PS Vita TV: A Potential Game Changer For Sony

September 15, 2013

Earlier this week, Sony unveiled a brand-new piece of hardware at its pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference. That new device is called PS Vita TV and, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the most brilliant moves by the company in recent memory.

In case you haven't been following the news all that closely, let me clue you in on exactly what PS Vita TV is. As the name implies, this tiny white box of gaming splendor can play PlayStation Vita games, thanks to a nifty card slot on the side. The device can also play your digital library of Vita titles, as well as digital PSP games and PSone Classics. Take that, Ouya! This box can play Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, and Persona 4 Golden.

And that only scratches the surface of what this device is capable of. It effectively outshines media-streaming boxes like Apple TV and Roku, supporting both killer PlayStation games and entertainment apps like Hulu.

And let's not forget that PS4 Remote Play is one of the Vita's hot new features that Sony keeps touting. Seeing as how PS Vita TV is effectively a screen-less version of the handheld, the device will basically be able to serve as a second PlayStation 4 in your house. Is your wife hogging the television in the living room that has the PS4 hooked up to it? No matter! Just take a stroll down to the basement where your second television is equipped with a PS Vita TV and get your next-gen gaming fix right there. For $100 that almost sounds too good to be true.

The one major qualm I have about the hardware, though, is its name. Granted, Sony has yet to confirm a release outside of Japan, and who knows, maybe the branding will change when it makes its way out west, but cramming Vita into the name simply doesn't do the device justice. As far as I'm concerned, it should simply be called "PlayStation TV."

Name aside, just think of the possibilities here. Sony could eventually build this PS Vita TV technology right into its Bravia TV line, giving consumers access to a massive catalog of PlayStation games with their new "PlayStation Smart TV." This would get more people invested in the PlayStation Store and Sony's gaming ecosystem in general. And with the promise of Gaikai, who's to say streaming all of your PlayStation content right through your TV isn't outside of the realm of possibility somewhere down the line?

PS Vita TV is basically Sony's first step at integrating the entire world of PlayStation into your television. With such an amazing library of games to draw from and so many more exciting ones on the horizon, there's no reason why Sony can't dominate the living room. Watch out, Microsoft and Apple. If the PlayStation manufacturer plays its cards right, you could be up against some serious competition.

What do you think? Does PS Vita TV have the potential to take the gaming world by storm? Am I completely blowing its potential impact out of proportion? Share your thoughts in the comments below.