Like with the Wii, Nintendo is not attempting to have Wii U compete on graphics; based on what we’ve seen and heard, it’s roughly on equal footing with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in terms of horsepower. It’s the system’s controller that sets it apart from the competition and, like the Wii remote, allows it to provide experiences that can’t be had elsewhere. Or, at least, that is the idea; Microsoft showed off SmartGlass at E3 which was perceived as the company’s version of the Wii U GamePad. Sony did the same with LittleBigPlanet 2 and Vita, something we got to see again at Gamescom as one demonstration of how Sony is indiscreetly going after Nintendo.
Sony announced today that Cross Controller support, the feature used to play LittleBigPlanet 2’s upcoming Cross Controller DLC, will be included in a Vita firmware update coming later this month. The distinction between this and PSP Remote Play is that the Vita is recognized as what it is; asymmetric gameplay becomes a possibility, and the Vita’s unique features can be harnessed — the game doesn’t play as if you are simply holding a PS3 controller with a screen that displays what would normally be seen on your TV. This firmware update will enable developers to make use of the functionality in their games going forward; the only thing that might stop them, really, is that the Vita install base is not especially large, and the number of people with both a PlayStation 3 and Vita is even smaller than that (though there is undoubtedly a fair amount of overlap between owners of the two).
