Wii U GamePad's lack of a processor limits its capabilities, claims Sony
So much more is possible with the PS Vita.
Sony's PS Vita can provide so much more than Nintendo's Wii U GamePad, Sony Worldwide Studios vice president Scott Rohde has told GamesIndustry.
On the subject of second-screen technology, Rohde believes Vita boasts a significant advantage over the Wii U GamePad thanks to its processor.
"Because we have the Vita, I think we can do a lot of special things. And remember, that Wii U tablet doesn't have a processor in it, so it's got to be fuelled by that box sitting under your TV," said Rohde. "We can do some pretty special things that you'll start to see on the [E3] floor this year and you'll see more over the upcoming months about what you can do when you actually have a processor in the thing that's in your hand as well.
Further stressing the capabilities of the PS Vita, Rohde added: "And when you start to see how you can cross over between the two platforms - look at two of the titles that are here at E3, PlayStation All-Stars and Sly 4, for example. Both available on Vita and PS3, and there's some sort of interactivity across the board. Developers are interested in that kind of stuff."
Wii U will be released this holiday.
VideoGamer.com Analysis
The big difference between the Wii U GamePad and PS Vita, however, is the fact the Wii U ships with the tablet controller, whereas second-screen PS Vita functionality requires both a PS3 and a PS Vita.
User Comments
Endless@ CheekyLee
The oversight, as you say, at this point is that every Wii U owner has a game pad, not every PS3/PS4 owner will have a vita. So who on earth is going to design those equivalent experiences for the Sony system?
One thing we may be overlooking is that Sony's PS3 is a generation behind the Wii U. If the PS4 has a similar offering as the Wii U GamePad with an internal processor, but the Vita can serve as a replacement, then they have a potentially more flexible package without the need to own a Vita.
Of Course both Sony and Nintendo are garbage at actually getting a point across to the consumer, so even when both offerings are fully out in the open the chance of a consumer understanding whats truly available is very slim :)
CheekyLee
Batmamerc
MJTH
When the PS4 comes out it will (95% chance) be much more powerful then the vita and cross play won't work as well, because the parity between systems will be lost, where as the Wii U, streams images from the console to the game pad.
Woffls
Sony won't be serious about this functionality until Wii U starts selling well.