Sony is a huge fan of proprietary accessories for their consoles. When they released the PS2, they included an expansion bay for connecting Ethernet adaptors and HDDs. With the PS Vita, Sony introduced a proprietary media card format that was used to store game saves and digital downloads.
So, is 4GB enough for PS Vita? If you don’t have a lot of digital games or music on your Vita, a 4GB memory card is more than enough. But if you want to download a bunch of old PSP games and PlayStation one Classic games, you’ll need a bigger memory card (16 to 32GB).
The Vita supports memory cards up to 64GB in size, and these big ones are quite expensive. There are adapters like SD2Vita that let you insert regular microSD cards into your Vita. But you’ll need a homebrew enabler like HENkaku or firmware version 3.6 to make these work.
Is 4GB Enough For PS Vita?
Yes, it should suffice as long as you don’t use your Vita memory card for anything more than game saves. Maybe a couple of photos and music videos, but nothing more. If you are going to download a lot of digital software from the PlayStation store, you’re going to need more space.
For reference, Logan’s Shadow (a shooter) for PS Vita is about 1.2GB in size. Killzone is also a massive one, taking up several GBs of space. If you download Resident Evil Revelations 2, that is nearly 4GB with patches.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is also quite large, at 16GB. If you only buy physical copies of games, you don’t need to invest in a large memory card. But some Vita games are quite hard to find these days.
Hence, the only way to get them is through the PlayStation store. If you download DLC, patches, etc. that will take up even more space. I recommend buying an adapter for your Vita so you can insert regular microSD cards if you’re playing a lot of digital games.
How Much Memory Do I Need For A PS Vita?
At launch, Sony did not ship the Vita with a memory card (PCH-1000 model). Later, they introduced the cheaper Slim version (SCH-2000) which had 1GB of internal memory. Thanks to this, gamers weren’t forced to buy a proprietary Vita memory card just so they could create save files.
Still, you need a memory card to truly utilize Vita’s multimedia potential. Since it is a portable movie/ music player, you need something to store your media. The Vita can also take photos, and transfer them to a PC via Wi-Fi/ USB.
You need a memory card if you want to store these photos. A basic 4GB one will suffice, but you can’t store more than a few dozen videos and photos on it. Remember- not all Vita games save to the cartridge.
Some Vita games require space on the memory card to save. And when you download a digital game from the PlayStation store, a memory card of sufficient capacity must be inserted. Ideally, you want a 32GB card to store all your media and digital games.
Maybe even the 64 GB card, if you play lots of digital games. But those are quite expensive. So get something like the SD2Vita adapter, and slot in your microSD cards to alleviate all storage problems at a cheap price.
Which Memory Card Is Best For PS Vita?
If you’re using an adapter, any regular microSD card will do. These days, you can get a 256GB microSD card for extremely cheap prices. Look for trusted brands like Kingston and SanDisk, they make the most reliable and fastest SD cards.
If you own a Nintendo Switch, you probably have a few SD cards lying around. You can format these and use them in your PS Vita with an adapter. Or you can choose to pay the Sony tax and buy a proprietary Vita memory card.
The issue with Vita memory cards is that they are very expensive, much slower than modern microSD cards, and don’t go beyond 64GB. Sony designed these to make some extra cash since they spent so much money developing the Vita and pumping it full of smartphone features. But understand that you CANNOT use regular SD cards on the Vita without an adapter.
How Much Is A PS Vita Memory Card?
In 2011, GameStop priced the entry-level 4GB card at $29.99. For reference, that is the same amount of money you pay for a 256GB microSDXC card these days. Which also has transfer speeds over 10 times higher than a Vita memory card.
The 32GB card was priced at $119.99, nearly half as much as a brand-new Vita console. Sony slashed the prices in later years and released a Vita Slim at $199. But gamers were still quite frustrated with the exorbitantly high memory card prices, especially when regular SD storage was getting so cheap.
On sites like eBay, you can buy used 8GB Vita memory cards for 15 to 20 bucks (shipping is extra). The 64GB card can cost 80 to 100 dollars, used. If you want an authentic experience, go for it.
Personally, I recommend getting an adapter and using microSD cards that are far cheaper with a lot more capacity.
Is The PS Vita Outdated?
It is definitely not running the latest hardware, being a console that is over a decade old. But back when it was still new, the Vita was packing some serious muscle with that quad-core Cortex A9 chip and PowerVR graphics processor. It was like owning a flagship Android phone, designed specifically for gaming.
Even today, there are aspects of the Vita that haven’t aged nearly as much as you would think. For starters, the OLED display still looks gorgeous. The control layout is spot-on, identical to what you get on a Switch or any modern handheld gaming PC.
The build quality is similar to that of an iPhone, with high-quality plastics and a metal rim around the entire console. Buttons and sticks feel premium. The console is just big enough to hold comfortably for an hour or two of gaming, without getting cramps in your hand.
How Long Does A PS Vita Last?
In terms of battery life, the Vita was no slouch. It sipped on power, thanks to an efficient processor and GPU. Sony’s official figures stated 3 to 5 hours of gaming, with 5 hours of video playback and 9 hours of music playback.
Customers found that the video and music playback numbers were pretty much dead-on. However, getting 5 hours of gaming time was a bit… optimistic. Especially when you consider that the processor was built on a 45nm node
That 45nm process was excellent in 2011, but it’s a “bit” dated compared to the 7nm and 5nm nodes of today. There is a reason modern phones and handheld consoles are so much power, yet their battery lives haven’t decreased.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you decide how much memory you need on your PS Vita. Ideally, you would get a 32 or 64-GB card and call it a day. But as we know, those things are quite expensive.
First off, Sony doesn’t make new memory cards for the Vita since the console was discontinued a while ago. Secondly, scalpers and collectors are driving up market prices, taking advantage of a recent surge in demand for used PS Vitas. The best solution is to get an adapter that lets you insert regular microSD cards into the Vita.