Sony: Press Conference & Tokyo Game Show

[Rangers]

To me this Vita TV is an acknowledgment that there is a market for cheap console that neither the ps4 or XB1 will be able to address anytime soon. It is a market interested in both social/casual games and core games.
I think it is another showcase for the console limitation and how software is written, Sony is stuck to the PSV hardware whereas I suspect you can now have the perfs for cheaper or better perfs (and then there is the amount of RAM).

It reinforces my belief that some serious actors are to enter the show hence Sony proactive (that is a good thing) attitude on that front.

I just dont get the use case for this thing at all.

It will basically allow you to play Vita games with worse than current gen (noticeably, really) graphics on your TV. Ok?

For me you suffer (relatively) bad graphics and a small screen on a handheld because you have no other choice, EG you spend a lot of time on a bus or a train. If you have a choice, then you play a console on a TV as it's much superior.

I am sure some people will like this but I really cant see it making waves. Especially given Vita itself sells poorly.

 

[Xenus]

It's a PS4 remote play terminal as well so if you have a PS4 you are fine

 

[Brad Grenz]

It definitely is them getting the jump on Google, Apple and Amazon, all of which have had rumored microconsole support, and it definitely kicks the stool out from under Ouya, Gamestick and the like which, ironically, have worse indie game support than Vita and nothing but the grey market of emulators to prop them up in comparison. Apple should have opened AppleTV to app developers with an official controller like 3 years ago.

The PS Vita TV looks has a USB port as well, so I wonder if you can even use that for mass storage, or if it's just for Nasne or controller charging/pairing.

 

[Rangers]

It definitely is them getting the jump on Google, Apple and Amazon, all of which have had rumored microconsole support, and it definitely kicks the stool out from under Ouya, Gamestick and the like which, ironically, have worse indie game support than Vita and nothing but the grey market of emulators to prop them up in comparison. Apple should have opened AppleTV to app developers with an official controller like 3 years ago.

The PS Vita TV looks has a USB port as well, so I wonder if you can even use that for mass storage, or if it's just for Nasne or controller charging/pairing.

Ehh, I wont belabor this but for me a proper Android micro console (meaning like, the rumored upcoming Amazon one) is infinitely more interesting. If for the emulators alone. It should also be easily more powerful than Vita already. S800 or project Logan should be ~PS3 or higher. Mobile tech moves super fast. Was a bit surprised to see S800 is 5X faster than my hardly ancient, once state of the art, SGS3 in benches the other day.

The thing Vita TV would have going is triple A games, which droid micro consoles have no guarantee of getting. But still, I think "baby console" games are not a good niche to be in, that's imo why DS constantly beats the Sony handheld. Because it offers a different experiences where Sony handhelds have always been "this is just like your console at home but not as good".

And I was one absolutely convinced PSP was going to decimate DS back in the day, so dont get me wrong, it took me a while to re asses my view to match the sales figures

 

[Xenus]

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/130909c_e.pdf


It apparently also offers 2 user support for PS1 classics.

 

[Brad Grenz]

I just dont get the use case for this thing at all.

It will basically allow you to play Vita games with worse than current gen (noticeably, really) graphics on your TV. Ok?

How is that different than the android consoles you were just saying were better, other than Vita games having vastly better production values, I mean?

Here's what's happening. For the price of an Xbox One you can have a PS4 in two rooms, plus access to a broad swath of games for Vita, PSP and PSX. How is that not an interesting option for people?

 

[Strange]

PSV TV outputs in 720p, 1080i, 480p, off to pixelcounting!

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Vita TV's HDMI output tops at 720p/1080i and 2ch LPCM audio, so it looks like it can't really replace a second PS4.
Plus, there's a good chance the Vita TV's remote play output will be the same 960*540 they got for the Vita.


Here are the small lines referring to the Vita games that use touchscreen:

As of Aug. Includes PS Vita games, PSP® (PlayStation ® Portable) games, PSOne classics (PlayStation ® games). Since PS Vita is equipped with special features that cannot be supported
on DUALSHOCK ®3, such as touch screen, rear touch pad, motion sensors, camera, electronic compass and microphones, not all PS Vita games are playable on PS Vita TV.

More than apple tv, I see this as competition to all the emerging market of low-cost Android consoles like the Ouya, Amazon console and others.
Too bad the Vita TV is still stuck to the still expensive Vita memory cards, though.


BTW, there will be a new 64GB memory card for the Vita for $100.

 

[Deleted member 7537]

How is that different than the android consoles you were just saying were better, other than Vita games having vastly better production values, I mean?

Here's what's happening. For the price of an Xbox One you can have a PS4 in two rooms, plus access to a broad swath of games for Vita, PSP and PSX. How is that not an interesting option for people?

And Sony could offer PS3 games through gaikai. It's a very good value, 99$/€ + PSPlus (50$/year) + Gaikai (?) = PSX,PSP,PS3,PSVITA and PS4 via remote play.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

More than apple tv, I see this as competition to all the emerging market of low-cost Android consoles like the Ouya, Amazon console and others.

Absolutely. It's a super-cheap console, a replacement for the PS2 that Sony no longer produces. £70 for a console is good value. The game price will suck in contrast to the competitors as they are 'real games', especially if it needs those Vita memory sticks instead of SD cards, and downloads continue to cost almost 10x as much for the same games (Plants vs. Zombies etc.).

As for PS4 support, it's just Remote Play on a Vita, only in a TV box.

I'd much rather Sony included an HDMI out option for Vita though. More portable and convenient and does the same job.

 

[Xenus]

They couldn't sell that fpr 100 though.Which probably is a strategy to help revive the vita. They can always make a later model that does it.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

They could have included HDMI in the refresh. Heck, they should have included it in the Vita in the first place!

 

[AlNom]

They could have included HDMI in the refresh. Heck, they should have included it in the Vita in the first place!

Do they just not want to bother with HDCP

 

[Betanumerical]

Vita TV's HDMI output tops at 720p/1080i and 2ch LPCM audio, so it looks like it can't really replace a second PS4.
Plus, there's a good chance the Vita TV's remote play output will be the same 960*540 they got for the Vita.

There was a tweet about this, its 720P apparently, no conversion to 540P inbetween either.

 

[McHuj]

The kicker will be if this thing can play games from Gaikai. That would be something.

 

[liolio]

I just dont get the use case for this thing at all.

It will basically allow you to play Vita games with worse than current gen (noticeably, really) graphics on your TV. Ok?

That is what it does, exactly. I will not buy it that is for sure. It is underpowered for the purpose.

For me you suffer (relatively) bad graphics and a small screen on a handheld because you have no other choice, EG you spend a lot of time on a bus or a train. If you have a choice, then you play a console on a TV as it's much superior.

I am sure some people will like this but I really cant see it making waves. Especially given Vita itself sells poorly.

I get your point, and share your opinion a home console is a better fit. I think that issue faced by both MSFT and Sony is that both the ps3 and Xbox 360 price are still pretty high and that is after 7/8 years on the market.
Now the only PRO I see for the Vita TV is its price (form factor but I don't that is critical), the PS360 offers significantly more bangs for the bucks.

If I wrap that together my conclusion is that the Vita Tv is not a suitable device to replace a "proper" home console though it does not automatically imply that there is no market for a "proper" micro console (max 150$+lots of cheap games+ sane offering of cores games).

From a business pov I think it is good move for Sony and a good sign wrt managements. They are following trends, proactive, they have done a good job with the ps4, quite encouraging (and I did not have much faith in them). It might not cost them much, it is an acceptable place holder type of product.

Spoiler

I still think that PS4 specs should have been lowered a tad, and that the PSV was over-specced, so I see mistakes but they are drifting toward a more proper approach.

 

[BoardBonobo]

Hopefully they've replaced the OLED with a Triluminous display, since they are producing them for their mobiles. Just as good, if not better than OLED, at colour reproduction and great contrast even in sunlight.

If that's the case I might replace my current vita with a new one. Especially if the battery life is better.

*edit*

Just saw, on the spec sheet, that it contains 1GB of internal storage. And it does sound like they're using a Triluminous display. I think it's time to upgrade!

 

[DieH@rd]

Im glad that Remote Play will be 720p on VitaTV. Yoshida confirmed it on twitter.

edit-

 

[whome0]

And PS Mobile is starting to get some good games, Sony should include preloaded a bunch a big PSX,PSP, and Vita titles.

My country is still waiting for a PSMobile devkit release, what takes so long for a simple global digital delivery plan. Anyone who knows PSMobile devkit does it allow hardware accelerated video playback, mp4 and ts demuxer? Wish we could have xmbc-like media client on VitaTV (dlna, nas samba share, internet dvr recording files from provider site, dvb (ts) recording files from home network server etc).

edit: Not that I benefit bigscreen usage much 'cause I have fullsized PSVita console so no video output available. PS4 should have similar free-for-all-home-developers platform without too much restrictions.

 

[BoardBonobo]

Reading up on the Vita TV, if this included a digital tuner and could be a direct replacement for the PlayTV box, then it would be amazing!

The remote play for PS4 sound pretty cool. For ~£60 you can a virtual PS4 in any room of the house! I'm hoping that if they bring in support for the DS4 then the touch screen can be used to enable the missing games from the list like Uncharted, Gravity Rush etc.