Why there has never been a better time to pick up a Playstation Vita...

With the success of the Nintendo Switch, I think it is pretty obvious that there is still a market for handheld gaming. Many analysts predicted that the dedicated handheld would die out due to the popularity of the mobile phone. All of the casual gamer's who picked up an Nintendo Wii or DS could can now download hundreds of thousands of games directly to a device that they have with them at all times. Sony's Playstation Vita launched in December 2011 as a successor to the very popular PSP system. It was more powerful ( nearly PS3 level games ), had a wonderful OLED screen and featured dual analouge sticks, A first for a dedicated handheld system. Unfortunately, due to some poor first party support and almost non-existent marketing the Vita was nowhere near as successful as the PSP. However, you can get some serious mileage out of a Vita if you pick one up today.

At the time of writing, you can pick up a Vita from Amazon for less than £100. For this you get access to a great little device that has some System exclusives. These include one of the greatest JRPG's of all time Persona 4: the Golden, Tearaway and Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The graphical capabilities of the Vita allowed console level gaming experiences 7 years before the Switch which is noteworthy in itself. The real thing that makes the Vita a must have system however, are the extra uses that most people don't consider. So without further ado, here are my top 5 reasons to pick up a Playstation Vita in 2017.

1. The ability to download some of the greatest playstation one (and PSP) games ever made and play them on the go. These make 90% of my Vita game library. On my current Vita memory card I have Final Fantasy 1-10 ( thanks to the re-master of 10). Suikoden 1+2. Legacy of kain : Soul reaver. Tactics ogre: Let us cling together, Metal gear solid and vagrant story plus many more.......

2.You can buy a Vita TV device and play all of these games on the large TV- Beating the switch to the punch by a few years

3. PS4 remote play allows you to play any of your PS4 games on your vita through a Wi-Fi connection. Does the other-half want to watch Eastenders on the TV? no problem. Simply enable remote play, plug in your head phones and carry on gaming! Call of duty: WW2 on the toilet anyone?

4. It's not much bigger than any large mobile phone and has two analogue sticks! much better than playing clash of clans through 4G on the bus.

5. You get free games every month through the Playstation plus service which most of you will have for your PS4 any way!

Do you have fond memories of the vita? Or do you still use yours all the time? Let us know in the comments below.....