PS Vita Battery Life Revealed

You're not going to like this.

 
Sony has released a system spec sheet for the PS Vita and the news on the battery life is most disappointing. When gaming, the handheld’s lithium-ion battery will last a meager three to five hours. Once the battery is depleted it will require approximately two hours and 40 minutes to recharge.

Video playback, meanwhile, is said to run down the battery in precisely five hours. When users listen to music and keep the system in standby the battery will go for a good nine hours. Unless you never take devices out of sleep/standby mode to hit next, adjust the volume or other such things, the battery will obviously run out of juice sooner than that.

Three hours for gaming is shoddy for a unit that is supposed to be portable. It’s so bad, in fact, that it is difficult to remember the last time a handheld gaming device had such feeble battery life. Oh yeah, now I remember. Of course, the Vita is far more technically advanced than Nintendo’s unit, so at least you’ll be getting more performance out of the same three to five hours.

[Source: Sony]

[Image via Engadget.]

Nick Santangelo
Nick Santangelo
Nick Santangelo

MASH Veteran

Nick has been a gamer since the 8-bit days and a member of the MTB editorial team since January of 2011. He is not to be interrupted while questing his way through an RPG or desperately clinging to hope against all reason that his Philly sports teams will win any given game he may be watching. Seriously folks, reading this acknowledges that you relieve MTB of any and all legal liability for his actions.

The Latest from Mash

WoW! Talk! #: The Patch 12.1.5 Quiz!
October 13th, 2026

Pop Quiz, hotshot! Join the gang for the Patch 12.1.5 quiz to see what you know about all the content that is dropping in the 12.1.5 Update!

Double Tap #445: First Attack, Scott Summers, and 2XKO
October 9th, 2026

We’re back from First Attack 2027, the Scott Summers trailer rises from the ashes, and we talk about 2XKO’s player numbers versus actual engagement. We also explore Virtua Fighter’s approach to building a great fighting game rather than focusing on esports.