Why the Vita is still relevant in 2022

As more games that graced the Vita float over to other platforms, its cachet as a JRPG or visual novel machine continues to dwindle. But in 2022, gamers are discovering series like Danganronpa, Trails of the Sky, Trails of Cold Steel and looking for the originals or sequels, or source material at less than silly prices. And ongoing anime for Steins Gate or Attack on Titan bring people to the games for the first time. 

The many little conversations I come across on Twitter or forums about how some of these games launched long-standing love affairs show just how valuable The Vita and PSP were. Something that never shows up in endless debates about "failed" hardware, and as the recommendations echo around, more people get to experience the joy. 

For example, the original Danganronpa (Trigger Happy Havoc) was released recently on Xbox, and new fans are looking for the sequels (Goodbye Despair and V3). The whole bundle landed on Switch last year, but with a typical high price, all of which helps make the Vita editions more desirable.

One kink for this series, the Danganronpa games were deleted from the Vita PSN last year, making this a trickier proposition - but there are still a few cheap physicals to pick up. And I guess plenty of people still share their handhelds around. 

Other series are also getting modern console ports or the later editions in a saga. When players come across Falcom's Legends/Trails series, they ask about the value of starting from the beginning rather than jumping into the middle of the overall story, which is where the PSP or Vita can also come in useful. (Note, you can still get Trails in the Sky on the Vita. Cold Steel seems to have vanished). 

While none of these little trickles will do much in the way of business, they help spread the Vita love a little further around the world, helping those who missed out see just how useful Sony's unloved handheld really was.