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PlayStation Vita: Low battery life, expensive memory

Sony seems to be hampering its PlayStation Vita console right out of the gate according to a report today from Ars. What may have seemed like OK battery life before Apple’s iOS devices came on the scene, now seems downright paltry. Compare the iPad’s 10+ hours of usage to the Vita’s claimed stats, with the screen at the default brightness, Bluetooth turned off, and headphones used for audio:

  • Game: Approx. 3-5 hours
  • Video: Approx. 5 hours
  • Music (in stand-by mode): Approx. 9 hours

Even the diminutive and probably better-compared iPod touch (released a year ago) pretty much destroys that with 40 hours of music playback and 7 hours of video (right).

As for memory, the Vita has none built-in like iOS devices. But Sony (just being Sony) will offer a proprietary memory card format, instead of say just using SD or speedy SDXC cards that are about a buck a Gig. Prices?

  • Memory Card 4GB ¥2,200 $29
  • Memory Card 8GB ¥3,200 $42
  • Memory Card 16GB ¥5,500 $71
  • Memory Card 32GB ¥9,500 $124

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