A quick summary:
- The Vita has a sleep function like the PSP, where you tap on the power button to put the system into standby mode. "You can also press the PS button mid-game to return to the game's LiveArea, which puts the game in suspend mode," a Sony PR rep told Famitsu. "While suspending a game, you can access the PS Store, friends, photos, and other features. However, you will have to end the suspended game if you launch a new game or the video player."
- If you have a 3G/Wi-Fi Vita model, which network connection takes priority? "The PS Vita automatically tries to connect via Wi-Fi first," Sony replied, "and if it can't do it, then connects to 3G. However, if you move to an area with an available Wi-Fi connection, the system will not automatically switch back from 3G to Wi-Fi."
- One non-obvious advantage to buying a 3G-compatible Vita -- even if you didn't sign up for 3G service, you can still use 3G-based GPS, in part because some games will require that function. "Even if your 3G contract has expired," Sony said, "you can still obtain positioning data from the internal GPS. This will work faster, however, if you connect to the Internet through 3G."
- You can also access the PlayStation Store and download content via 3G, but -- for now, at least -- you'll have to revert to Wi-Fi to download anything larger than 20 megabytes.
- How well does 3G-based multiplayer work? According to Sony, it all depends on the game: "The network mode in Hot Shots Golf 6, for example, transfers shot information between friends in a mail-like fashion. It's a turn-based online mode, so you can play it without being affected by network connection speeds."
- The Vita's internal web browser features support for cookies, JavaScript 1.7, and (part of) the HTML5 standard. Flash support is not part of the package, although Famitsu indicated that there's a very good chance this will be added in future firmware updates.
- Do you need a memory card to use the Vita? Basically, yes -- some games require one, though not all, and you can't use DLC at all without one. What's more, it has to be the special Vita memory card, and not a Memory Stick or anything. If you have movies or whatnot on a PSP stick, you'll have to run the content through your PC or PS3 first if you want to transfer it over to Vita.
- Along those lines, although the Vita doesn't have a UMD drive, you can redownload any PSP games you've purchased onto the Vita through the PS Store and play them on the Vita, although certain features -- such as PSone Classics -- won't be immediately available at launch.
- What about PSP save data, though? How do you move that over to the Vita? Curiously, Sony has yet to announce anything firm on this -- all they said to Famitsu is that they're working on the issue.
- If the estimated three to five hours of straight gameplay on a charge seems a bit paltry to you, there is one solution -- Sony's putting out a portable charger in the spring of 2012 that functions as an external rechargeable battery.
- The Vita's brightness control can be fine-tuned to any setting you want, instead of having only a few preset levels like on the PSP.
- Any system colors besides black in the works? "Currently we have no plans," Sony said. "We'd like to examine the issue based on what users ask for."
- Finally, if (for some reason) you still have UMD movies that you care enough about that you want to watch them on Vita, Sony -- in Japan, at least -- is working on a service that will allow you to download whatever films you own. More on this will apparently come shortly.
http://www.1up.com/news/wanted-vita-afraid
