With the incoming closure of the PlayStation Vita store in 2027, several awesome games on Sony’s handheld aren’t on other platforms or feel best on the portable.
Here’s a list of several games I loved playing on the Vita over the years that I recommend for anyone interested in collecting for the handheld or in grabbing them on the PSN Store.
Paper Craft Adventures – Tearaway
One of my favorite PlayStation games of all time is Media Molecule’s Tearaway. Released in 2013, this 3D platformer has you controlling the adorable Iota/Aota, who is trying to reach out to you, the player. You look down into the world using the Vita’s front-facing camera and use the handheld itself to interact with the game world.
From using the rear touch pad to poke holes through the ground and attack baddies, hitting drums to help Iota bounce across the world, using the touch screen to help make papercraft to decorate a pig and other aspects of the world.
The level design isn’t the most challenging, and Iota’s moveset isn’t grandiose like Mario’s. It’s simple and works well enough. What stuck me was how emotional the adventure eventually became. By the time I reached the final areas, the music got more haunting, and one moment will always stick with me in gaming.
I’m in a lonely desert, and I move the camera to see the sun clear; my somber expression looks down on my little buddy, knowing our adventure is coming to a close. I was beside myself when the ending came, with an emotional track playing to celebrate the adventure Iota underwent.
In many regards, this small project from MM is one of their greatest accomplishments and screams Nintendo magic, something only Studio Japan and Team Asobi capture under the PlayStation umbrella.
A Lost Legacy – Uncharted: Golden Abyss
If you want something more mainstream and cinematic, then look no further than Sony Bend’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
Before the events of Drake’s Fortune, Nathan Drake goes on another grand adventure through dangerous jungles and more. Its narrative doesn’t have the highs of Uncharted 2, but the banter between Nate and Sully later on stands out.
The core gameplay is lifted from the PS3-era games, controlling similarly and even taking advantage of the Vita’s unique features like Gyro Aiming and using the touch screen to help with climbing. So while the game, overall, doesn’t match the highs of its big-brother console releases, it’s an adventure worth experiencing for any fan of the series.
In the Zone – Killzone Mercenary
Similar to Golden Abyss, Sony wanted another pillar PlayStation IP on Vita. Tasking Guerrilla Cambridge (the team behind the original MediEvil games) with the next major installment in the Killzone series, Mercenary adapts AAA-level FPS action on mobile hardware.
It’s insane how well it both looks and runs on native Vita hardware, hitting the console’s native 540p resolution with a largely stable 30 FPS target. The core game loop involves levels featuring various objectives to complete, with the end goal being earning the most cash.
This is done through completing mission objectives, killing enemies, pulling off stealth kills, and more. But outside of that core mission structure, the game has online multiplayer modes.
Overall, Killzone Mercenary is a solid FPS experience that demonstrated just how powerful the PS Vita can be when developers push the hardware to its limits.
Time to Make History – Persona 4 Golden
Even though it isn’t as exclusive as Sony’s games, ATLUS’ Persona 4 Golden is my favorite Vita game. Released in 2012, this expanded version of the PS2 Persona 4 offers new content and includes everything from the base release.
For years, this version of Persona 4 was the only way to access the game, and man, it was a wonderful way to grow to love the PS Vita. I spent well over 200 hours playing through the game, loving the cast and world. In many regards, my positive experience with P4 Golden cemented my love of the Persona series.
I will always treasure my Vita for introducing me to one of my favorite JRPG series of all time. And I didn’t only play P4 Golden on Sony’s handheld.
Wiping All Out – PSP Persona Games
Having the power to run these games through the PSN, I bought all the PSP-era Persona games. These include the PSP versions of Persona 1 and Persona 2, but the one I fell in love with was Persona 3 Portable.
This handheld version of Persona 3 takes that original base experience and condenses it for the PSP. Meaning, there is no 3D overworld or 3D cut-scenes. Even the animated cut-scenes are completely cut.
But even with the compromises, this version addressed my biggest issue with the original Persona 3: party members were controlled by the AI. I HATED that mechanic when I tried getting into the game on PS3 via the PS2 Persona 3 FES release.
So this allowed me to give the game a second chance, and I fell in love with the story, world, music, and darker tone. Persona 3’s narrative is about loss, and when you lose loved ones, those themes hit like a freight train. And the beautiful conclusion too flat-out made me cry.
I will always remember spending nearly an hour fighting the final boss with this killer track softly playing from the Vita’s speakers, keeping me grounded even as I was more annoyed at the sheer length of the battle.
Blasts from the Past – PlayStation 2 Collections
While the Vita natively supported several PS1 and PSP games on PSN, it couldn’t emulate PS2 games like the PS3. Thankfully, Sony had a solution to this: porting the PS2 collections they released on PS3 to the Vita.
They included the following iconic franchises, each running at various degrees of quality on Sony’s handheld.
- Ratchet & Clank Collection: Running at a mostly stable 30 FPS across all the games, the Ratchet & Clank series feels solid on Sony’s handheld. Blasting away through Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal was a delight, with the original Ratchet & Clank holding up better than expected.
- God of War Collection: While it runs at a lower resolution, God of War I & II feel solid on the Vita, and thanks to the handheld’s right stick, dodging attacks feels second nature like the PS2 originals.
- Sly Collection: The best running and looking of the collections, Sanzaru’s The Sly Collection comes to Sony’s handheld with minimal compromises. Running at the system’s native 540p resolution and featuring a well-adapted control scheme, I proudly earned the platinums for Sly 1 and Sly 2: Band of Thieves with this version of the games.
- Jak & Daxter Collection: The worst running of the collections, Naughty Dog’s Jak & Daxter series runs on Vita. All three games feature intense performance issues, ranging from a locked 20 FPS in Jak 1 to awful frame-rate drops in Jak 3.
Gotta Go Fast – Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed
As Lord Sonic of Lords of Gaming, I have to shout out the sole native Sonic release on Sony’s handheld. Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed is a solid port of the dynamic arcade racer. Originally released on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Nintendo Wii U, the Vita version is the full console release.
Being content complete with all the courses, modes, and characters, racing as Sonic and the SEGA All-Stars is great. It’s a great showcase of the Vita’s horsepower, maintaining a mostly stable 30 FPS at the handheld’s native resolution.
Compared to the game running on Steam Deck, it’s a clear visual downgrade, but for 2012, it was a more visually demanding portable kart racer that was a great complement to Nintendo’s Mario Kart 7 on 3DS.
Fable Bound – Soul Sacrifice Delta
One of the final major PS Vita exclusives was Soul Sacrifice, being Studio Japan and Concepts’ answer to Monster Hunter. The premise is that you, the player character, are a prisoner. Using your own blood to access a cursed tome, you experience its stories to learn more about your situation, getting stronger as escaping is your goal.
The big selling points for the game were its enjoyable combat system and a surprisingly in-depth narrative. It was also one of the Vita’s bigger multiplayer experiences, supporting local and online multiplayer via PlayStation Plus. Eventually, an expansion (Delta) released, expanding the story, featuring new spells, and more a year or so after launch.
As one of the true Vita exclusives, this interesting experiment is one well worth revisiting for those eager for some fable-themed Monster Hunting.
Vita Means Life – Indie Recommendations
Wrapping up this trip down memory lane, one of my favorite games to play on Vita has to be its influx of amazing indie releases. There are frankly too many to list, so I will be highlighting the ones I put the most time into.
- Guacamelee: Developed by DrinkBox, the original Guacamelee is a Metroidvania with a focus on awesome combat that combines careful dodging, grabbing foes with wrestling moves, and chaining combos. It also features some intense platforming challenges, and the full 100% completion reward was well worth it.
- Sound Shapes: A simple 2D platformer where you control a sphere, and every level features dynamic music and enjoyable level design. It stands out as one of the many cross-buy releases; progress made on Vita can be carried to PS4 and PS3.
- Shovel Knight: As one of the cornerstone Indie games on the market, Shovel Knight was a perfect fit for the PS Vita. With the console’s stunning OLED screen, killer D-Pad, and PlayStation exclusive Kratos battle, this was one of the best ways to play the Mega Man-inspired platformer.
- SteamWorld Dig: I lost so many hours digging and mining my way through the endless mines of SteamWorld Dig. Featuring a striking 2D art style, stylish western vibes, and an addicting gameplay loop, this was another welcome fit for Sony’s handheld.
- Hotline Miami Series: An indie so iconic with the PS Vita that it made a cameo in The Last of Us: Part 2. This indie series involved you playing as a mask-donned killer, tasked with clearing rooms with guns, melee weapons, and more. The zen-like state of flawlessly clearing a room is immaculate, and combined with an amazing score and the game controlling flawlessly on the Vita, it was one of the system’s best indie releases.
