Hmmm. Three to five hours…and that’s with online capabilities disabled. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? I wonder how Sony fans are adapting to the news. I’d like to send them all a card: “Misery loves company, guys. Welcome aboard the S.S. Recharge.”
Infendo / An independent perspective
Regarding the recent news about Vita’s battery…
Hmmm. Three to five hours…and that’s with online capabilities disabled. Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? I wonder how Sony fans are adapting to the news. I’d like to send them all a card: “Misery loves company, guys. Welcome aboard the S.S. Recharge.”
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If people are freaking out, then people are still overreacting.
If you have time to be outside playing games for over 5 hours at a time, then you need to get a job. Just charge it when you get home, or if you play it at home (which seems to be the trend, from what I've seen…from myself), charge it while you play.
While I loved the idea that I didn't have to charge my DS for days, Im not havin a problem with the 3DS battery life. I highly doubt people are away from a "charging area" for 3 hours nowadays.
I just love how someone here doesn't seem to understand the purpose of a handheld video game console. Yes, you do play one for more than five hours, and by design you're supposed to be playing it away from home without the ac adaptor. Those five hours are pretty easy to come by if you're on a long journey or staying on holiday a fair distance from home.
People care about battery power in handheld consoles, period. Because people aren't going to bring the charger with them everywhere they go, and well, abroad you probably couldn't use it anyway. There's no way three to five hours is all you're going to play a video console for when out of the house.
So does that mean the 3DS lasts longer?
I personally don't see what's so bad about a 4 hour battery.. In fact it gives me a reason to put the thing down and continue with my life 😛
Come on, Nintendo. Your system is incredibly underpowered compared to Sony's, and it's on par in terms of battery life. I'm inching ever closer to selling my 3DS.
If you're on a long trip and different family members are taking turns playing, you WILL run out of battery power. But we never run out at home.
Nintendo could have addressed this problem with their new add-on. But they didn't; a missed opportunity. As bulky as that thing is, they couldn't have added another battery to extend playtime? They also could have used the headphone jack and include stronger speakers in their add-on. Am I the only one that thinks the 3DS speakers are weak?
With online OFF? Dammit, it'll probably be an hour with online ON…
@AC:
I love my 3DS except for 2 features: the lousy battery and the weak speakers.
If you play the 3DS with the wireless turned off at the lowest setting you can get way more than 4 or 5 hours.
Sony fans think it's absolutely fantastic news, like all things Sony. If it smelled like poo, that would be lauded as an anti-theft feature by the Sony faithful.
In all seriousness, I'm not worried about the battery life. I'm worried about the price. I don't care if it is a fantastic device. I'm buying a PSP2000; a used PSP2000.
PSMUERTA
Sony Fanboys: QUIIIICK! SWEEP IT UNDER THE CARPET!
The battery life is fine with me, but it's the $40 charging cradle, $125 for a 32 gig Memory card, and $64 for 100 hours of 3G that bothers the heck out of me.
I think I'll wait for the second generation or a major price drop before picking up the PS Vita unless someone gifts me one.
@GameCollector44 thats how Sony makes their money and it's one of the reasons I don't like buying their stuff cause of the overpriced nickel and diming that they do with their electronics.
It's kinda expected. With great power comes great responsibility. (I know, right, I just did that) The draw more power, you use up more battery.. I know.. shocker.
The people that bug me the most are the ones that say, "well my iphone lasts all day!"… Ya, maybe, so long as you don't game on it. Once you start playing games, you can almost watch your battery meter drain. lol
I've had my 3ds since launch.. and I have had times when the battery dies, but usually only on weekends when I forgot my charger at home. So long as I can streetpass in sleep mode for days, I'm a-ok. How long does 3ds battery last with full brightness, 3d on, volume max, and wifi on.. hmmm.. It'd be funny to try that, I probably will this weekend.. Also, would the psv last 30 minutes with all the bells/whistles on? lol
tl:dr… Portable gaming=short battery life. Seriously, you can't expect 10 hours from a pocket-sized portable playing at 720P, you just can't yet. Maybe 5-10 years from now.. but not now.. Surprise?
The charging cradle is a small but significant advantage for the 3DS. Slapping the system down on that thing is easy and convenient, easing the pain of the dismal battery life. Perhaps Sony will follow suit…
@Hitokiri_Ace
I actually have yet to complain about the battery power on any portable device (PSP, 3DS, iPhone, etc) but I wholeheartedly disagree with you assertion as to where we are with portable power consumption (and therefor battery life). Look up Raspberry Pi. This little magic machine outpaces the 3DS or the PSVita BY A LONG-SHOT and it sips power. Or even take the iPhone. I can get 5-7 hours of CONTINUAL gaming, without having to adjust the brightness or turn anything off before I am warned of 20% battery (ie low-power). I am actually baffled why Sony's and Nintendo's devices get the battery life they do. I own a 3DS and will own a PSVita and will probably just get cradles with additional batteries for each. (Can't wait for the 3rd party cradle/battery/analog slider/speaker unit/stand to come out….you know it will.)
yeah but the 3ds is full of tricks and you know what they say about tricks there for kids 🙂
Yeah my iPhone doesn't last as long as my 3DS when it comes to 3D games. Not by a long shot. Even on low unwatchable brightness.
The power situation is a big problem with any handheld device. Nobel Prize in gadgetry to the first person to solve it.
@3DS:
"Trix" are for kids, not "tricks." And the only people who say that are idiotic cartoon kids in commercials who like watching rabbits starve.
This is shaping up to be an underwhelming generation of handhelds, in my opinion.
Turn off the 3D, turn off the connection, go to energy saving, reduce the brightness to 2, and trust me: Your 3DS will last A LOT LONGER than you think.
The Vita battery life is absolutely terrible !!!
I just don't understand why Sony is going ahead with such an atrocious option.
Beside Sony is known for overestimating the battery life of their machine.
So this will be worst than the DS.
@Nfanboy
I get the feeling this is the only affordable option available right now – for its size, that is.
I don't think they quite have the long-lasting batteries that are small enough, or for the right price (due to current technology standards) to put any on the PS Vita other than this.
Sony may be braggy and arrogant, but they put their money where their mouth is: most of their products ARE of great quality. So I doubt they went for this "option" stupidly.
at least it has a second joystick!
Jeez sounds like my cell phone