handhelds

I went to Sony's PlayStation Vita page and counted the number of non-gaming apps promoted for its next-generation handheld game system: 18. That's it. The iPhone? Well over half a million (games included).

Sure, the Vita's 18 apps beat what most other handheld game systems have by a landslide. That's just on day one; I expect at least a solid handful of other apps to follow. Still, it's a concern. More than that, I see it as the Vita's biggest key to surviving: apps must be a focus. Games, too, of course, but most definitely apps.

We no longer use handhelds for a single purpose anymore, for the most part. The PlayStation Vita is, undoubtedly, a superior piece of gaming hardware. I've been playing with one for the past few days, and despite its familiar looks, the quality of the hardware bleeds out the pores. From the screen to the controls, it's designed to stand out. Sony's expertise in making games is also largely uncontested. Let's put both of those elements aside, because few will question the Vita's ability to play excellent games.

What many will question, though, is how versatile the Vita is, and how approachable to nongamers.… Read more

A rather noteworthy firmware update arrived yesterday for the PlayStation Vita in Japan, just weeks before the device is set to debut in the U.S. on February 22.

Vita can now shoot MP4 video (1.5Mbps) at 640x480 resolution with supplementary audio-recording support up to 128Kbps AAC. This is not HD-quality by any means, but it will probably look above-average based on the strength of Sony's mobile-camera sensors. There's a note of an improvement to "Featured Photo," which now supports video content.

We also spotted an optional Content Manager Assistant app for Vita (available now in English for PC and Mac) that lets you run a system update and transfer and/or back up data between the Vita and a computer. … Read more

A hacker has figured out a way to play PlayStation 3 games such as Battlefield 3, Red Dead Redemption, Batman: Arkham Aslyum, and other major titles on a PlayStation Vita.

Remote play between the Vita and PS3 is normally limited to a select group of games. However, YouTube user homer49 figured out a way to stream a variety of games from his hacked PS3 (using hacked firmware 3.55) to a PS Vita. Talk about the ultimate handheld! … Read more

The latest handheld game console from Sony, the PlayStation Vita, launched in Japan on December 18. Already, sister site GameSpot Asia has gotten its hands on a unit and published an unboxing and preview video.

We spent some time with GameSpot's unit and have to agree that the hardware is indeed attractive. Some of the launch titles, including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, and Touch My Katamari, look great on the 960x544-pixel display, and the ability to use the touch screen for certain navigation controls is refreshing for this PSP successor.

Now, you might be tempted to run out and buy a set imported from Japan, since that's the only country in which the Vita has been launched so far. It will hit the U.S. on February 22, and many countries in Asia will have to wait even longer.

Buying a Japan set seems to make sense--your local game shop probably has some units imported from the console's home country; Vita games are not region locked; and the unit's interface supports the English language. However, we have some misgivings about being an early adopter of the Japan set. … Read more

Joseph Kaminski fills in for Wilson again on today's 404 podcast to mediate a most divisive argument: "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" vs. "Dumb and Dumber": who did it better?

We'll also wag a finger at Sony for pushing the U.S. release date back to February 2012, show off a YouTube educational feature guaranteed to upset a ton of schoolkids, and discuss a couple scientists claiming they're getting very close to Matrix-style instant learning.… Read more

Despite the PlayStation Vita launching in the U.S. several months from now, some people know little about the actual user interface.

In CNET's hands-on preview with the Vita, it's quite clear the software represents a big departure from the traditional XMB-interface used in predecessors PSP and PlayStation 3.

Now, some of the clearest screenshots of the Vita interface to date have emerged from Sony's PlayStation division in Japan. While the screenshots are in Japanese, there will be little difference in the aesthetic experience (except for icon pictures) when the next-generation handheld lands in the hands of gamers around the world. … Read more

Two things leap to mind this morning:

1. Sony has acquired Ericsson's part of Sony Ericsson for $1.74 billion. 2. The PlayStation Vita handheld has a 3G version, and will be released in the U.S. next year.

Somehow, can Sony's full control over the mobile phone unit lead to what I've been hoping for for years--a true PlayStation phone, preferably in the form of a revamped Vita? … Read more

The question of when gamers will be able to finally get their hands on the PlayStation Vita has been answered.

PlayStation chief Jack Tretton confirmed this evening at the Web 2.0 summit that Sony's upcoming powerhouse handheld gaming device will go on sale in the U.S, Canada, Latin America, and Europe on February 22, 2012.

Until this evening, the PS Vita's release date has been a mystery. However, the release timeframe of the Vita misses the critical holiday season and confirms a previous report that the device wouldn't arrive until early 2012. … Read more

What's cooler than a pair of handheld projectors? A pair of handheld projectors that interact with each other. SideBySide is a prototype handheld projector system from Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University. Aim two of the devices at adjacent spots on a surface, and the projected images react to one another.

In one application, a pair of cartoon boxers square off. When the characters are close to each other, fists fly. In another, a giant ape and a jet fighter do battle. There's also potential for engineering and productivity applications. (See the video below.)

The images interact because the devices project invisible infrared control signals along with the visible projections. Infrared cameras in the handheld units detect the control projections. This makes each unit aware of its own projections and those of other units. When the projections are close to each other or overlap, the animations change.… Read more