(CNN) -- Sony's PlayStation Vita, which hits stores in the U.S. and Europe next Wednesday, is much more than just another portable gaming device.
With the Vita, Sony is trying to combine the power of its PlayStation home console with the interface, portability and social media features of a smartphone. With its innovative touch controls, OLED screen, motion sensors, social apps, GPS capability and dual cameras, it has most of the bells and whistles that today's gamers could want.
Some industry observers question whether gamers will spring $250-$300 for another portable gaming device -- plus potential monthly fees for a 3G data plan -- when smartphones already handle many of the same gaming functions. But Sony is counting on the Vita's appeal to hard-core action- and first-person shooter gamers who want a designated mobile gaming system, not just another gadget on which to play "Angry Birds."
CNN spent a week testing out the Vita on a handful of games. Our verdict: It's a powerful and promising device -- better suited to some games than to others -- whose ultimate success will depend on whether developers make enough worthy games for it.
A social device
View the Original article
