VITA PSP-go vs PS Vita

[Ezri_Muldoon]

So I used own a PSP-Go, back when I brought it in 2011 I immediately soft-modded it and enjoyed the heck out of playing Eboot PS1 games.
(Digimon World, Klonoa, Wind Commander 3 & 4, Star Trek Invasion etc) alongside Japanese's games that didn't require a robust comprehension of Kanji:
(Kamen Rider Climax Heroes 000, Mai-Hime Senretsu! Shin Fuuka Gakuen Gekitoush etc) and that janky Half-Life 1 Quake 2 engine downport.

I sold it in 2014 and I have come to sincerely regret doing so. The PSP translation scene has exploded and I am the type who enjoys the odd visual novel.
They're basically animated & (sometimes) voice acted Graphic Novel with a save feature what's not to love?
When looking up prices for a replacement ($145 in my region) I discovered it's the exact same price as a after market PS-Vita

Can some PS-Vita nerds help convince me to (or warn me away from) getting a Vita instead?

I know the Vita can't natively run PSP or PS1 games but it can emulate them.
Adrenaline 6.61 seems good, but it's not doing anything the PSP can't.
I know Retroarch works on the Vita, but it seems to cap at Dreamcast games in terms of playability. From my research only a very select few Playstation 2 games run and stability is a coin toss. As an emulation machine the Vita doesn't appear as some massive leapforward beyond its predecessor. It feels like all the extra power the Vita has seems woefully underutilised.
Thanks Sony, I know you hated backwards compatibility since the first PS3 hardware revision but come on.


As for the number of translated Vita games... A lot are available on steam, eroge being the exception and I'm not interested in those lol

So I'm really struggling to "get" why the Vita is so beloved when compared to the PSP? Am I missing something insanely cool?

For a little added context I'm in the process of moving onto an off the grid boat, 100% solar powered with onboard batteries so I've been grabbing handheld consoles alonside switching from a PS5 to a Gaming Laptop last year. I have no interest in physical releases due to space being a premium- hence the choice of a PSP-Go over an 3000 or street. Devices that will ease the workload of the onboard batteries is the goal. Both my Neo Geo Pocket Color & Bandai Wonderswan Color have been modded with backlights with this in mind.
My PSP nostalgia will most likely become my last gaming hardware purchase for the foreseeable future so I just wanted some input before I decide on anything.

 

[CyberRabbit]

The psp go doesn’t have Gravity Rush
The ps vita does have Gravity Rush
I think the choice is clear

 

[elehayyme]

There are some Vita exclusive games such as Gravity Rush that you may want to check into so that'll help determine what route you want to go.

I ended up selling my PSP Go some time ago as it was getting harder to read stuff on the screen and ended up with a Vita instead. Although my Vita unit needs some repair right now, I've really enjoyed the system and the visual novels and otomes that it had to offer. It also gave me a chance to try out some English patched ones made by fans in the community.

Although right now my main go-to unit is another emulation device and I can play some vita games on there, due to the infancy and fragility of Vita3K, I can't play all of them. It is more of trying different builds and seeing what works and what doesn't. Since I don't mind tinkering a bit, this isn't a deal breaker and often find myself sticking with an older build of a software as a result.

Just stuff to keep in mind.

At the end of the day, take a look at all the games you'd be wanting to play and see if it can be done on the Vita or no.