Battle of the Handhelds – PS Vita vs Nintendo Switch Lite

Performance

At the time the Vita was the most powerful handheld ever released. Capable of delivering console quality gaming on the go, it was truly revolutionary. But that was a decade ago. Even smartphones and tablets have equalled or beaten what the Vita can deliver. Despite the Switch having a huge indie library that the PS Vita could handle comfortably, there are also a lot of console games that it can’t. While the Switch is no PS4/Xbox One when it comes to performance, it’s certainly better than anything the PS3 could deliver and that immediately sets it way above anything the PS Vita was capable of.

Games like Fortnite, Apex Legends and DC Universe Online offering vast multiplayer open world gameplay. And Animal Crossing gives players the level of world creation that Disney Infinity should have had. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Vita version of the Disney release, but the Sony console struggled to cope.

PS Vita – 3
Switch – 5

Durability

I don’t know what it is about Nintendo hardware (or controllers for that matter), but they’ve always felt flimsy. The Switch is notorious for the drift issues with the Joycon and I can already feel that the sticks on my Switch Lite don’t feel as sturdy as they did less than three months after purchase. The buttons also feel “cheap” if that’s the right word and the whole console doesn’t feel as if it would withstand more than a few knocks or bumps.

Now, the PS Vita seems to be built like a tank in comparison. I’ve had my original Vita for almost a decade and all the buttons and sticks are still as responsive today. More surprising is how sturdy it is. It’s been dropped *hundreds* of times – on the bus, at home, on wooden floorboards – and it still works perfectly and doesn’t have a single scratch on it! And I don’t even use screen protectors!

PS Vita – 5
Switch – 3

Sound

On a technical level, there’s nothing to separate both systems… until you listen to each handheld. The real issue I have is volume levels. While the Vita is quite respectable in this area (and I’d expect nothing less from Sony), the Switch Lite is rather subdued and for virtually everything I played was extremely quiet even at the highest volume settings.

Unless headphones or external speakers were used, the Switch Lite simply couldn’t match the Vita. This is quite a disappointment, especially given the great sound offered by so many of the games available.

PS Vita – 5
Switch – 2

continues…

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About Simon Plumbe 1052 Articles
Husband, father and lifelong geek. Originally from the West Midlands, now spending my days in South Wales with my family and a house full of animals. Passionate about video games, especially retro gaming, the Commodore 64 and PlayStation Vita. Love pro wrestling, sci-fi and I'm an animal lover and vegetarian. Enjoyed this and my other articles? Why not buy me a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/simonplumbe