What sense does comparing the library of a newly-released handheld console to a 6 year old last-gen console make? Too many people here act like blatant fanboys for either Sony or Nintendo. It is fair to make some initial comparisons between the 3DS and Vita, though.
Let's look at the relevant facts:
-Both the PSP-line and the DS-line have great games.
-The 3DS has excellent backwards-compatability with virtually all DS games (sans the one or two games that haven't been playable since the DSi came out because they required the GBA port) and many DSiware titles. Vita, on the other hand, can play any of the PSP games released on PSN, but it is not backwards-compatible with UMD discs, thus limiting its immediate appeal to the loyal PSP gamer who invested in multiple physical PSP games. To be fair, Sony is apparently considering a possible solution to this, but it is fair to say that the PSVita will not be backwards-compatible for quite a while.
- 3DS is much cheaper than what the PSVita is set to retail at. The PSVita has more impressive hardware, however, which must be taken into consideration. The PSVita will also be much more of a multimedia device than the 3DS is, expanding its appeal past strictly being a game system. Also, Sony, at least to my knowledge, plans to lower the retail price of the Vita to what the 3DS was initially set at, thus profiting from Nintendo's mistake of releasing a piece of hardware that is just too darn expensive.
- 3DS has EXCELLENT 3D in several of its games, but the Vita is the more innovative handheld otherwise.
- The Vita's battery life is supposed to be as bad as the 3DS's battery life. Something to consider.
As for me, I doubt I will be getting a Vita for a number of reasons. First, I really love the PSP's library, and the lack of UMD backwards-compatability is almost a killer for me. Part of the 3DS's appeal for me was being able to play all of my old DS games on it (especially since my DS Lite recently went the way of the dinosaurs). Second, I love the 3D, which is, by and large, avoiding gimmicky nonsense and instead adding an extra layer of depth to the screen. I also have had no 3D-induced headaches and think DS games look perfectly fine on the 3DS, so those common complaints don't apply to me. Third, I already have a smart phone which allows me to watch TV shows and movies, listen to music and audiobooks, and to read ebooks and comics/manga, so the multimedia aspects of the Vita don't do too much for me, especially considering how big that console is compared to my phone. Finally, the 3DS has a stellar and exciting list of games that are going to be released in the near-future, whereas nothing announced for the Vita so far has sparked my interest at all. I'm sure in the future that will change, but for the moment I'm sticking with my 3DS.
