When we learned of a new PlayStation Vita model, we all thought it would be a good thing. Different colours, lighter, thinner, better – right? Well, it doesn’t seem quite as good after seeing the below OLED vs. LCD comparison image. The current model is on top, while the new model is below.
There’s definitely a better colour palette with the OLED and they look more vibrant and richer, with deeper blacks and less of a green tint found with the LCD screen.
As ever, I’d say wait for more of an official (or see to see it with your own eyes) comparison. It might not even be that bad, with a further image, which you can see below, showing less of a difference. Personally, I think it’s just the lighting in the first picture that could cause concern.
tonycawley
There’s always going to be a difference and it is a downgrade, but if the new model is considerably cheaper then that’d warrant a slightly inferior screen.
Tomhlord
Doesn’t it retail for around the same price in Japan? I could be corrected there…
BUT, the screen is larger and means better battery life, so if there is a drop in quality, it’s not so bad I guess.
KeRaSh
Same price, yes. Sony wants a bigger margin. :)
Aren’t the screens both 5″? It doesn’t look that way on those screens but I’m sure I read about it.
beeje13
Hmm, to me the LCD does look worse in the first pic, but It looks the other way around in the second.
It’s hard to compare screens through a screen anyway. Not to mention angles/brightness settings.
bmg_123
Oh dear, don’t like the look of the new physical design. You can really tell where corners have been cut, the seam running around the screen in particular.
bunimomike
What am I seeing here, guys? OLED on the bottom in each photo? Either way, there’s nothing that your casual gamer won’t mind missing out on if it saves money. Both are very presentable.
Blair Inglis
OLED on top. Big difference in first image, probably just the lighting.
bunimomike
Cheers, fella.
Stefan L
There are LCD panels which will very happily go toe-to-toe with an OLED screen. There will be a slightly different colour and heat to the image, but that can be from a huge number of different factors like age, software, hardware, the bonding process etc. etc.
My Vita’s OLED screen has a patchy and uneven lighting, which is really only visible when viewing a black screen in a darkened room, but it is there, whilst on the other side of things, it’s not playable outside on a sunny day. OLED is in many ways still not a vastly superior system.
This is a sidegrade, it’s not a downgrade, and if it’s part of the reasoning for Sony to be able to cut costs, deliver a cheaper product and one which has markedly better battery life, then I’m all for it.
bunimomike
Agreed, fella. Whilst I’d like to see us all move across to OLED one day, it’ll be hard to justify with things like this if a semi-decent LCD screen can do a decent job and be cheap enough to save on those £££s.
Also, the idea that we’re looking at colour accuracy from a photo of two separate screens shown on our own computer monitors is pretty hysterical. :-)
Tomhlord
When my screen goes black I get blobs all over the screen.
Dan Jones
Is it me, or is the new Vita a lot bigger than the current design?
ron_mcphatty
I thought that at first, I think the guy taking the picture is resting his old Vita slightly behind the new one on the security stand thing, so hopefully it only looks smaller because of perspective.
double-o-dave
Is it me, or did Jones81 write near enough the same comment at near enough the same time as you?
Jones81
is it just me or does the new version look bigger?, confused
double-o-dave
Is it just me, or did Dan Jones write near enough the same comment at near enough the same time as you?
Jones81
Great (confused) minds think alike!
Alex C
2000 looks better in both cases.
leeroye
Eh? The first image clearly shows the OLED screen is better, but i suppose as always it depends on the lighting.
ron_mcphatty
I agree Alex, I prefer the more even round shape at the sides and the new buttons. The screen panel didn’t look so nice on the white one in Engadgets eyes-on gallery, but in black it looks great. I didn’t much like the silver rim either.
It’s tough to say how good the LED screen is from the photos I’ve seen so far, there’s a definite difference in some pictures but in the second one here they look the same to me.
Alex C
Yeah. Uncharted’s not a great game to demo the screen – the limited resolution doesn’t help, and it’s clear the photos aren’t taken in the best of circumstances but the LCD display looks great to me.
KeRaSh
There’s absolutely no way that the LCD screen looks better in the first comparison. Just look at that yellow, washed out tint…
The second comparison isn’t as clear but comparing shades of brown is never a great way to compare different screens.
parryman
I won’t be trading my first gen model for aches one until it breaks.
Starman
Kinda pleased its not better, don’t want to feel like I’m losing out for buying on release.