hardware itself is a real bargain, ok you may have an argument with the software. That all relative as the games on vita are proper full featured games which you would happily pay £30 for on PS3.

    At the end of the day it is all about how you value your gaming. IF you want a mobile phone with the odd throw away title then the vita is not for you , if you want a mobile console then the vita is.

    Personally i am really liking my 3G model. As i can play motorstorm RC when out and about which syncs my track times with my ps3. Not to mention the competition friend lists is crazy fun at the moment. If i had a wifi model sure it would still be fun but not the same, as the times would not update in real time.

  • Colin8703 #15 3 months ago

    I don't see the point in the 3G version at the moment. I have a Galaxy S2 and 3G is slow as fuck through sheer over crowding of the network, although I don't have Facebook or Twitter etc, my phone does that.

    The only thing you need the 3G for on a Vita in my opinion is to play online games as unless you're super old school, your phone does it.

    Until LTE is rolled out over more territories, online play would probably suck (although happy to be proved wrong) and downloading demos, movies etc would be restricted by the file size limits of the telecoms carriers.

  • zedzee #16 3 months ago

    "3G model of the recently launched handheld provides the "true" Vita experience".

    So does the Wi-Fi model and an Android mobile phone with HotSpot option enabled!

  • Bradach #17 3 months ago

    @MattEdWithCheese this is not a defect, it's common for OLED screens to have blotches when theres nothing on the screen but the backlight is on.

  • Kill_Crazy #18 3 months ago

    "You only get the true experience of a lot of what PS Vita has to offer in terms of some of the games and some of the applications we have, such as Near, when you're connected.

    "Now, we can have all those features on Wi-Fi and they work perfectly well...
    Then why can't i get Near to work on my wifi Vita?

    /probably won't use it much but would be nice if it worked

  • Sharzam #19 3 months ago

    @FluffyTucker

    The S2 has a AMOLED PLUS. I have no idea what the difference between OLED and AMOLED in terms of features. I guess by the name one is active and the other passive but what that actually means i have no clue.

  • Kill_Crazy #20 3 months ago

    @Sharzam

    From Samsung site:

    OLED: Organic Light Emitting Diode is a new screen technology to rival LCD and plasma. AMOLED: Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode. There is no substantial difference between the two. Active Matrix is a method for controlling individual pixels. How it works OLED pixels are self illuminating, unlike your traditional LCD screen which requires back lighting. This means less power consumption and longer battery life and thinner displays. This is not the only benefit of having OLED screens. They offer SUPERIOR brightness, viewing angle, response time and contrast ratios. Not to even mention that the screens are so flexible to fit in phone screens and cameras. OLED is the new generation of screens Soon you will see OLED displays replacing TV screens. However, the technology is quite pricey for larger screens at the present time.

  • orangpelupa #21 3 months ago

    "Now, we can have all those features on Wi-Fi and they work perfectly well, but if you've got 3G it's always on. It gives the device immediacy.
    "And there are a lot of people who want to have a system that's always on, so they can have that experience any time, that if they've got a location-based game, they know with the 3G network they can experience that 24/7."
    true, for those willingly to bring portable USB charger

  • MattEdWithCheese #22 3 months ago

    @Bradach Ah thanks!

  • Toothball #23 3 months ago

    I got the 3G one because I figured it might be useful in ways I hadn't thought of. Plus, you get Wipeout for £5 which helps.

    That said, did anyone else not find a SIM card in their 3G Vita? I got mine from a Vodafone store, and we opened it in store but didn't find one. They set me up another one, but I don't think that counts for the Wipeout deal. Going to have to go back today to persuade them to sort it out.

  • Sharzam #24 3 months ago

    @Toothball

    In the T&Cs for Wipeout deal it has to be the Sim included in the pack. As they are pre setup (actually says 'Sim for PS Vita' on the packaging). Also your first £5 top up has to be via the Vodafone website for it to count.

    If you went into a store its possible your screwed. You recieve the wipeout code as a network message about 30 mins after that first top up.

  • Street89 #25 3 months ago

    @Bradach You don't pay a monthly fee, it's pay as you go.

  • castertroy #26 3 months ago

    I have the 3g vita and so far its the worst experience I have had with a console/gadget. Just trying to set it up was a nightmare then trying to top up my sim card has been a complete joke. The stupid Vodafone helpdesk guy said I had to go I'm to a shop and buy a voucher to activate my sim card then when I got it there is no where on my vita that sticks out to use it. I go through the Vodafone link on the homepage try to use the link then it asks me to sign up for an account then I get an error message ! Phoned them up again and the guy has applied it but my signal is still 2g.

  • Toothball #27 3 months ago

    @Sharzam

    Yeah I thought that might be the case after checking the Ts & Cs. There wasn't one in my Vita when we opened it up so I was wondering if anyone else had had the same issue. I do have a couple of Vodafone staff as witnesses though, hopefully that counts for something. I suspect I was the only person who bought one from that store too, so maybe I'll be able to bag some sympathy from that.

    Ironically, I figured getting one from Vodafone would be the most likely way to get through it without any grief.

  • Arwin #28 3 months ago

    After long thinking I would get the Wifi because at most places I have Wifi, I went and got the 3G/GPS version anyway. I think what does really help is I can put 20 Euro worth of data on the card (Vodafone here), and that will stay valid for 12 months. So no monthly fee necessary in that regard.

    I worry about my WipeOut bonus though. It says I should get it within 7 days, so there is still time, but I got 20 extra credit after I put 20 euro on the card, which I'm worrying means I won't get WipeOut now.

  • makeamazing #29 3 months ago

    Was playing with Near late last night, and it was pretty good, showed 10 people all within a 9K distanec (and i dont like in a big town).....

    All in all very happy with the Vita. Did have one problem with uncharted where i couldnt hang and shoot in the first level, even though all videos i had seen shown that it could... will have to give it another go tonight. Also i found removing the game cards a little hard to do.

    But overall a very nice peice of kit indeed.

  • PiranhaUK #30 3 months ago

    @Bradach @MattEdWithCheese:

    Had my Japanese Vita for 3 weeks now and those black blotches have almost vanished. You could only see them when the screen was black and the room was dark anyway. I think the screens dry over time. iPhones used to do a similar thing where they were slightly yellow

  • monsieur-goggyturk #31 3 months ago

    @wizlon It's a full sized SIM.

  • Arwin #32 3 months ago

    @makeamazing Does holding the L-Trigger help?

  • Toothball #33 3 months ago

    @Arwin

    It sounds like you should get Wipeout as long as you use the SIM card that came with the Vita. It doesn't work if you use any other Vodafone SIM. £5 was just the minimum, although from the sounds of it they're treating it the same as tablets, and the credit on those seems to expire after 30 days. There may be a different arrangement with another SIM, but it's worth keeping in mind.