The Wii U’s big feature is the relationship between the screen in the controller and the tv – in that the tv image can be transferred to the controller and the controller image can be used as an extra screen for games as a supplement.
Sony has already announced a number of ways its upcoming PS Vita handheld will be tied to the PS3, and it is obvious to ask if Wii U’s features couldn’t be copied to Sony’s systems.
Develop asked this very question of SCE Worldwide Studio CEO Shuhei Yoshida, who had this to say: “It is very interesting the ways that Nintendo went with Wii U, and I was surprised it wasn’t exactly as it had been rumoured.”
“Already people are starting to ask about linking Vita and PS3 to do something similar, in terms of using two screens, and having controls on the screen.”
“That’s very interesting, and we will have to experiment. Lots of the things that developers of Vita games are doing, as you may have seen, is experimenting with connectivities between Vita and PS3.”
“The Wipeout [2048] team came up with their cross play ideas, and the other Vita teams have come up with ways of playing with two systems. It’s just a matter of time, as we provide the SDKs to developers so they can make use of both PS3 and Vita, and they might come up with something interesting.”
If Sony could match Nintendo’s new invention before it’s even out, it would obviously be a big boost for them, and it would give gamers another reason to invest in the Vita. The big question now has to be if it is even technically possible, which is something Sony engineers undoubtedly will seek to answer in the coming months.
