Being a gamer sure has its pros. It gives you the ability to prioritize what you want to buy a console, a PC or a handheld. Unfortunately for me, I wanted them all and ended up spending a lot of money on all my gaming devices.

Today our focus will be solely on handhelds. Besides the big players such as Nintendo(3DS) and Sony(Vita), I certainly believe that the iPad is a worthy handheld for gaming purposes. Here we will take a close look at what’s inside these handhelds and hopefully it will help you make a decision on which one will most fulfill your gaming needs on the go.

The Battery Life:

The Battery life plays a very important role in maximizing the enjoyment levels of gaming on the go. The more the battery time obviously leads to larger amounts of fun time. Let’s look at the battery times:

Nintendo 3DS – 3 hours iPad – almost 10 hours PS Vita – 4-5 hours Also important to note here is that the 3DS and the iPad require a significant time for recharging as compared to the PS Vita.

The Screens:

All three provide completely different screen sizes and resolutions although they all sport LCD displays. This leads to completely different experiences across the three options.

Nintendo 3DS 3.5 inches with stereoscopic 3D. Touch sensitive lower screen at just above 3 inches IPAD 9.7 inches Retina Display PS Vita 5 inch 16:9 aspect ratio (Touch input as well) It’s important to mention here that the IPADs Retina display is something really outstanding with a resolution of 2048 x 1536.

The Weight:

Although weight might not seem like a big deciding factor, it does affect the decision of many a gamer. When you have to carry your handheld around or keep it in a bag like I do, then the weight factor starts to play a role.

Nintendo 3DS – 8.1 Ounces IPAD – 23.04 Ounces PS Vita – 9.2 Ounces The Processers:

The processors, RAM, CPU all play an important role in giving you that desired final output and at the same time determines the life of a handheld. Although the iPad has been upgrading on yearly basis, the Vita and 3DS are handhelds that have a life of around 5 years. Let’s see what they’re equipped for on the inside.

Nintendo 3DS 1GHz dual-core ARM CPU 128MB RAM IPAD A6X chip with ARM Cores Processing claimed by Apple to be double of A5X chips which ran at 1GHZ PS Vita ARM Cortex-A9 chip 2GHz quad-core 512 MB RAM Note, that since we don’t have 3G capabilities or 4G LTE services in Pakistan, the relevant medium for us is the Wi-fi which all the three handhelds support. But for those who are travelling abroad note that the Vita has 3G capabilities and the fourth generation iPad also has 4G LTE options.

Options other than gaming:

So, what happens when you are not gaming? You can actually do a whole lot more with the handhelds now as compared to an old school Game Boy or Game Gear. Some unique features that can be used are:

Nintendo 3DS 3D Camera for 3D pictures (overall low resolution) iPad Applications to perform thousand of other activities PS Vita Great for Media watching with 16:9 ratio Use of Sony Media Cards Hands down, The iPad is made for more than just gaming, and it’s safe to assume if there is something you else you want to do on your iPad there will be an app for it.

The Games:

The most important aspect when purchasing a handheld for gaming is obviously the game support. There are many games available on all three handhelds. Also, Nintendo allows you to accept cartridges of the Nintendo DS, which had a large library of games.

Although the Vita does not have the option of playing the UMD used for PSP, most games are available on their store. Moreover, now with the availability of PS1 titles on the Vita, the most beloved franchises are now available.

The iPad does not suffer from the issue of backwards compatibility. Let’s see some of the best games available on each platform:

Nintendo 3DS New Super Mario Bros 2, Professor Layton, Super Mario 3D Land, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart 7 iPad Angry Birds Series, World of Goo, Cut the Rope, Jetpack Joyride, Infinity Blade, Real Racing 2, Jet Car Stunts PS Vita Little Big Planet Vita, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, ACIII: Liberation, MGS: HD Collection, Sound Shapes, Mortal Kombat, Zero Escape. Keep in mind, the fact that most of the games on the iPad are what we define as casual games, some of which are now available on the Vita as well. In the end it comes down to your gaming choices. Mario and Zelda fans will definitely go for a 3DS but a more rounded experience is available on the Vita. For all casual game lovers, who want more out of their handheld, iPad is the best option.

The Prices:

Although it’s very difficult to put a stamp on the exact prices here in Pakistan, due to different retailers and wholesalers and online sellers I will be mentioning prices at around an average rate below:

Nintendo 3DS Rs. 19,500/- for the 3DS Game prices start from Rs.3,500/- iPad 16GB starting from Rs.44,000/- Lots of free versions available for games. Game prices as low as 10 cents (around 9.5 Rs) PS Vita Rs. 25,000 for the Wifi Vita Game prices start from Rs.4000/- Conclusion:

So what does one buy? If you want hardcore gaming, the Vita and 3DS are the best options. What to buy between these two is up to the type of games you like. If you want more out of your handheld, go for the iPad which with its numerous applications allows a wide variety of experiences.

It goes without saying that if your not on a budget, an iPad along with a choice from the Vita and 3DS is the best option.