What's it like to use a PlayStation TV in 2023?

The #PlayStationTV is a #PlayStationVita for the living room that immediately failed upon hitting the market in 2013. 10 years later, and the device still suffers from many of the same issues that caused it to sell poorly at launch. Still, given that we can fix those issues and it's still basically a Vita, is it finally worthwhile to pick one up?
Plugin and Modding Links:
DolcePolce: github.com/LiEnby/DolcePolce
DSMotion: github.com/OperationNT414C/DS...
Sharpscale: forum.devchroma.nl/index.php/...
AutoPlugin 2: github.com/ONElua/AutoPlugin2
Vita Hacks: vita.hacks.guide/
SD2Vita Setup: vita.hacks.guide/yamt.html
Product Links:
Fire TV 4K Max: amzn.to/3ZKamaX
Xbox Series S: amzn.to/3ZOABgo
Video Links:
PS TV Retrospective: • Why did the PlayStatio...
PS Vita Retrospective: • Why do people love the...
Using a PS Vita in 2023: • What's it like to use ...
Recording Notes:
To get around the PS TV's HDCP limitations and record gameplay, I used an HDCP-compliant HDMI splitter (link: amzn.to/3KokijI) to transfer the video out signal to my Elgato 4K60. Meanwhile, for external shots playing games on my laptop, I displayed the gameplay using OBS connected to a Genki Shadowcast (link: amzn.to/3WXnsji).
For more info, here's my short explainer: • How to record PS Vita ...
Disclaimer:
Buying anything using the Amazon affiliate links above may earn this channel a small commission.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:27 A short recap
02:32 The stock experience
04:36 Modding a PS TV
06:56 Storage options
08:40 The modern-day PS TV Experience
13:07 The PS TV Emulation Experience
17:04 Modern competition
20:00 Outro

[@poorsoul8492]

i was ignorant and thought it was all just backwards compatible.... well it sucked so i sold it and then all of a sudden it was worth more like 2 months later, idk i have had the worst luck with Sony

[@GameXData]

I'm sure you weren't the only one. As much nuance as I can see with why the Vita didn't succeed, the massive flop of the PS TV seems to be entirely on Sony not thinking it through. Having ~50% of the entire Vita and Classics library not whitelisted for play made the PS TV a very confusing consumer product.

[@kaitogg322]

Its always the same story with sony products, first people trash their products and then months or years later they cost x5, like the Vita tv, the ps classic and i can garant you that would be the same with the ps portal.

[@rayojordan2838]

​@kaitogg322 true but the prices only go up because the modding scenes... otherwise nobody would buy a vita or psp or pstv etc... He'll with it most people buy Sony experiea phones just for the emulation😂 and being able to jailbreak the phone and pretty much have a huge library of music , movies and games all from sony😂😅

[@rayojordan2838]

It wasn't till modders started hacking the pstv and developing apps for it that it got noticed more...

[@colt5621]

Awww what a poor soul…

[@NeoTechni]

I love my VitaTVs (I imported 1 at launch and was very disappointed it played less than 10% of my games), I'd like to suggest: * The Null Camera plugin to make Uncharted, Wipeout and other camera-using games not crash when they activate the camera * VitaShell to allow for overclocking the CPU * VitaGrafx (and it's configurator) to allow you to change the resolution/framerate of many games * There are plugins for Adrenaline to allow the right analog stick to directly control the camera properly in some games, like the 2 GTA games and Peace Walker. Rather than mapping it to buttons I also have a DekaVita7 to turn the VitaTV back into a portable Someone even ported RemotePlay for PS5 to Vita

[@DaisakoKunandra]

I remember when they went on fire sale i bought 4 of them and gave 3 to different friends over the years. I also have 3 regular 2000 vitas (standard, then one imported white and an imported green and white i got in Ikkebukuro). Vita means life.

[@illegalonsunday6838]

Wish I had bought a few more of them when they were so cheap. They sell for a good bit used now. I still play mine.

[@WillQuinXStation]

Sucks I missed out. Always wanted one

[@vp_wrld]

I remember wanting this sooooo bad when it first came out but I held off because I knew some games didn’t work. I later saw it at Target for like $30. I still didn’t get it and I definitely regret that now after seeing how expensive it got on EBay

[@RETRODNA]

good video brotha!

[@user-qh5br9jl9g]

Your voice is so relaxing. Nite nite!!!

[@rj5485]

Dude, I just installed this whole setup, and man, is it glorious on my oled monitor. Controlling Kat in Gravity Rush with a DS4 is amazing. Especially in sharper scaling. (Yes I do own GR1 Remastered and GR2 on PS4 but haven't touched them yet). Sony dropped the ball! Thanks to the Vita modding scene

[@illegalonsunday6838]

I did the same. I can play any of the games now. It shows you just how much of a missed opportunity this was for Sony. If they released being able to reach its full potential instead of whitelisting most of the games. They could have made a lot of money.

[@rj5485]

@illegalonsunday6838 facts! I love this mod. It's a godsend if you do it right!

[@bransomething]

After having two official 64gb Vita memory cards fail on me in the past, I recommend staying FAR away from those. The lower capacities don't seem to get corrupted as often, but I'd highly recommend looking into alternative storage if you can.

[@dancrawford6029]

Nowadays you can just buy an adapter to fit a standard MicroSD

[@chawleyfresh1]

I actually just started every 90’s-2000’s kids “dream job” @gamestop and I’m like the “resident retro nerd” since GS is TRYING to get back into “retro games” AGAIN. I love my ps3, 360 and my wii and I just recently made the move to get my vita. I’m on the island too and I’m loving it just trying to find my community and learn as much as I can about sony’s hidden gems

[@matthewjohnson1891]

Saw one at gamestop for 19.99 new and snagged it. Once its hacked its awesome

[@KabukiKid]

I have a 1000 OLED Vita model that I never modded, as well. I'm keeping that thing stock. :-) I did get a second Vita... this time as 2000 model and I did mod that one. That's my "travel" Vita... goes in my bag and with me everywhere I go. heh My OLED one stays safely at home. ;-) I also have a grip for my OLED model to enable the L2/R2 triggers... which helps when I want to use it for remote play to my PS4.

[@illegalonsunday6838]

I feel like the PSTV had so much potential, but Sony didn’t ever back it or advertise very well. When I first saw one I thought it was just for watching Netflix and Hulu. I didn’t even know it was a console. Luckily I picked one up for $30 before they quit making them. Sony actually had them on sale for $20 at the very end.

[@michaeldemers2716]

I just picked up two Samsung Galaxy S20 Mini PC's that have metal cases a fan and a large heat sink for a little over a hundred a piece. I think it's the best bang I have ever gotten for my buck. It even had 128 GB of storage on board. I get up to Gamecube and my low end Switch titles I own. They disappeared fast. Glad I got them. I will probably be playing Sam's Journey Famicom Edition soon on my HG-938. It's in the mail.

[@sppspharmdude]

Hmm a surface duo 2... Tell me you got a dreamcast and a recent-ish blackberry then I'll know we were separated at birth. All jokes aside, great overview! Weird tangent, it's funny how the pstv and ps classic were initially panned pieces of hardware but eventually found a cult audience. Thing is the pstv had some sort of official ps emulator where as the ps classic used rearmed with pal games.

[@messiahmozgus]

Mine just collects dust but it's fascinating when exploited.

[@jimjamsam3482]

great vid

[@DuoMaxwell007]

so you can play golden abyss on ps tv via hacks now and even the touch control parts work? Thats all I needed to hear... that dsliterally the only reason I neve rgot a ps tv.. the main gam ei WANTE Dto play on it wasnt compatible lol

[@GameXData]

It feels surprisingly good to play too. Platforming and gunplay are much more precise with a full-sized controller. Even the touch controls feel decent enough after a few minutes of initial awkwardness. It's not the least janky way to play the game, but it's definitely an interesting time. If you ever give it a shot, it's also worth noting that the FakeCamera plugin I briefly show in the video lets you get past a portion that requires camera access to function.

[@Mishina375]

The Nvidia Shield TV has native Android support and variety of simulators, that allow you to play games from various consoles including PSP, PS Vita, PS1, Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, or Sega Saturn. It is a great and affordable alternative to the PlayStation TV even used. I was quite surprised that the Xbox Series X was mentioned at 18:37 instead.

[@GameXData]

The Shield TV's definitely a great option! A Series S is just a bit newer, more powerful, and comes with added support for Xbox games for not much more money. While considering what the PSTV was going for, it seemed like a better, modern analogue.

[@muygalan]

I own both the PS Vita 2000 (Slim Model) and the PSTV. My main device between the two is the PS Vita. Why? Because a modded Vita has the capability of playing on a larger screen like a laptop computer or even a television (assuming you have an Android box, like an Nvidia Shield TV). That being said, I only use my handheld to play Vita games and ports. I know it's snobbish, but nowadays, laptops, smartphones, and tablets can emulate PS1 and PSP games at a much higher resolution than the actual Vita. Playing these games on a Vita feels like a considerable downgrade to me when I have better alternatives. The PSTV is very small and portable. Not to mention it's become a rare novelty item. It's something that I could possibly see my kids playing on in the future. (e.g., load it up with retro games, etc.)

[@turismofoegaming8806]

Sony really had brain dead logic with this one, they could’ve had a powerhouse system with the Vida and the PlayStation TV that could’ve ended up being the best of both worlds and a true competitor to the Nintendo switch!! Today we might even have that exact thing but I Sony version of the switch?

[@rayojordan2838]

Pretty much what they are trying to do with the portal, but Sony really failed with this one...

[@turismofoegaming8806]

@@rayojordan2838 They’re gonna fail with the portal also because that’s even worse!!! The fact that it only streams PS five games means that I will not be buying it whatsoever at all due to the fact that I could care less about the PS five games!!! Sure there are a few that I like such as days gone which I have on my PS4 pro.. The uncharted games and god of war.. ghost of Tsushima although I kind of felt like it was just like assassin’s creed and got boring really quick despite the fact that it was beautiful and played really great.. But ultimately Sony has wasted millions of dollars creating this thing when they could’ve gave us another PS Vida that mirrored the switch in the ability to hook to your TV as well as be able to take with you and had her mode, stream PS4 and PS five, and then it would have it on hand held library of unique and exclusive games built exclusively for the device in addition to being able to play all the games that the PS Vita could play plush PS Vita games!!! Combine what they did with the TV and Aveda and make it a little bit more powerful than the switch and I’d get one of those before I got a PS five because right now, I still don’t have a PS five and I still don’t have a new Xbox because for the first time in gaming history there is nothing that has made me feel like they are worth buying!! Maybe resident evil four and like I said earlier days gone remaster and the new Alan wake two game?? But other than that, I had more fun with my PS Vita-

[@Breakbeat.]

I literally just found mine, didn't even remember owning it, found this video to remind me, thanks lol.

[@junetahaumann7903]

Bro can I buy urs I want one...

[@aquatishd968]

Hello, how are you able to play the vita tv on your Mac? Is it an hdmi to usb type c adapter or what do you use? If you have any sort of link or name that would be great.

[@GameXData]

I'm using a Genki Shadowcast 1 in the video. If you can't find one of those, an HDCP-compliant HDMI splitter plus most capture cards will also work. Here's a link to a short I made discussing the process: kzbin.infoLK8XC3i64Dc?feature=share

[@aquatishd968]

@@GameXData thanks for the info

[@h.cortez5043]

Solid video dude. I’m like you about not mod’ing my Oled vita. Thank you

[@kristofferbouchard8395]

What's the advantage of not modding it? I have an OLED vita and having full psp and ps1 along with customization like removing useless bubbles is really nice. I also expanded the storage to 512gb so no swapping game cards

[@DuoMaxwell007]

btw how well does playing psp games with a controller work on ps tv once your hacked it?

[@illegalonsunday6838]

It runs psp games great. No problems at all. It will run most of them without modding. But to run all of them you need to mod.

[@home9dog2blue199]

bro, "Jackass the game" for PSP CAN'T play on Adrenaline BUT i just found out how to get it to work on a Reddit post. let me know if yall wanna know how to get it to play it on Ps Vita. sidenote: check out other hidden gems like "Grim Fandango: remastered"(Ps Vita game), "Deadhead Fred"(PSP game). Also some MUST PLAYS from PSP catalog that everybody knows of are: "Prince of Persia: ("Revelations"/"Rival Swords"/"Forgotten Sands"), Xmen Origins: Wolverine, Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (Comes with Crazy taxi 1 & 2), Lego Batman 1 (it's the ONLY console identical Lego game on a Playstation handheld), Tekken 3(Ps1), Spiderman 3 (Psp. and is the Ps2 identical game)

[@garethbeaton8414]

Got a box of games for vita so i order one with ps4 pad for xmas ile try my sd card and games if most wont werk ile homebrew it white list it

[@shalpp]

I yoinked one of these while i was working at target - they had a lego bundle that came with a red controller i think? 40 bucks cause it was being cleared out. it's deffo a neat device and has a lot of potential for neat things, the main problem tho was that it was a vita at the end of the day with not much else going for it, and the disgustingly nerfed library in the us made it barely worth anything

[@rj5485]

Hey are you using vita3k on your laptop or is pstv connected to your laptop? If pstv, how????

[@GameXData]

Yep, the PS TV's just connected to my laptop. The main key's to use a capture card, but I made a short a while back with a bit more info: kzbin.infoLK8XC3i64Dc

[@rj5485]

Oh ok

[@wardogdauwdd3020]

Would homebrew porte like NZ:P or like the gta:3 port would work on it ?

[@GameXData]

The PS TV is just a Vita with extra ports. Anything you can play on the handheld you can play on the TV these days.

[@wardogdauwdd3020]

@@GameXData ok thanks

[@roninstormYT]

oh by the way if you cfw the vita you can record game play i enjoy modding my vita since 2016 or 2015 when i did never looked back on my vita 1000

[@pawlny]

PS TV + PS Vita is my Switch from Sony.

[@supervortex8363]

the problem is the mem card

[@masterjoful]

I do still use my PS Vita do this day, and searching for a TV, for reasonable price...... so far not really lucky, most times I sit like at 130-160 without delivery and then there is the border tax or whatever it is called

[@hsatarrafai8252]

Hope theFl0w jailbreaking the portal and make PSTV link to it for display.. matchmaking of heaven

[@B.G.Jeikki]

One time that cost like 25-30e nowdays more than 100e i think buy and mod somepoint .

[@scandinavianserialki]

vitadock+ works really well these days if you have a raspberry pi. a raspberry pi is way more inexpensive than a pstv

[@GuanGuanGhoo]

At this point, i better wait to see what Vita3k end up cooking, that trying the vita systems, mostly due of the price.

[@GameXData]

If you're interested in Vita games, it might be worth it to just pay the extra cost to get a handheld. Vita3K's improving quite a bit over time, but it's always going to be a slightly different experience than playing on a Vita due to the Vita's unique shape and control scheme.

[@user-jg1bo1eb7z]

I ain't never gonna stop playing PS Vita !

[@MakotoEvaFan]

Catherine full body work vita TV?

[@GameXData]

The PS TV can play any Vita game and stream any PS4 game. If you have the game for either platform, it'll work.

[@Dk-re4rf]

Hidden feature. The pstv aveages only 3 watts of power usage.

[@Guitario666]

These are super hard to find now

[@GameXData]

Not here in the US. There're quite a few listings on eBay for under $150 on any given day.

[@pracalt1051]

Not really here in Russia either but these go for 60-100 used which isn’t that worth it when ps vita costs exactly the same here

[@messiahmozgus]

​@@GameXDataso glad I got mine for $60 but jealous of the folks who got theirs at EB during that $20 firesale.

[@mcsundae2021]

​@@GameXDataon my country (a country in south america) there is none on sale, maybe a few people have them but they are not selling it😔

[@GreenguyTd]

I want a ps vita so bad man never had any of ps or psp but vita its something that i want it so bad but when i am gona aford it it will stop exist 😢

[@MrTayeb1981]

I saw them at clearance sales for less than 20$ in toys r us . I didn't know better 😢😢😢😂

[@ahmedgamal2184]

can i buy ps plus sub on ps tv or vita ??

[@GameXData]

Probably not. Even if you managed to find a way, it might be less hassle to do so through an Internet browser.

[@ahmedgamal2184]

@@GameXData Can i contact you i have very important thing to tell

[@Brentor14]

I remember them on clearance for like 30 bucks I should have bought 10 in so dumb

[@brennaneckberg240]

Slightly confused, a modded pstv system will still take physical cartridges right?

[@GameXData]

Correct

[@bognartesok2812]

you can stream your vita to your pc, then stream your pc to your tv with hdmi. AND BOOM you have a ps tv if you also use ds4vita plugin. thats it

[@GameXData]

If you're going that route, it'd actually be better to do a wired connection (maybe via a VitaDock: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naSupJx8et6Ch6M ). Though, in my experience the PS TV does come with some extra reliability and a few extra features that my docked Vita can't quite replicate.

[@bognartesok2812]

I didnt know you could create a vitadock. Great to know! @@GameXData

[@ZeranZeran]

Man, what a waste of an opportunity. If they released this with Kingdom Hearts Birth and made it work with every PSP game (LIKE EVERY FREE EMULATOR CAN AND HAS FOR YEARS..) - It would've probably become incredibly popular and profitable, much like the Gamecube GBA player. I literally did not get a GBA as a kid because I was so happy with playing the games on my big screen.

[@GameXData]

To be fair, PSP was very much in the past by the time the PS TV came out, and Birth By Sleep wasn't even available through the Vita's PS Store. I'm not sure a focus on PSP compatibility would've convinced more people to buy. At that point, the reception would've likely been that everyone interested already had a PSP that could output to a TV, and the PS TV couldn't even read UMD discs.

[@chrisbond1655]

This would still be alive if it could remote play ps5

[@sillycar64]

well i can literally plugin my vita to my pc and use obs.

[@kleytman]

Whenever a I know a girl: can I tell you a story about the ps tv? please sit down...

[@22tannerh]

Anyone know if you can play Fortnite on this?

[@cubah1]

Why was yoshi’s island struggling but MK64 worked fine?

[@home9dog2blue199]

i only prefer the vita over the pstv because i like to save on my electric bill. but that's just me 🤷‍♂️😂

[@omarguerrero6417]

Don't think it's worth it anymore if you have to mod something to get a better experience than the product isn't good

[@weesupersteve]

just bought a vita tv and a ps vita fat ... will need to buy a ps4 controller now lol

[@5HY_9UY_81]

They could have done so much more with it, but sony started getting greedy.

[@mohdmustafa8241]

gaming worlds bgrade jack black

[@wadewilson6628]

Hmmm, maybe I should pull out the one I've had in my closet for about 4 years. 😂

[@javierhenriquez2541]

I just connect my ps vita to the tv and use a dualshock 4

[@jimver2145]

Can we see a bid please?

[@GameXData]

@jimver2145 If you're looking for a video on it, I covered it not too long ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKe5kptspLChsLs

[@jimver2145]

@GameXData Cheers thank you!

[@rafalw9575]

A gdzie język polski się pytam

[@opdrangonball8273]

I didn’t know this shii existed

[@KOSMOS1701A]

i'd probably just get a vita handheld for the portability, i prefer that over anything.

[@michaeldemers2716]

I had high hopes years ago for the system. I bought a large memory card and bought a bunch of Digital Downloads. A bunch didn't work but they still sold them to me like Secret of Mana, Slain Back from Hell, Dracula X and others. I was very upset. I stopped buying from SONY after that and really don't like them even more after they took people's media after they purchased it without reimbursing them. SONY SUCKS!!!!!!

[@rafalw9575]

vaffanculo jestem z Polski

[@MrChongler]

When a company start making gimmicky craps like ps portal, ps vita, and ps tv.

[@da_radish_king]

Your speaking cadence is so awkward in this video. You have random pauses mid sentence and emphasize words at random. The video content is presented well, but you are hard to listen to. You sound like you have random cuts mid sentence even though you didn't.

[@InsouciantSage]

This video is too long. Get to the point bro.

[@F3arle55wr3tch]

It’s a piece of trash .. people only regret not getting one because it’s now valuable but the problem is it’s crap

[@XeroCool420]

The fact that Sony was still using barrel chargers up to the Vita TV is just downright aggravating and annoying

[@dorkydicken]

But then again, it's not worth it, especially with Sony locking down the network again and kicking Ps3's off, so I'd imagine this is in that blacklist as well. Just get a Steam Deck and Steam Link and Controller. Soooo much better, and cross-platform!

[@GameXData]

I'm not sure where you're getting that info from. As far as I've seen, there's been no update on Sony ending network support and banned consoles are rare (outside cheaters).

[@rafalw9575]

A gdzie język polski się pytam