Welcome back to part 2 of our apps games review. In part 1 we explained the rise of the apps.This time around we explore what the major games consoles are doing to take on the apps games and mention the upcoming release of the PS Vita.

If you can’t beat them…

The leading console brands clearly want a piece of the action, chasing the new revenue available from distributing game apps on iOS, Android and Windows Phone platforms. The latest Sony products such as the Sony Xperia S or Sony Tablet S are PlayStation Certified meaning you can download a range of classic PlayStation titles straight to your phone. Xbox have taken a similar approach offering the Xbox Live Arcade across Android and iOS, with additional features available for those who use the latest Windows Phone Mango. Nintendo currently don’t offer their titles as game apps. With strong branded characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong, maybe keeping these exclusive to Nintendo hardware is what keeps fans coming back for more.

PS Vita released in UK 22/02/2012

For those who still crave a portable gaming device, the PlayStation Vita is released in the UK on the 22nd February with 11 games. Armed with a Quad-Core processor, the PS Vita promises to bring PS3 quality gaming to a portable console. The top model boasts Wi-Fi + 3G access which is perfect for online gaming against your rivals or downloading the latest title from the PlayStation Store. The rear touch pads help interact with games in three dimensional motions such as touching, grabbing, pulling and pushing without obstructing the OLED screen. Overall, this product promises to push the boundaries of portable gaming once again.

Will the PS Vita reverse the trend of game apps? The heads at Sony realise the challenge they face against the smartphone as their Marketing team plans their “biggest campaign ever” for the PS Vita. With so many smartphone devices activated daily, PlayStation are unlikely to ever recapture their share of the portable games market of 2009. To place it in perspective, 6.68 million Nintendo 3DS’s were sold globally in the first 6 months of release. 0.7 million Android activations take place every day!

The Future..

The technology of the PS Vita looks incredible and is unlikely to be replicated in a smartphone that is primarily for calls and texts. Because a mobile phone is such an essential piece of kit bought by everyone, even PS Vita owners are likely to purchase apps games for their smartphone. The casual gamer only ever wanted that quick fix of gameplay when on the bus or away from their main games console; smartphones achieve this.

Sony and Nintendo’s revenue from portable games hardware will surely shrink as smartphones continue to grow worldwide. Could this be Sony’s last dedicated games console? With such a wide range of electronic products, Sony could make their games accessible as downloads onto their BRAVIA Televisions or invest further into PlayStation Certified smartphones to win back the heart of the casual gamer. With Nintendo’s top releases appealing greatly to children, many will be too young to own a smartphone. As long as Nintendo continue to captivate hearts with the likes of Mario Kart and Pokémon, portable games consoles will continue to sell; just in smaller volumes than we’ve seen before.

The golden age may be over for now but that doesn’t mean Game Over. Sony and Nintendo have exciting products lined up and will push in directions to provide an ultimate gaming experience. Let’s hope they fork out another coin and press continue because we still want to play!

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We also offer the Nintendo 3DS as a free gift. The perfect solution to play apps games on your smartphone and Nintendo games on the 3DS. Be sure to look out for the PS Vita on mobiles.co.uk after its UK release date of 22nd Februrary.