If you’re an uber-nerd like me, you’ve probably been following the exploits of my colleague and fellow uber-nerd Séamus as he attempts to raise his PlayStation Vita from the dead through modern science. I know I certainly have. I’ve put two PS Vitas through the same softmodding transformation myself — one for fun, one out of shame when the first one’s screen broke — and have become an absolute ride or die for this little powerhouse of a handheld in the process. I couldn’t just not chime in!
In that sense, it’s been nothing short of exhilarating watching Séamus go through it for the first time, not quite sure of what he’s doing but nonetheless cognizant of the vast world of possibility that awaits him. His last post touched on the ability to toss out Sony’s extortionate proprietary memory cards and play PSP games on the Vita, but I have a few tips for him — and you, if his journey inspires to dust off your own ancient Vita. Think of this more as a companion piece to his series than a replacement for it.
For instance, Vita and PSP games are nice, but did you know you can also play the complete library of PS1 games? Adrenaline, the emulator you use to play PSP games on a hacked Vita, also supports the PSP’s compatibility with the PS1 library. Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, you name it and you can play it on Vita. As long as you own the games legally, of course, wink wink nudge nudge.
Speaking of Adrenaline, you’re going to want to get the Adrenaline Bubble Manager app. This lets you create shortcuts to your PSP and PS1 games you can access directly from the Vita’s home menu instead of having to open up the emulator and scroll through the PSP’s giant single-file games list every time.
The fun doesn’t stop there, though. To this day, there’s a dedicated community of Vita homebrewers porting games from other systems over. Perfect Dark? Easy. Hollow Knight? No sweat. Cuphead? Seems downright painful on the Vita’s controls, but knock yourself out. The standout for me is the PS2 GTA trilogy, which I’m honestly amazed never received an official port to the Vita in the first place. Of course, you’ll need to provide the game data yourself from a legal copy on another platform.
Finally, language barriers are no longer a barrier on the Vita. Basically every good Japan-only game has gotten a fan translation, allowing you to enjoy the actual best of the Vita without learning kanji. For instance, did you know that there are two whole Yakuza games on the PSP you’ve never heard of? What about Catherine: Full Body, a remaster of a cult classic that only got a Vita release in Japan? With the masterful English patch applied, I’d call it the greatest game on the whole platform. (Although MGS2 is also on there, so it’s dicey.)
And, of course, there’s an app that lets you… reacquire backups of your completely legally purchased games if you happen to lose them. It’s all completely self-contained to your Vita, downloading the games directly to your system like you’re using the actual PlayStation Store. No, I’m not naming it here. I can feel the Sony ninjas lurking.
If any of this sounds appealing to you, check out this easy-to-follow guide to get started — all you need to begin is a Vita and a computer. Good luck, Séamus!
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