The Vita hasn't quite blossomed into an essential system in its own right, then; instead, it's a compelling $200 luxury extra for hardcore gamers. Don't buy one expecting access to a huge library of games that you can't play anywhere else — buy one because you want to play games that you know and love on the go. Anyone planning to buy a PlayStation 4 should consider a Vita, too, with its Remote Play support promising to make for the greatest bedtime console ever.
But should they wait for the newer model to leave Japan and come around the world? That's a tougher call. At $199, the original Vita isn't any more expensive than the 2000-series will likely be, and it has the benefit of being available on US store shelves today. If you're the kind of person still doggedly hanging onto your plasma TV as manufacturers switch to LCD panels, you'll probably find it equally hard to let go of the launch model's OLED screen. That's understandable, but I think the physical improvements to the 2000-series will be enough for most to consider it the better buy. Whichever model you go for, though, the PS Vita is a surprisingly solid offering at this point in time — just not really in the way that anyone expected.