Instead of allowing you to use a standard format memory card like SD Cards, Sony instead decided to utilize proprietary cards. So what are the best Vita memory card size options that new Vita owners should consider buying? The answer varies depending on your situation and preferences towards playing games on the handheld system. Take a look at a guide below to determine whether or not you will need to buy a 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB Vita memory card.
Internal Memory
The first thing you should determine is whether or not your PlayStation Vita comes with internal storage. Sony released a hardware revision of the handheld in 2014, adding 1 GB of flash storage (the PlayStation TV also comes with the same amount). The original units of the portable system did not.
To determine which version of the hardware you got on your hands, you can quickly check the back. The original units are labeled with the PCH-1000 series while the revision is tagged with PCH-2000. Sony is no longer manufacturing the PCH-1000 Vitas, so you most likely ended up with the PCH-2000 if you bought a new version of the handheld recently.
Pricing Structure
Next, let’s take a look at how the Vita memory cards are priced. In general, you will get more value in terms of money paid per gigabyte with the bigger-sized cards. So, while the smaller cards are cheaper, they don’t hold as much value. Of course, you can still opt for the 4 GB or 8 GB depending on your situation.
Physical Copy Buyer
If you are only using your PlayStation Vita to only play physical copies, then you really only need a 4 GB memory card. In fact, if you already have the PCH-2000 model with the 1 GB internal storage, you may not need a card at all. This is because save files, in general, do not take up a lot of space. Some games even record the data straight to the cartridge, eliminating the need for a memory card. The front covers will tell you whether a memory card is needed or not.
The only thing you need to worry about is major patch updates that would take up a big chunk of (or even exceed) 1 GB.
Digital Copy Buyer and/or PlayStation Plus Subscriber
Of course, you will be missing out on a lot of videogames if you decided to go with little to no storage. Along with exclusive digital releases, the Vita is also compatible with a majority of the PSOne Classics and PSP titles on the Sony Entertainment Store. If you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber, then you will also received a batch of free games (as long as you have a subscription) on a monthly basis.
For gamers you buys a lot of digital games and/or a member of the PlayStation Plus service, you should avoid the 4 GB and 8 GB memory cards as the free space will be taken up by just a few Vita games. Instead, we suggest getting either the 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB cards.
The 16 GB is the cheapest of the three but you may have to move around the data if you run out of space if you are planning on downloading more than a handful games that you want to play at any given time. Not to mention that it does not have as much value per gigabyte as the other two big memory cards. So you might want to get the 32 GB or 64 GB cards instead. The latter is only available in Japan but is region free as it will work with all Vita systems.
Recap
If you are only getting the Vita to play physical cartridge games, then you should get the 4 GB memory card. With that said, you don’t really need a card if you already have the PCH-2000 that comes with 1 GB of storage.
If you planning to download a lot of games, we encourage you to get the 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB cards depending on your price range and how much downloadable titles do you want to play at any given time. You can purchase the various sizes of the Vita memory cards with the following links: 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB.
