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A 32 GB memory card should not be this expensive, that much is clear. Obviously Sony changed up the memory to be a new type of card instead of a standard mini-sd or even a memory card pro duo like the PSP used because they needed to make their money back when they decided to price the Vita at a point where it competed with the 3DS. It sucks that this card could easily be under the 50 dollar range but, it isn't, and if you're going to download your games from the store to always have them available, you need a lot of memory, so this is your best choice, and at least amazon has it for a price considerably lower than retail ($79.99 vs $99 at the moment of this review for a $20 savings).
For those of you who are still deciding whether or not you need to shell out the 80 bucks + shipping to get the biggest memory card, here are a few points to help you decide...
It is certainly very convenient to have all or most your games on the card, however, be clear that if you are going to get a lot of games, and you are not willing to delete the older ones to make room for the new ones, or if you're one of those people who downloads a lot of demos and never wants to delete them, you're probably gonna have to get a second card anyway because of average game sizes. However if you're not the type mentioned above, but you still want to download at least part of your library, 29 GB (after formatting) should be enough (keep in mind i'm not counting music or video, but the same principle applies). Also, be clear that 'Convenience' is the one and ONLY advantage to downloading games from the store right now, to clear up a couple of common doubts and misconceptions:
#1) As of this moment, NEW games in the store are NOT cheaper than physical ones. New games will be priced the same (though i believe they should be cheaper as downloads). Also, price drops for games will usually happen faster at retail stores. For example, i found Wipeout at gamestop for $20 right after i had already bought it from the PSN store for 34.99(DOH!).
[EDIT: removed a comment that most new games are more expensive in the PSN store than retail, since this is no longer the case with new games,from what i've seen on the PSN store, new Vita games are coming out are priced equally to the retail stores (usually 29.99)]
#2) Downloaded games DO NOT run faster than games on cards. In fact, it's been shown that they actually run a bit slower, because the read speed on the game media cards is slightly faster than the memory card.
#3) Game media cards will give you the option to loan and sell your games (or trade in if you like). Games that have online gaming features (like LittleBigPlanet Vita) will require an online pass that will usually be included when you buy it new (as a voucher if you buy the physical game). If you get the game loaned or used and want to access the online features, you'll have to buy the online pass (usually $9.99).
#4) Game media cards are about the size of a normal SD card, maybe smaller, so carrying them around is much easier and convenient than it used to be with your PSP which used UMD disks. If you get a carrying case with some extra pockets, you can easily carry around a lot of games on physical media. I got a starter kit that comes from Sony for $20 USD that comes with a great carrying case that has 2 spaces with pockets inside (one the size for the vita, and another about the same size i use to carry a USB cable, a cloth and 6 or 7 games on physical media) and it also comes with a small box that's specifically for storing game cards where you can fit a couple of dozen cards (not sure how many right now but it was over 20). The point being, keep in mind that buying games on physical media may not be as inconvenient as you think, and if you decide to get most of your games like this, you're better off saving your money and getting a smaller card (8 GB should be more than enough).
In my case, I bought this card with the plan to have some games downloaded but I decide ahead which games i'm gonna get on media. The games I get on media will usually be the ones that I know i'm probably not gonna be playing once I finish them once or twice. For example, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which is an awesome game by the way, but I got as physical media because, with a lack of multiplayer, i know that i'm gonna play thru it maybe a couple of times to get all the extras and then i'm not gonna play it again in like forever. On the other hand, i got Lumines: Electronic Symphony as a download because this is a game I always want available and I know i'm gonna keep playing for a while because it's a puzzle, time killing type game that's always good to have around, same goes for Wipeout 2048 because of online multiplayer and game elements like time trial that you keep playing over and over for a while because you wanna beat old records. Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation is a game i'll get in physical media for the same reason as Uncharted, and so on.
Another thing to consider is, if you're gonna have a lot of games from the PS1 classics collection or downloaded games from the PSP library , like me, you're gonna need the bigger card. These are the cases where download is the only choice, and depending on how many you have, they can take up quite a bit of space, however, the same thing as before applies where you can remember to just delete the ones you're not using to save space. Right now, the games i have installed that fit these categories are actually taking up more space than the PS Vita games i have downloaded, which aren't many right now. But I still have plenty of space left on my card (about 18 GB), especially since i got rid of all the demos i downloaded initially when i first got the Vita. So even though the having the 32 GB is cool cause i have lots of space to play with (like for example for movies) I could've saved some money and gotten the 16 GB one and still would've been OK.
Edit:
A comment to this review makes a good point, which states that you can get a better value with a digital purchase if you own more than one system, since you can install it and play it without physical media and you can have it on more than one system if you use the same account.
Also, since writing this review, Sony has added PS Plus Support to Vita which makes me glad I got this card because i have since downloaded several free games and purchased others at great discount. So you'll probably be getting better use and value with this card if you're a PS Plus member.
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From the manufacturer
PlayStation Vita Memory Card
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The Official PlayStation Vita Memory CardPlayStation Vita sold separately |
Required for most game play on PS Vita |
Store game saves, PSN downloads, and personal media |
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| 16GB PS Vita Memory Card | 32GB PS Vita Memory Card | |
| Media Storage | 16GB Capacity | 32GB Capacity |
| Full PS Vita Games | 4 - 8 | 8 - 16 |
| Movies | 12 | 24 |
| Songs | 4,568 | 9,136 |
| Photos | 3,200 | 6,400 |
Customer reviews
I recently bought a ps vita and though this was pretty expensive to buy, it’s pretty essential for the console. I received this brand new and unused. I don’t have my ps vita now so I don’t know if it’s corrupted or not, I will update on it later once I receive the console!
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Top reviews from the United States
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Must-have if you plan to download part or all of your games, just be sure to consider the alternatives...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 11, 2012
Top reviews from other countries
Jason Walsh. 🎮
Only for the ps vita
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 17, 2019
Dom
Good quality, arrived quick
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 30, 2019csergo isti
Pricey but needed.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 27, 2018
