Ps vita memory card alternative
The PlayStation Vita is an amazing gaming device but it has one major limitation – it requires a memory card for storing game data. This can be an expensive proposition as memory cards for the Vita can cost up to $100. For gamers on a budget this can be a major roadblock to enjoying the Vita’s full potential. Fortunately there is an alternative.
PlayStation Vita Flash Drives
Flash drives are a great way to store data and they are becoming increasingly popular for use with the Vita. They are much more affordable than memory cards and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Flash drives also offer more storage capacity than memory cards so you can store more games and data on them. Furthermore they are much easier to use than memory cards as they simply plug into a USB port on the Vita making them a great option for gamers who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a memory card.
USB Flash Drives
Strengthening the quest to find an alternative to Sony’s costly official PS Vita game cards dedicated gamers have discovered that USB flash drives are an effective tool in storing managing and playing their cherished games.
Adopting a much more economic and user-friendly approach USB flash drives negate the need for memory cards and allow gamers to access and play vast amounts of content without the frustration of switching out cards and dealing with copyright restrictions from Sony. With the majority of flash drives now being much more rugged and reliable than ever before gamers can rest assured that their content will remain secure even in the harsh conditions of extended use.
However a caveat of using USB flash drives is that some games require the assistance of a third-party application for optimal functionality. Furthermore depending on the size of the games that a gamer wishes to play the flash drive may be limited in the number of titles it can effectively store.
|| Pros || Cons ||
| User-friendly | May require third-party applications |
| Economical | May be limited to the number of titles |
| Reliable | |
SD Cards
Unbeknownst to some Sony no longer produces memory cards designed specifically for the Vita console. Thankfully there is an alternative available to gamers seeking additional storage: Secure Digital (SD) cards. SD cards are a type of memory card commonly used in many other electronic devices such as digital cameras camcorders and tablets. With minimal effort and no special skill users can easily upgrade the memory of their Vita by inserting an SD card.
That said while SD cards are as reliable as their dedicated Vita counterpart capacity often poses an issue. Typical SD cards can range from 2 GB to 32 GB far lower than the range of Vita memory cards which can be as large as 128 GB. This is often of paramount importance for gamers keen to store a large number of games.
Further some SD cards might be incompatible with certain models of Vita console. To guarantee proper compatibility gamers should consult their user manuals and visit the PlayStation official website where current information on compatible products will be posted.
Overall SD cards are a reliable source of storage for Vita users seeking additional memory although their capacities and compatibility will vary. To help gamers weigh the advantages of an SD card for their consoles the below table reflects the pros and cons of such a move.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easily available | Potential incompatibility |
| Very affordable since it is a common format | Capacities are often lower compared to Vita memory cards |
| Wide range of capacities available | May require a card reader to upload content to the console |
Mini SD Cards
Interestingly enough Mini SD cards are a viable alternative for the Playstation Vita’s memory cards. These cards are actually tiny rewritable flash memory cards that come in the same small form factor as the PSP and the Vita’s Memory Stick Duo. The cards are inexpensive and can be purchased in many retail outlets. Additionally the read/write speed is clearly superior to that of a regular SD card.
Despite the potential advantages of this memory card there are certainly a few concerning qualities that come along with it. For starters these cards are not all particularly reliable and can sometimes lose data. Additionally the mini SD cards are a much slower option when compared to high-speed SDXC microSDHC and microSDXC cards.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Compatible with Vita PSP and other devices | Can be slow |
| Cheap | Not reliable |
| Small form factor |
Memory Stick Pro Duo Cards
Interestingly the PlayStation Vita has its own proprietary memory card called the Memory Stick Pro Duo. This memory card was specifically designed to be used with the PlayStation Vita and the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is the only memory card that is officially supported by the PlayStation Vita and is required for certain features including game saves and downloadable content.
The Memory Stick Pro Duo is available in various sizes ranging from 2 GB to 64 GB with larger sizes allowing for more game saves and downloads. The card is also backward compatible with previous Memory Stick formats allowing users to transfer their data from their old system.
While the Memory Stick Pro Duo has some advantages in terms of reliability and compatibility it is more expensive than other types of memory cards and is not widely available. Additionally since it is not an open standard developers are not able to easily optimize games for the Memory Stick Pro Duo format.
| Pros and Cons | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Reliability Compatability Backwards compatabilityTransfer game data |
| Cons | Expensive Not widely available Limited developer support |