What Would a GOOD Vita Successor Look Like? My Requirements

Let’s have a bit of fun, shall we? How about we imagine a world where Playstation isn’t the company that killed a perfectly great handheld. It’s 2024 and Sony have announced a successor to the Playstation Vita. What would we actually want to see in it? Here are some of the features I’d like to see in a true Vita successor.

Backwards Compatibility

If only with digital games, I think backwards compatibility is a must. I understand if they decide to go with another physical medium (even no physical medium at all) because of where the tech and the industry in general are going. But I want to play Vita games on this new device, much like I played PSP games on my Vita.

And I want my library to port over. I don’t want to have to buy the same games I already own digitally on the Vita just to play them on this new thing.

The Screen: OLED, 120hz, 7″

At this point, LED screens have become really great. But I’d still prefer a “Vita 2 Pro” with an OLED screen. However, I want it to run at 120hz, mostly for retro/older games. Honestly, once you go into high-refresh territory, it’s hard to go back. Plus, thanks to mobile phones, the technology is there.

And anything below 7 inches just won’t cut it in this day and age. I think it’s the perfect size. Bigger and you run the risk of having a behemoth like the Steam Deck. Smaller and old people with old peepers (like myself) won’t be able to read text

PS4, PS3, PS3, PS2, PS1, PSP and Vita Games

This goes back to the backwards compatibility thing, but we did really well with the Vita in terms of bringing non-native games to it. With the work that’s been done on PS2 and PS3 emulators in particular, I don’t think this would be difficult or even too taxing for a modern mobile chip (something derived from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for example).

PS4 games can be “remasters”/native ports.

Generic Expandable Storage

One of the things that killed the Vita (and hugely hindered the PSP) is Sony’s obsession with proprietary storage. We have super fast SD cards now, so there’s no need to pay out the hat for something that is already industry standard at a much lower cost.

All Thrills, No Frills

Cameras? No. AR? No. A back touch pad? No. Keep it simple, don’t add gimmicks. What we want, as it’s been clearly shown by the success of the Switch line and the Steam Deck, isn’t some “novel” feature or a new way to play games. We want portability, good hardware and software support.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Just make a very, very good old fashioned wheel.

What are we missing?

What do you think could be added to the list? Plus, would you buy a device like the one we listed? If so, how much would you pay for it? Let us know!

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About Marcos Codas 384 Articles
Lover of portable gaming and horror cinema. Indie filmmaker and game developer. Multimedia producer. Born in Paraguay, raised in Canada. Huge fan of "The Blair Witch Project", and "Sonic 3D Blast". Deputy head at Vita Player and its parent organization, Infinite Frontiers. Like what I do? Donate a coffee: https://www.paypal.me/marcoscodas