The gaming press has been set ablaze ever since Sony publicly announced that the PS Vita and PS3 is currently capable of doing everything that the Wii U and its GamePad can.  Gamers from both sides of the fence have been vehemently defending their respective positions in this debate.  I personally don’t believe that it’s really a fair comparison as they are both trying to achieve different things.  Nonetheless I think that since it’s becoming a very debated topic, I’ll do my best to try to present the facts for each side here.

First let’s look at some of the major things that the Wii U GamePad can do that the PS Vita cannot.

1. The Wii U GamePad can be used as a controller for your TV and DVR/Tivo
2. The GamePad has Rumble
3. It also features NFC (Near Field Communications) allowing it to interact with other NFC supporting devices
4. Easy transition between using the TV or just the GamePad with the press of a button.

Now for a take on major things that the PS Vita can do that the Wii U GamePad Cannot.

1. The PS Vita is sporting front and back Multi Touch screens, whereas the GamePad only tracks one point on the screen at a time.
2. PS Vita can communicate with the PS3 from anywhere over a Wifi connection.
3. The PS Vita is a stand alone console with it’s own characteristics and it’s own games.
4. The ability to save your PS3 game on cloud storage and continue on the go with the PS Vita.

The PS Vita and the Wii U with it’s GamePad are both fantastic in their own ways, and there are reasons to own both of them if you can.  I think the point Sony was trying to make is that if you have a PS Vita and a PS3 already, then you’re already getting a lot of what the Wii U will be offering, although it may not be as seamless of an experience.  The reality of the issue is that they have far more in common than they have differences, and I guess to some fans, that can be seen as a knock on the Wii U since a lot of the criticisms facing the Nintendo stems from the fact that although the Wii U is certainly a big improvement over the Wii, it is not being perceived as a true next gen console that is capable of going toe to toe with what gamers are expecting to come out of PS4 and the next XBox.

In a perfect world, a gamer should own all the consoles on the market in order to not miss out on great exclusives that comes out every now and then.  But in reality, gamers like myself either can’t afford it, or even if we could we wouldn’t have enough time in the day to split between 3 different consoles and all of their games.  So most gamers prioritize and choose a console based on their gaming style.  I think the same logic should apply when it comes to the PS3 + PS Vita vs Wii U and its GamePad.  If you prefer to be able to get a console-like experience on the go, and also have the ability to play your PS3 games when you’re away, then the PS Vita is clearly for you.  And if you’re a fan of Nintendo and love their first party games, and you anticipate that the seamless interaction between the GamePad and the Wii U will make your gaming experience a lot better, then clearly there’s only one choice for you come November 18.

Choices are a gamer’s best friends

I think the fighting on both sides needs to calm down a little as it clearly gets in the way of the bigger picture here. This is an exciting time in our industry where we have new consoles that are clear improvements over their predecessors and thankfully they both offer a different experience, which is what we should want as gamers. Otherwise we might as well have a universal console, and in all honesty, who would want that?