My Obsession with the PS Vita UI/UX
Just about a month ago, I’ve purchased a PS Vita (2000 slim model) off eBay and it’s been the best handheld experience I’ve had in years. A system that was released about 10 years-ago, and lost major support from Sony just a few years into it’s life-cycle due to poor sales and lack of support from big budget developers. Over the last couple of years, the PS Vita has grown a cult following through the modding and homebrew scene giving it new life today. Growing up in the early 2000’s, I’ve had the original PSP (PlayStation Portable; launched in 2005) and it was a game changer in the handheld scene. One of the first major multimedia devices and a precursor to a modern day smartphone. The PS Vita was supposed to be the ultimate handheld after the PSP, but felt short due to Sony’s poor business strategies, the rise of mobile games, Nintendo’s 3DS, and eventually the Nintendo Switch.
Why have I become so obsessed with the PS Vita’s UI? And why does it matter now? I personally believe that it was one of the most unique interfaces on a video game console ever! But it lacked the functionality of the original PSP’s XMB (Cross Media Bar) once had, and ultimately helped led to the slow demise of the device.
When the PS Vita launched in 2011, it came with a new interface from Sony called “The Bubble Interface.” It was a simple interface that was designed around an idea for the touch screen functionality, and it worked effectively. BUT! It felt off? Like it was missing the charm of the original PSP? The user interface made it look like a kids toy, it was almost too simple.
While the handheld market has recently grown in demand over the last few years, the race for the “ultimate handheld device” has strung major conversation among gamers including myself. The most recent release was the Steam Deck which is bringing Triple-A PC games into the palm of your hands. Not like the Nintendo Switch or the PS Vita, because they would have to get special ports of the same game developed just to be able to work with those devices. Then you also have android and mini-PC handheld devices also making the scene in straight competition with the likes of the Switch and the Steam Deck. So where does the PS Vita step into this? The PS Vita was far ahead of its time, and modders have been making new versions of the UI and functionalities for the PS Vita that it can potentially compete to be one of the best handheld devices today.
Over the pass month, I kept telling myself “I love this thing, but how can I make it better?” After modding my PS Vita, I saw nothing but amazing potential for this device and slowly starting to build my own UI concept for the PS Vita or maybe for a PS Vita 2?
The PS Vita’s screen resolution was a native 960x544 qHD, and the first model (the 1000 series) came with a OLED screen which took advantage of all that real estate. The new concept design was inspired by the likes of the Nintendo Switch, Android tablets, and Apple’s iPhone. While consulting with many PS Vita owners, and product reviews; I wanted to give a fresh design outlook set around Jakob’s Law and Hick’s Law for those already used to modern day smart phones and smart devices.
Assuming we are using the same hardware, possibly a new HD screen for a refresh version; but for this concept I stuck with the original resolution so it can be tested on the PS Vita today. Instead of sticking to the “Bubble” design, I went for a iPhone-esk’ floating platform look for the app icons. As the “Bubble” interface was a neat design, I felt it was cluttered; and the bubbles themselves were too small (at least for my grubby fingers). This caused me to accidently click on certain bubbles that I didn’t mean to press, and it was a noticeable issue for many other users as well. This led me to go with bigger icons, spaced out, and giving it options on the bottom similar to what you could see on a Nintendo Switch.
For the game library, I wanted to give it a more modern look similar to other gaming UI’s that let you scroll through your games cover-art to select them. There has already been a few mods for the PS Vita with this concept as a standalone game launcher like RetroArch and VitaHEX. It’s a simple touch carousel that would work magnificently, and would give the games a great presentation. The system would be highly customizable, so theoretically you could have your favorite games present themselves first for easier access. There will also be a setting that will allow to turn on and off a splash screen, and this again is to cut time and get straight into the game faster.
For the settings page, if it works… don’t fix it! The settings page looks very similar to the original PSP, and it looks like any other system on any other smart device. It’s very clear, functional, and it gets the job done! Hopefully there will be more options for customization like wallpapers, themes, colors, and possibly even more features if there’s a docking system to play on bigger screens. Updates should work in the background, and let you know on the notifications bar; getting rid of the “Live Area” bubble on the top right corner of the original PS Vita UI.
Overall, these are simple changes that could make the PS Vita a top competitor against all the other handhelds in the market today. In the modding scene, the PS Vita has become a huge system of consideration for pure emulation on the go. It is smaller than the Nintendo Switch, and way smaller than the Steam Deck; it was still a system that you can logically fit in your pocket (or in your hoodie’s kangaroo pouch like what I would do). In my eyes, it was the perfect system that got the short-end of the stick from Sony. Realistically, if Sony would rebuild a new version of the PS Vita that can be backwards compatible, play modern games, and still stay in that small form-factor; it can step back into the spotlight of handhelds.