8 Things You Might Not Know About The Vita (Good and Bad)

Image via Complex Original

So you’ve bought a Vita, played some launch titles, cruised the GPS feature to see who’s playing what near you and sent your first tweet. What else can this portable system do? We take a close look to find out what’s nice—and not so nice—about Sony’s sleek new handheld.

1. Augmented Reality Games

It’s likely that you’ve forgotten about that set of cards tucked away in the Vita’s box, but they’re actually used for something. Like the 3DS, positioning the Vita’s camera in front of these cards will project onscreen objects. That just leaves one question: how do you play with them?

We’ll save you the trouble of having to look anything up: download the free AR apps (Table Soccer, Cliff Diver and Fireworks, respectively) from the Playstation Network store. They may be shallow, but they make for a decent distraction.

2. You Can Only Have Six Apps Open At Once

This probably won’t be a big deal to most people, but the Vita maxes out at six open apps. So for all of you out there planning to use (or abuse) the system’s multitasking  functionality, you’ve been warned.

3. That Top Expansion Port is For Accessories (No, We Don’t Know What They Are)

Aside from the expected slots (for games, memory cards, charging, etc.) the only thing left unexplained is the port directly to the right of where you load your games. The Vita’s online user’s manual cryptically labels it as the “accessory port,” with no other information given. Kind of makes you go Hmmmm doesn't it? We do know one thing: at least Nintendo was nice enough to throw in a charging cradle with every 3DS. Don't expect one here.

4. You Can Move Your Apps Around Like On A Smartphone

Surprise! Holding your finger down on app for a few seconds on an app icon lets you manipulate the order and location. It makes a lot of sense with this sort of device apps can add up before you know it. Just like a smartphone, you can also swap out wallpapers and add extra screens if you need them.

5. PSP Games Can Be Upscaled and Tweaked

Like PS2 and PS One games on the Playstation 3, any PSP games you’ve downloaded from PSN can be slightly tweaked for better look or easier controls. Just hold down a finger on the touchscreen for a second and a menu will appear letting you make adjustments like graphical smoothing and uses for the Vita’s right analog stick.

6. There Is A Screenshot Function

While the availability varies per game, if you want to take a screenshot of something you’re playing on the Vita you can do so by pressing the PS logo and start buttons at the same time. It works outside of games, too, so snap away.

7. Near Is Good For More Than Just Gamer GPS

If you’re most people, you probably think of Near, the Vita’s location-based social tool, as little more than a weird little curiosity. What you may not know is that by keeping tabs on people you encounter through Near may earn you DLC for games.

By “discovering” new titles various Vita users are playing around you, it's possible to net small in-game items (we found a new track piece for Mod Nation Racers the other day) in which ever new games you’ve found.

8. You Can Use Remote Play To Stream PS One Games From Your PS3

With the Vita’s touted PS3-to-handheld crossplay feature largely unused so far, Remote Play, which lets you stream PS3 content to your Vita in real time, doesn’t let you do much with actual games yet. But you can play PS One games with it—the grainy streaming resolution makes it seem like an accident, but our digital copies of Final Fantasy VIII, Vagrant Story and Silent Hill all worked perfectly when we tried them. It’s like having your very own lo-fi Onlive setup specifically for decade-plus old games.