PS Vita vs. N3DS - Which should I buy in 2016?

[WinterfuryZX]

Just import a pstv for 40usd from the us or europe if you are short on money. It's not a portable console and it's absolutely not the same thing as the fat vita with OLED screen (fucking hardware designe masterpiece...), but it's ultra cheap.

[Okarin]

1 minute ago, WinterfuryZX said:

Just import a pstv for 40usd from the us or europe if you are short on money.

The idea seems nice enough, but we don't know his actual country nor the import taxes, it could end up costing lots more... or not arriving at all... but 300$ a new console in situ... that's too much.

[Lucius]

1 minute ago, WinterfuryZX said:

Just import a pstv for 40usd from the us or europe if you are short on money.

40 usd is a lot in my country's currency for something that isn't compatible with all Vita games.

And I kinda can't really use my television at this time because my parents use it a lot... Yeah, yeah, I live with my folks. Unlike in America, it's not really as much of a stigma around here in my country. 

And besides, it's a hella inconvenient to spend about 56 dollars (that's 40 usd converted to my currency) on something that that doesn't even come with controllers. Therefore, it wouldn't be an option for buying a 3DS and a PSTV at the same time since the controllers might cost me about another 20 bucks, chipping off my budget to spend on the $360 worth 3DS anyway. And what about the HDMI cables? I don't think I have those, so would that cost me another 20 bucks? Not a very practical solution, IMO. I might as well be buying a second hand Vita with the money I would spend on this.

 

2 minutes ago, Okarin said:

but 300$ a new console in situ... that's too much.

Tell me about it. That's why I'm not jumping off my seat right away to throw away all my money.

[Eclipsed]

$360 for a 3DS hory shi, 

If you get that you should definitely take the time to learn the techy techs so you can, uh, give some mercy to your wallet

[WinterfuryZX]

46 minutes ago, Lucius said:

Yeah, yeah, I live with my folks. Unlike in America, it's not really as much of a stigma around here in my country. 

same here.

[Lucius]

12 minutes ago, Eclipsed said:

$360 for a 3DS hory shi, 

If you get that you should definitely take the time to learn the techy techs so you can, uh, give some mercy to your wallet

lol You mean the firmware 3.55, right? Wasn't that solution for the Vita though? Unless there's an emulator out for the 3DS or some kind of 3DS hack to play free games. 

[Lucius]

Sorry for the double post, but I've added another choice to the poll: the Nintendo 2DS for its bargain price of 80 USD. Please tell me if you can't change your vote so I could reset the poll.

Anyway, with a price that cheap, it's a dumb idea not to take it AND the Vita at the same time just because of some 3-D effect I might never use... right? 

There are a few concerns I have with the 2DS that I hope some of you might be able to answer of course, such as the d-pad: is it as bad as people say? I heard people said that it feels 'cheap'. But does 'cheap' equal "more difficult to control" or just "rubbery and low quality"? If it's just the texture that feels cheap, it shouldn't be a problem, as long as my thumb doesn't get sore after several hours of using the d-pad or something.

Also, anyone who has used the 2DS before, feel free to share with us your experience, and whether it's been a disaster. 

On a slightly off-topic note... Nintendo has an upcoming handheld console for the Wii-U as well starting next year?! Dannnng. I heard this new "Nintendo NX" is rumored to be the replacement for 3DS. Of course, Nintendo's officials claimed otherwise, but they claimed the same thing about how the DS wasn't going to replace the Gameboy as well. Look how that turned out. lol

[XionsProphecy]

If the intent is for VN's, go for the PSVita. If it's for gaming, go with the N3DS.

The PSVita is not dead like everyone says, it's very much alive and gets games and VN's regularly, besides, it's awesome to play PSP and PS1 games on.

I bought the N3DSXL 'cause I love the bigger screens, but I will be buying a regular N3DS later on for all the faceplates you can have on it.

If the 3D feature is nothing for you, get the 2DS. Also, if you're a "Graphics Whore" you should get the PSVita since the visuals are much better then on the N3DS.

Just remembered that the N3DS is hackable, so that you can use homebrews, backups and customized themes.

I got all the systems and love them all.

[XionsProphecy]

2 hours ago, Lucius said:

On a slightly off-topic note... Nintendo has an upcoming handheld console for the Wii-U as well starting next year?! Dannnng. I heard this new "Nintendo NX" is rumored to be the replacement for 3DS. Of course, Nintendo's officials claimed otherwise, but they claimed the same thing about how the DS wasn't going to replace the Gameboy as well. Look how that turned out. lol

The WiiU is finished and will not get any more updated peripherals.

The "Nintendo NX" is a replacement for the WiiU, not the 3DS, the NX will be aimed at the casual market with a Home console that can be taken along when you leave home, which is a handheld device that will dock in a cradle at home for boosted performance. The 3DS is nowhere near finished yet as it will get a lot of games for years to come and will most likely have more updated revisions in the future.

[Narcosis]

None. Save money and import more vn's

[Eclipsed]

5 hours ago, Lucius said:

lol You mean the firmware 3.55, right? Wasn't that solution for the Vita though? Unless there's an emulator out for the 3DS or some kind of 3DS hack to play free games. 

It's a whoooole 'nother ballpark, Vita firmware 3.55 is just to play all PSP games (not Vita games); for 3DS if you can get firmware 9.2 you'll be able to play all 3DS games 

It will take some time and a few headaches to get right though, so you may wanna just stick to going casual

~~
Going 2DS + Vita sounds like a decent compromise to get your hands on everything. I have no idea how good/bad the 2DS is, though. But it's cheap!

[Okarin]

In truth, no one knows anything about the NX. Small wonder Nintendo doesn't talk about it, it's an enterprise secret. That doesn't bar people from spewing all kinds of rumours, such as it using cartridges (which would make it portable since a home console using cartridges is cringey, it would take us to 20 years ago. Those would really be some kickass cartridges for sure).

[Funyarinpa]

Some things:

1) Corpse Party PSP is on Vita PSN. 

2) You can also buy PS1 games on Vita. 

3) New games come out every week on Vita  including high-profile games. "Vita is dead" is just a circlejerk of people with shit taste or have to feel the hate boner of playing an exclusive game which they wouldn't enjoy if the game was on other platforms as well. 

4) Zero Escape 3 is on 3DS, Vita AND Steam. 

5) The 3D effect does not matter much. It does make quite a few games look pretty good, but the 3DS' graphics are still abysmal. 

6) Vita homebrew was released the other day which means you can emulate the older Pokémon games on Vita. 

7) 3DS seems to be getting fewer releases nowadays. 3DS is exclusive-driven, so there won't be much for you in 3DS' library if you dislike Nintendo. Shin Megami Tensei games (like 5 of them) are really good, and people love MH and Ace Attorney, so there's that. 

Vita Slim's microUSB is enough reason to get it over the old model. 

I have a Vita Slim and an OG 3DS, and prefer the Vita by far. 

Edit: Persona 1 is seen as a pretty shitty game by everyone. Persona 4 Golden is a far different thing. 

[Lucius]

3 hours ago, Funyarinpa said:

Vita Slim's microUSB is enough reason to get it over the old model. 

MicroUSB? What's the benefit of that? Also, I read that the LCD screen of Slim makes its graphics slightly lower quality than Vita's OLED panel. The only significant advantage I could see Slim having over Vita is the 1GB memory that comes with it, but even then, I still need extra memory space for other games anyway, so Vita's proprietary memory card is inevitable.

[Okarin]

MicroUSB is the thing that newer smartphones and tablets use to recharge.

In truth, I can't even fathom how it works without one. It's an universal interface now.

[Lucius]

2 minutes ago, Okarin said:

MicroUSB is the thing that newer smartphones and tablets use to recharge.

In truth, I can't even fathom how it works without one. It's an universal interface now.

I don't know if it's particularly useful on my part. Lots of my devices use the normal USB, not micro-sized. I mean... what, does it have increased recharge speed over normal USB ports or something?

Anyway, paying extra for a different plug seems kinda silly. Unless it has increased graphics or better controls or something, I don't see how it's worthwhile. It's not the same as 3DS XL's extra capabilities, like a bigger screen for instance.

[Okarin]

Well for me is better, for example, because I've got a USB/micro USB cable that can be plugged to a transformer. It came with the tablet and can be used with anything -for example, with the phone, that has its charger out of order.

This way you can put it directly to current and don't have to depend on a PC or anything.

But if you don't use microUSB at all, you won't feel the difference.

[Funyarinpa]

Original Vita's proprietary (eg only usable for a Vita) charger is pretty much discontinued now so if you get one and it breaks, you'll have some trouble finding a new charger. Micro USB is a very popular format though and finding a micro USB charger is infinitely easier 

[Funyarinpa]

Also OG Vita's screen IS brighter but it can cause burn-ins (crucial flaw if you want to emulate) and the blacks are oversaturated, I fear. Slim also has a far better battery life. 

[Lucius]

1 minute ago, Funyarinpa said:

Original Vita's proprietary (eg only usable for a Vita) charger is pretty much discontinued now so if you get one and it breaks, you'll have some trouble finding a new charger. Micro USB is a very popular format though and finding a micro USB charger is infinitely easier 

Just now, Funyarinpa said:

Also OG Vita's screen IS brighter but it can cause burn-ins (crucial flaw if you want to emulate) and the blacks are oversaturated, I fear. Slim also has a far better battery life. 

Erm, emulate...? Like using a Vita emulator? Aren't those things not invented yet?

Battery life isn't much of a concern since I don't travel outside a lot, so charging it is pretty convenient when I'm near the computer, which is also beside a power outlet all the time.

I guess that only comes down to the possibility of a broken charger (which I've never experienced before in all my life, regardless of the device), and this 'oversaturated blackness', which I'm not sure what you mean exactly. The color scheme is oversaturated?

Anyway, I checked out the prices and it's about $20 (USD) more, which is quite a lot when converted to my currency, so... still gonna be on the fence about this Slim and its benefits. I even considered buying 2DS over the 3DS and even XL yesterday, after all. But it doesn't really matter, since I've decided to hold off till next month when I get another $80 into my bank account, which should hopefully make the decision much easier.

The thing I'm instead concerned about right now is buying a flashcart for a 3DS or downgrading the Vita firmware so that I could play PSP games. Flashcarts cost quite a bit, as do Vita memory cards. So whichever of the two console I buy, there's extra accessories to buy that are just as expensive. And even if I do get my hands on flashcarts, I have to worry about Nintendo releasing an anti-flashcart firmware in the near future. Downgrading a 3DS isn't practical either since there's the risk of getting bricked.

All these pain-in-the-ass factors just further make me want to postpone my purchase until more money comes in. Then I won't have to feel so edgy about spending extra money on a Slim or XL over their cheaper counterparts.

[Lucius]

Well, that's it then. I've placed an order on Amazon for a Vita (not Slim). It's expected to ship on the 4th of August, and arrive between 11-18 August. I've decided to buy a 16GB memory card separately via a local online shop in the country some time after the shipping is confirmed.

I gave it a lot of thought, and the 3DS just doesn't seem to have a lot of games I might be interested in, aside from Pokemon and Animal Crossing. It just doesn't seem worth it in the long term. However, I've also began job-hunting, and even if I don't successfully land a job, I'll still get about $80 per month starting next month in my bank account, so that will be something to save up for a possible future 3DS budget. 

Let's just hope Amazon doesn't fuck up the delivery like it once did with one of my past orders...