Portable gaming has changed a lot during the past few years, and the difference is very visible
Last week we discussed why the Sony PlayStation Vita is still a good buy. Today, we explore the goodness in a Nintendo Switch and point out the areas where it scores over the Vita.
Bigger and a better screen
The Switch sports a 6.2-inch display which is bigger than the Vita’s 5-inch display
The PS Vita sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 960 x 544, whereas the Nintendo Switch sports a 6.2-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Both when compared side by side, the Switch comes out as the clear winner. Having a bigger display, the players are able to see much more of the surroundings and are more aware of what is happening in a game. The resolution also helps and can be experienced clearly while playing graphic intensive games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Some of you may say that the games on Switch are no comparison in graphics to the Vita, however, that isn’t a limitation of the system. It is just that some games are not able to get the best out of the hardware yet.
More memory to download and store games
One point to be kept in mind about why the PlayStation Vita failed and sold a minimal amount of units is storage. It came with only 1GB of internal storage which was expandable but only with a special memory card from Sony. This might not have been a problem if the rate of these memory cards weren’t absurdly high. An 8GB Sony memory card cost at launch would cost $49.99 (Approximately Rs 2,934). Just for comparison, a normal 8GB microSD card can be purchased for around Rs 400.
Nintendo Switch uses a microSD card instead of a proprietary one
Nintendo in a smart move offered its users 32GB of internal storage which could be further expanded via a microSD card. Considering the price of microSD cards currently, this seems to be a smarter move than to try extorting users for a similar thing with a different design. This expandable storage will come really handy to the users when the Nintendo subscription service rolls in this September.
Plug and Play (Bigger Display)
The dock supplied with the Switch allows players to play games on a much larger display
The Nintendo Switch has a bigger display compared to the PS Vita, accepted. However, it doesn’t stop there, the Switch can be connected to any large display thanks to the dock that it ships with. The good thing about this is that the dock is shipped alongside the console and the players don’t need to buy a new one just to play the games on a bigger display. Considering the fact that the Switch can do this makes it compete in two departments, that is home consoles and handheld consoles. When connected via the dock to a television, the Switch is able to output content at full HD resolution, 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Multiple players can play at once
The Joy-Cons can be detached from Switch and be used to play multiplayer games allowing two or more people to play the game at the same time
The PS Vita at a given time can be played by only one person, which in fact isn’t a limitation for the Nintendo Switch. The Switch ships with two Joy-Con controllers in the box, and just like any home console, Nintendo offers the option of purchasing more new Joy-Cons to users. There are a lot of games that at a single time can be played by two players on the Switch. What makes it much more easier to do so is the kickstand on the back of the device which allows players to put the Switch on the table and not hold it while playing.
It can be customised a bit
Nintendo has a lot of different coloured Joy-Con controllers in the market
What’s cool about the Switch is that the users are given the ability to customise its looks to their liking. Well, at least to a point. Though the centre console would stay the same and can’t change colours, the players can go to the market and get Joy-Cons in different colours and designs. YouTube is filled with videos of people showing off different types of Joy-Cons which allow users to make the Switch resemble their personalities. The PS Vita might be available in different colours like blue and orange, however, you won’t be able to change its looks much.