Mobile with playStation Vita launch

Mobile gaming is one of the fastest growing entertainment sectors around but as the soaraway success of Apple and Android’s app stores show, the big money is now being made out of small change. As such, Sony’s decision to launch a premium handheld console at a premium price point appears bold almost to the point of recklessness. Pick up a PlayStation Vita, however, and it’s immediately apparent where your money has been spent: packing processing power and graphical muscle just shy of its PlayStation 3 big brother, you’ll be drooling over the device within seconds of switching its super sharp 5” screen on. And despite its design bearing more than a passing physical resemblance to the old PlayStation Portable, the Vita is loaded with next gen gaming features, including two touch sensitive panels. The launch titles largely show that developers  are not yet syre quite what to do with the one situated on the back of the unit ‘behind’ the more conventional touchscreen display, but the possibilities are intriguing. The Vita’s front and rear facing cameras and smart approach to connectivity - it’s not only quick and easy find and interact with other Vitas via the NEAR app, bur also PS3s as well - are excellent, but hardcore gamers will be most impressed with the inclusion of dual thumbstick controls. For the first time it will possible to authentically reproduce the home console FPS experience on the go. The Vita isn’t without its faults, though. For starters there’s that price tag (compounded by AAA games retailing around the £40 mark). And Sony have also taken the baffling decision to use proprietary USB cables and memory cards, adding yet further expense. The latter are also minute, making the prospect of losing not just your saves, but also your downloaded games a distinct possibility. Spend a couple of hours with the likes of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, though, and you’ll forgive the Vita almost anything. The full-length new Nathan Drake adventure compares favourably with its PS3 big brothers in almost every department, but with the added advantage that you can also play it on the way to work. And that’s why the Vita could end up becoming a vital purchase: it’s a device designed specifically for dedicated gaming on the go rather than idle moments of Angry Bird watching. And with some 22 games available to buy right now - you can read my pick of them here - it could also mark the moment when mobile entertainment finally got serious.